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Public Health Emergency Preparedness

ORAU helps CDC ensure that local public health systems can effectively respond to a range of public health threats

CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program is a critical component of national health security.

Within the public health preparedness portfolio, ORAU works on a variety of national projects, programs, and initiatives to help CDC ensure state and local public health systems are able to effectively respond to a range of public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological events.  

Industries we serve

  • Federal preparedness agencies
  • State, local and territorial public health departments
  • Preparedness professionals
  • National preparedness organizations and agencies
firemen looking at a smartphone screen

What we offer

ORAU has been supporting CDC’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program since the development of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Extranet in 2003. Our experts work with federal agencies and national preparedness organizations by providing the following services:

  • Preparedness education campaign planning and implementation
  • Preparedness Impact Project Steering Committee project management
  • Design and testing of PHEP communication materials
  • Social media messaging and graphic design
  • Technical guidance writing and editing
  • Technical assistance and training for preparedness professionals
EMTs moving patient from ambulance to emergency room entrance

ORAU leads national preparedness initiative

The CDC contracted ORAU to provide project management and communication support of the Preparedness Impact Project in order to demonstrate how federal investments enhance the ability of our nation's public health systems to respond to public health emergencies. 

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Our Experts

Freddy Gray

Freddy Gray, M.P.H., MCHES

Expertise: Public health and healthcare preparedness, medical countermeasures, team dynamics, strategic planning

Gray has more than 25 years of experience managing and supervising public health and healthcare system preparedness and response programs involving medical countermeasures to help mitigate the surge of patients due to a public health emergency.

Certification: Master Certified Health Education Specialist

Will Artley

Will Artley

Expertise: Document design and development, technical writing and editing, emergency response exercise design and information synthesis

Co-author:

  • “Supply Chain Disaster Preparedness Manual,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), December 2017
  • “Pandemic Influenza Electronic Exercise Tool,” CDC, September 2017
  • “How to Develop Medical Surge Planning Workshops,” CDC, June 2017
Kara Stephens

Kara Stephens, M.P.H., M.S.A., CHES

Expertise: Public health emergency preparedness program (PHEP) management, health communication and education, social marketing, social media

Stephens has more than 12 years of experience leading national health communication and education initiatives in support of the nation’s health security efforts.

Certification: Certified Health Education Specialist, ThinkTank Certified Facilitator, Adobe Illustrator and Indesign Certified Expert

  • Come talk to us in Atlanta

    Find us at the ORAU booth at the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media to be held September 11-13, 2018, in Atlanta.

    This annual conference brings together individuals representing academia, public health researchers and practitioners from federal and state government and the private sector, and provides a forum for collegial dialogue within and across these disciplines.

  • Come talk to us about public health and healthcare preparedness capabilities

    Come talk to us about public health and healthcare preparednes at the ORAU booth at the 2019 NACCHO Preparedness Summit March 26-29, 2019 in St. Louis.

    The Preparedness Summit is the first and longest running national conference on public health preparedness. The Summit convenes a wide array of partners; presenting new research findings, sharing tools and resources and providing a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn how to implement model practices that enhance the nation’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.

Contact us

For information about ORAU’s health communication, preparedness and response needs, contact Marcus Weseman, M.P.A., vice president and senior associate director, Health Communication programs, at 865.576.3420 or marcus.weseman@orau.org.