Ohio in top half of public health preparedness ranking

With a score of eight on a 10-point scale, Ohio ranked in the top half of states on a new national scorecare on public health preparedness for emergencies such as bioterrorism attacks, disease outbreaks or natural disasters (Source: “Prepared for health crisis? We mostly are,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 10, 2008).

The report, published by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, gave Ohio good marks overall but is critical of the state’s ability to handle a possible flu pandemic. In fact, Ohio is one of only three states in which its public-health lab cannot meet the expectations of the state's pandemic-flu plan.
 
Only five states (Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin) scored perfect 10s, while seven states received scores of nine. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia were at seven points or less.