Volume 14 | July 2020
Aligning Action for Health
The extreme heat and humidity that characterize Louisiana summers pose a significant health risk to outdoor occupations that require physical activity, such as emergency response, construction, agriculture, sanitation, utility, transportation, and landscaping/ground maintenance.

Excessive heat exposure can cause life-threatening heatstroke and exacerbate existing health problems like asthma, kidney and heart disease, and diabetes. Workers need to pay attention to signs of heat illness such as confusion, dizziness, lightheadedness, and dehydration - particularly while wearing face coverings which may add additional stress on the body . OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Campaign explains what employers can do to keep workers safe and what workers need to know, including:

  • factors for heat illness;
  • adapting to working in the heat;
  • protecting co-workers;
  • recognizing symptoms; and
  • first aid training.

There are three key takeaways from the safety messaging: Water. Rest. Shade. Check out some of OSHA's additional resources and training materials here.
Partner Spotlight: Louisiana Occupational Health Surveillance Program
There are almost two million workers in Louisiana and every year thousands of them are injured on the job or become ill as a result of exposure to health or safety hazards at work. Work-related injuries and illnesses are largely preventable, and control of occupational hazards is the most effective means of prevention.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Occupational Health Surveillance Program routinely tracks and analyzes injuries, illnesses, and fatalities using hospital and emergency department data, death certificates, laboratory reports, and other information. These surveillance data are critical to targeting prevention programs and activities. To learn more about their work, click here or contact Anna Reilly , Occupational Health Epidemiologist and Environmental Health Scientist Supervisor with the Louisiana Department of Health.
How Can We Support You?
Our recovery from COVID-19, hurricanes, and other natural disasters is strengthened when we work together, share resources, and identify and respond to the needs of impacted communities, particularly communities impacted by inequities.
 
We want to hear from you: what assistance do you need to address your organization’s needs and those of the communities you serve?  Examples of assistance include:

  • Facilitating connections to people or organizations
  • Providing access to training and educational opportunities
  • Identifying relevant resources

We are working with the CDC, Tulane University School of Public Health, and other state and federal partners to address your needs.
 
Your feedback is important. Please email us directly ( mlackovic@lphi.org ) or fill out a request form here . The form is also available in Spanish here .
Contact Tracing Training Information
In addition to highlighting online hurricane, emergency, and public health preparedness-related courses, we are also including information on COVID-19 contact tracing.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has released new guidance on digital technologies for contact tracing and case investigation. The guide is available here . They also provide a training called "Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracers," which is available here .
 
The Public Health Foundation (PHF) is developing robust and customized contact tracing curriculums for health departments, at no cost and taking little agency time . To begin the customization process for your organization, click here .

Additional courses listed below are through Tulane's Learning Management System (LMS) and include but are not limited to:


Additional LMS courses are being created and will be announced as they become available. More frequent updates are available via the LA-HRH Facebook and Twitter accounts.
NNPHI Update on the Hurricane Response Hubs
In early 2020, the CDC offered recipients of 2018 hurricane funding an opportunity to continue their projects through May 31, 2021. This extension will allow the five HRHTACs not only the opportunity to continue to provide assistance throughout the 2020 hurricane season, but also to advance plans for longer-term sustainability. 
Funding for this project has been provided to the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) through a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC – NU1ROT000004-01-00). NNPHI is collaborating with the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health on this project. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

The LPHI, founded in 1997, is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit and public health institute that translates evidence into strategy to optimize health ecosystems. Our work focuses on uncovering complementary connections across sectors to combine the social, economic, and human capital needed to align action for health. We champion health for people, within systems, and throughout communities because we envision a world where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy. For more information, visit www.lphi.org .