news release
ANDREW J. SPANO, Westchester County Executive JOSHUA LIPSMAN, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health SUSAN TOLCHIN, Director of Communications

CONTACT: SUSAN TOLCHIN (914) 995-2932

MARY LANDRIGAN (914) 813-5013

(914) 813-5000 (after hours)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 31, 2003

HEALTH DEPARTMENT PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO COMBAT PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS THROUGH GRANT AWARDS

The Westchester County Department of Health today announced the awarding of four grants totaling over $55,000 to community organizations to enhance readiness for public health emergencies. This is the second year that the Department has awarded such grants. The money, originating from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is part of a larger grant to the Westchester County Department of Health to improve Westchester’s ability to respond to the possibility of bioterrorism.

The grants are being awarded to organizations that will enhance the preparedness of particular populations or systems within the County. The four grants awarded are as follows:

¨ $10,250 to the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association to enhance emergency communications among the acute care hospitals in Westchester County.

¨ $15,000 to the Mental Health Association of Westchester to help prepare senior citizens and their caregivers, with special emphasis on the Spanish-speaking population, in the event of a large scale emergency.

¨ $15,000 to St. John’s Riverside Hospital to develop a mobile toxic agent decontamination capacity that can be available to the south County.

¨ $15,000 to the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association to train the Westchester veterinary community to respond to disasters, including the development of emergency temporary housing of domestic animals and the establishment of an examination and toxic agent decontamination veterinary capability in the County. MORE

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“While Westchester County had a comprehensive response plan in place to deal with public health emergencies long before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we have accelerated our efforts since then to enhance that plan and expand our capabilities. By partnering with these grant recipients, we are another step closer to achieving those goals,” stated County Executive Andy Spano.

“In a time of scarce resources, I am pleased to support these initiatives which are crucial to strengthening the infrastructure of public health and our capacity to respond to a potential bioterrorist threat,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health. “This funding reflects the Health Department’s recognition that our community partners are critical to the preparedness of the public health system to deal with emergencies.”

For additional information, contact the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000 or visit the website at www.westchestergov.com/health.

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