Mississippi has been ranked among the top states that are prepared for health emergencies.
The 21st annual Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, conducted by the national organization Trust for America’s Health, was released last Thursday. The report measures states’ preparedness to respond to a spectrum of health emergencies and to provide ongoing public health services based on nine key indicators.
In the report, the Magnolia State joined 20 of its peers in being recognized as a “high tier” performer when it comes to responding to emergencies.
“This recognition is a testament to the experience, hard work, and commitment we have as a state to prepare for and respond to emergencies,” State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney said.
“We strive to get better every day to protect the health and well-being of all Mississippians, without exception. We, along with communities, health care providers, state agencies, and our federal partners must keep our foot on the gas and continue to invest in both people and resources for the challenges we will face down the road.”
A look at Mississippi’s highlights, according to the state health department:
- Member of the Nurse Licensure Compact which enables registered and practical nurses to practice in any member state with a single multistate license, eliminating the need for emergency declarations.
- The Mississippi Public Health Laboratory’s plan for a six-to-eight-week surge in testing capacity.
- Water Security: A low percentage of the population used a community water system that failed to meet all applicable health-based standards.
- Led the nation in availability for workers to take paid time off. PTO is a meaningful gauge of public health emergency preparedness for workers to stay home without financial loss, which is key to curbing disease spread.
- Stable public health funding.
- National Accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board.
- National Accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.
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