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Public Health Programs

COG's Public Health Programs seek to advance the broader understanding of regional public health issues and helps meet the public health needs of member local governments and their residents.

The Health Officials Committee is currently working to improve the region's emergency preparedness by developing a regional disease & syndromic surveillance system that will help area health departments and hospitals to share information and respond regionally and consistently to public health threats which by nature are not necessarily contained within individual jurisdictional boundaries.

The Health Officials Committee includes directors and physicians from the region's public health departments. They are responsible for maintaining the public health through services and programs for communicable disease control, food inspection, maternal and child health, school health, and environmental health concerns.

The Health Officials Committee is also the convener of the Regional Emergency Support Function 8 (Health, Mental Health and Medical Services) which provides coordination and communications oversight for health and medical emergency preparedness with in the larger emergency preparedness efforts. 

The Health Officials Committee also oversees the following subcommittees:

• Vector Borne Pathogens Task Force
• Bioterrorism Emergency Planners Subcommittee
• Environmental health
• Obesity Workgroup
• HIV Committee (Under Construction)
• TB Committee
• Access to Care
• RESF 8 Health and Medical emergency preparedness
  

The Vector Borne Pathogens Task Force coordinates regional planning and response to mosquito-borne and tic borne diseases in the National Capitol Region.
The Bioterrorism Emergency Planners Subcommittee is a group of emergency health planners from public health departments around the region. Members of this committee coordinate local and state emergency plans into regional response plans (i.e. mass dispensing of medication or vaccine).

The Environmental Health Subcommittee coordinates with COG’s environmental programs on environmental issues that affect public health.

The Obesity Workgroup is a multi-disciplinary groups that monitors the region’s progress on policies and practices that encourage healthy weight and healthy lifestyle for the regions population.
 
The HIV Committee (under construction)

The TB Committee coordinates Tuberculosis treatment programs across the region to ensure that clients receive continuous services and are able to adhere to treatment regimen when they change jurisdiction of residence.

The Access to Care Committee (under construction)

The Regional Emergency Support Function 8, Health and Medical Services, Subcommittee advises the Health Officials Committee and other emergency preparedness committees on emergency preparedness coordination, communication, planning, and funding in the health arena.

Program Contacts

Nancy Rea, Health & Substance Abuse Program Manager - (202) 962-3266
Timothy Sharma, Health Planner I - (202)962-3775