University of Iowa-Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness
Encyclopedia
Overview
The Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness (UMCPHP) (originally the Iowa Center for Public Health Preparedness) was founded at the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in May 2001 and is one of 27 Center for Public Health Preparedness
Center for Public Health Preparedness
Centers for Public Health Preparedness program was established in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen terrorism and emergency preparedness by linking academic expertise to state and local health agency needs....
in the United States. The UMCPHP is funded through grant support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
. The center was established to strengthen the capacity of the public health workforce to respond to Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
and other public health emergencies. In 2003, UMCPHP expanded to service the public health workforces of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
as well as South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
.
The Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness maintains an online learning management system, in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public Health, called Prepare Iowa.
Mission
The Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness seeks to ensure members of the local/state public health workforce have the skills needed "to prepare for, promptly identify, and respond to bioterrorismBioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
and other public health emergencies" . The center seeks to support "preparedness training priorities" in the Upper Midwest region through "assessment, curriculum development, program delivery and evaluation" . UMCPHP asserts that these goals are attainable through state and local collaborations .