Strategic Planning

Measuring Watershed Partnership Impacts

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:03:21 +0000

Measuring Watershed Partnership Impacts

Communication & Outreach

Program Management

Reports

Strategic Planning

Water

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 11:03

The ask: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Urban Waters Program, which works in underserved watersheds across the country, needed a mechanism to highlight program achievements to date, community impacts, and environmental and public health successes.

The solution: To promote the achievements of the Urban Waters Program in connecting underserved communities with their watersheds, MDB led the development of the program’s first-ever Progress Report and supplemental overview fact sheet. We designed a process to curate and synthesize information on the program’s cumulative impacts and successes and engaged program stakeholders for report content and data. The report was effective in telling an engaging story of the program and highlighting environmental outcomes and funding leveraged, as well as providing a high-level snapshot of key projects and programmatic achievements of the Urban Waters locations.

Notable outcomes: The report was shared among all Urban Waters locations and was lauded by program leadership as an important step toward a more sustainable, accountable, impactful program.

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Developing Pilot Project Into a Full Scope Disaster Research Response Program

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:18:31 +0000

Developing Pilot Project Into a Full Scope Disaster Research Response Program

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Public Health

Program Management

Strategic Planning

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 10:18

The ask: In 2012, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership published a call for action in the New England Journal of Medicine to improve the capabilities of the nation to conduct human health research in the aftermath of disasters. Up to that point, disaster research was uncoordinated, largely anecdotal, and lacked the scientific rigor that is the basis for all human health studies.

The solution: In response to this article, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) instituted a pilot project in disaster research called the Disaster Research Response project, with a focus on environmental health studies. MDB supported this project by providing strategic planning, expertise in disaster management and public health, and science writing. MDB supported monthly meetings of the National Institutes of Health disaster interest group, assisted with the development of disaster research workshops that occurred in four large cities across the country, provided expertise in the development of a Disaster Research Response program website, and co-authored several peer-reviewed articles about disaster research.

Notable outcomes: Through the efforts supported by MDB, the DR2 project is now a full-fledged program at NIEHS.

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Developing COVID-19 Materials to Improve Health Agency Response

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:15:16 +0000

Developing COVID-19 Materials to Improve Health Agency Response

COVID-19

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Public Health

Events

Strategic Planning

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 10:15

The ask: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic stressed state and local health departments across the nation. Working tirelessly, health departments needed support to improve their responses.

The solution: During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, MDB was tasked with supporting the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) COVID-19 response. One of our senior staff served as a pandemic advisor the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and worked with the PADOH COVID-19 staff to improve the state’s response.

Notable outcomes: MDB provided strategic advice, infectious disease outbreak response expertise, and created and conducted a tabletop exercise for the administration’s senior staff.

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