Pacific Southwest Center for Emergency Public Health

The Pacific Southwest Center for Emergency Public Health collaborates with local, state, and tribal health departments across California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and U.S.-affiliated Pacific territories to strengthen our region’s capacity to prepare for and respond to public health threats.

As one of ten centers funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Readiness and Response, the Center is dedicated to advancing evidence-based public health emergency preparedness and response strategies. Working closely with tribal communities, we prioritize the adaptation and adoption of strategies that meet local needs and align with community priorities.

The Center focuses on three key areas, developed in collaboration with regional public health and response partners during a year-long planning process:

  1. Workforce Surge Readiness
    The Center supports the region’s health workforce in addressing both immediate and long-term needs in public health emergencies. This includes developing a resilient surge workforce that can respond effectively in times of crisis and building sustainable workforce capacity.
  2. Weather-Related Harms and Illness
    The Center supports efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness by addressing emerging issues related to weather-related harms and illness. In collaboration with partners, the Center will conduct and evaluate pilot initiatives focused on priority populations. Findings from these pilots will inform the development of a comprehensive package of interventions and strategies for managing weather-related health threats, such as heat emergencies.
  3. Risk Communication
    In an age of widespread mis- and disinformation, the Center works to enhance trust in public health by improving how public health guidance is shared. This involves equipping public health officials to counter misinformation and fostering partnerships with trusted community leaders to deliver accurate, credible information.

Our People

  • George Rutherford, MD, MA, Principal Investigator
  • Karen Horn, MBA, MPH, Project Director
  • Jess Celentano, MS, Program and Operations Director
  • Rikita Merai, MPH, Program Manager
  • Denise Barrios, Program Coordinator

Partners

  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Public Health Institute
  • University Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  • University of Nevada, Reno