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Last Updated:
09/29/11 01:57:39 PM
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Health Alert Network |
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The Health
Alert Network (HAN) is a nationwide communications system
that was established by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), and is implemented by each state.
It is designed to enable a two-way, 24/7 flow of
critical health information among the Nevada State
Health Division and local and rural health care
professionals throughout the state, including
physicians, nurses, hospitals, laboratories, clinicians,
public health workers, emergency management and others.
HAN messages range from informational updates of general
interest to alerts which require immediate action. HAN
members are identified and tracked in a secure database
maintained by Public Health Preparedness.
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Contact Information |
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If you are a public health professional, please contact
John Flamm, E&I Officer, at 775.684.4057
to sign up to receive Nevada HAN messages, or to access the
network. |
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HAN Background |
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The threat of bioterrorism in the United States has
increased in recent years. New health threats that challenge
the abilities of our existing local and state public health
infrastructures are becoming more common. Further, our
society is increasingly mobile, meaning that a disease
originating in one state may be transferred to many other
states in a single day. Without the needed communication
system in place, clusters of disease cases can go
undiagnosed for weeks while disease spreads silently.
A bioterrorism event, and other public health emergencies,
may first be recognized by local health care providers, who
notice a sudden surge in the emergency room, or a pattern of
unusual cases or diagnoses. Health facilities throughout the
United States must have the capacity to detect and respond
to these threats. The answer is the Health Alert Network,
which provides these essential capabilities:
- ongoing
surveillance activities to quickly identify potential
health threats
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laboratory capability to perform testing to determine
the threat agent
- the
ability to conduct disease investigations
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effective protocol for reporting incidents and sharing
information
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efficient emergency communications among all involved
parties
When fully
deployed, the Nevada HAN links local health departments to
one another and to other partner organizations critical for
effective preparedness and response. |
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NV
State Health Division
