The mission of the South Dakota Department of Health's Office of Public Health Preparedness is to promote and protect the health and well-being of all residents by strengthening the state’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies and disasters. This includes enhancing community capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from such events through collaboration with health care providers, emergency management 10 organizations, and community partners. By ensuring a resilient health care workforce, supporting vulnerable populations, and continuously improving health care systems, the SD DOH works to safeguard the health and safety of the state’s residents in the face of evolving threats and emergencies. The purpose of this request is to strengthen public health preparedness and response capabilities within South Dakota tribal communities, with support in areas including, but not limited to: • Enhancing partnerships to effectively support community preparedness efforts. • Expanding local support to improve jurisdictional readiness and capacity to effectively manage public health emergencies. • Providing and supporting training designed to improve preparedness systems. • Supporting tribal participation in conferences, trainings, and workshops.
