Overview

The Iowa Center for Public Health Preparedness was established at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa in May, 2001. The Center is one of a select number of Centers for Public Health Preparedness and is funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In September of 2003, the Center expanded to include the states of Nebraska and South Dakota, and was renamed the Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness (UMCPHP). The Center completed a reverse site visit in March 2004 to report on all of its activities and accomplishments since its inception.

Mission Statement

Ensuring that the state and local public health workforce has the skills to prepare for, promptly identify, and respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies is the mission of the Upper Midwest Center for Public Health Preparedness.

Since its initiation, the Center has established itself as a partner in meeting the challenge of adding capacity for the development of the preparedness workforce in the Upper Midwest. It has served as a facilitator of strengthened partnerships with public health organizations, including state and local health departments, and it has lead to the development of new partnerships with public safety organizations.  These public safety organizations, including state and county-based emergency management agencies, have been identified by state and local public health agencies as critical partners in forming effective, collective response to current and emerging public health threats. 

Additional information about our partner organizations can be found on our Program Partners page.