Butler County Health Department Administrator Emily Goodin and Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers recently co-presented at a national conference regarding preparedness in health care. The 2023 National Health Care Coalition Preparedness Conference was held the last week of November in Las Vegas, Nevada. Goodin and Myers helmed a workshop called “Engaging Rural Health Care Coalition Members.”
Goodin shared an effective program that the Southeast Missouri region has been implementing for the past two years.
“I have made some great partnerships over the years in my role in public health,” said Goodin. “I have worked on several projects with Dr. Daniel Barnett at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Missouri Foundation for Health. As a collaboration, we have been able to bring various projects and resources to our community in Butler County. The most recent being “Physiological First Aid in Rural Older Adults,” with a focus on dealing with the aftermath of disasters.”
Myers spoke of various strategies to increase the active participation of preparedness stakeholders in meetings, planning, and trainings.
“Health care coalitions are designed to bring together professionals in emergency management with leaders in all areas of the health care field. Coalition members are extremely busy individuals, so it is important to respect their time and make sure they are receiving value for the time they commit. Combining quality programs with pertinent engagement activities can lead to greater partnerships. These partnerships can then better serve our communities in times of emergencies and disasters.”
Goodin is involved in several public health regional leadership roles and Myers serves on the Nonurban Missouri Health care Coalition statewide board.