Memorial to Vickee Greer

Rural California County Public Health Agencies Launch Regional
Bioterrorism / Disaster Preparedness Web Site for CA Region III

The thirteen member counties in California Region III* officially went online today with a public bioterrorism and emergency disaster preparedness web site – www.norcalbt.com. The public web site is a collaborative effort between county public health officials to expand bioterrorism and emergency information and response systems for the nearly 750,000 people living in California's northernmost rural counties.

Link to NorCalBT PSA Created by Lynee Bussey Productions To view the PSA, you will need Windows Media Player

The NorCalBT.com Project was funded by a Department of Health Services, Emergency Preparedness Office grant to Glenn County Health Services, Public Health Office. Public health professionals coordinated resources and shared preparedness information to develop www.norcalbt.com for Region III residents.

The project was co-coordinated by Nip Boyes, Bioterrorism Planner in Glenn County and Vickee Greer, Bioterrorism / Disaster Coordinator for Sierra County Health and Human Services. Project contractor, Visual Imagry, Inc. is responsible for the web site design, concept and development. President Dee Beaugez designed and developed the Common/Public and County Sections. She also manages the ongoing project for the software company. Chief Executive Officer/Product Architect Donald Beaugez is designing and developing a Secure Section of www.norcalbt.com for use by health professionals.

"NorCalBT.com is about sharing critical information both for the public and for health care professionals who are among the crucial first responders in an emergency," said Nip Boyes. He continued, "We see NorCalBT.com as a vehicle to provide preparedness and response updates to residents and additional information and communication for professionals during a bioterrorism event, infectious disease alert or other public health threat, natural or man-made."

Each of the 13 counties has its own section within the regional site that is easily accessible via the Internet. For Glenn County residents, for instance, the Glenn County Health Services / Public Health Office home page can be reached directly at www.norcalbt.com/glenn.

“The concept of a regional web site,” explained Vickee Greer, "was driven by the necessity to maximize rural public health resources and to share all types of valuable preparedness information with the public.”

"Studies have shown that America's rural counties are vulnerable," Greer added, "because we are more isolated. This web site, and the cyber connections it offers within Region III, reduces that vulnerability."

The web site contains information collected and organized by the individual public health departments, as well as primary links to California and national web sites. The NorCalBT.com web site features bioterrorism / disaster preparedness information anyone within the region can share. Examples of material found on the web site include: Emergency Guidelines contained in Tehama County’s Section; an article explaining why everyone needs a 72-hour emergency plan is located in Modoc County Public Health’s section; and a link to an article entitled, "Protecting Our Citizens,” that defines Bioterrorism is found in Shasta County Public Health’s section. Homeland Security alerts, public health updates, and events can also be found on www.norcalbt.com.

The web site contains information collected and organized by the individual public health departments, as well as primary links to California and national web sites. The NorCalBT.com web site features bioterrorism / disaster preparedness information anyone within the region can share. Examples of material found on the web site include: Emergency Guidelines contained in Tehama County’s Section; an article explaining why everyone needs a 72-hour emergency plan is located in Modoc County Public Health’s section; and a link to an article entitled, "Protecting Our Citizens,” that defines Bioterrorism is found in Shasta County Public Health’s section. Homeland Security alerts, public health updates, and events can also be found on www.norcalbt.com.

Link to background information about VIPlanning® Online launching NorCalBT.com.

The following public health professionals from Region III's 13 rural counties who collaborated on www.norcalbt.com are:

• Jonathan Boulden, Bioterrorism Coordinator, Trinity County Health and Human Services;
• Nip Boyes, Bioterrorism Planner, Glenn County Health Services / Public Health Office;
• Dr. Joe Cassady, Bioterrorism Coordinator / Health Officer, Yuba County Health Services;
• Lynn Corliss, PHN, Emergency Response Coordinator, Siskiyou County Public Health;
• Linda Doyle, RN, CIC, Bioterrorism / Disaster Services Coordinator, Modoc County Public Health;
• John Duffy, Disaster Response Coordinator, Shasta County Public Health;
• Regina Ellena, MPH, Administrative Analyst/Bioterrorism Coordinator, Butte County Department of Public Health;
• Anthony Gould, RN, PHN, Bioterrorism Coordinator, Lassen County Department of Public Health;
• Vickee Greer, BS, Bioterrorism / Disaster Coordinator, Sierra County Health and Human Services;
• Georgeanne Hulbert, PHN, Bioterrorism Coordinator / Public Health Division Emergency Manager, Colusa County Health Services, Public Health Division;
• Cyndi Journagan, Administrative Analyst, Yuba County Health Services;
• Grinnell Norton, PHN, Bioterrorism Coordinator, Glenn County Health Services / Public Health Office;
• William E. Smith, Epidemiologist / Bioterrorism Coordinator, Sutter County Health Division;
• Tina Venable, PHN, CD/Public Health Preparedness Coordinator, Plumas County Public Health Agency; and
• Donna S. Wenz, RN, Disaster Coordinator, Tehama County Health Services Agency, Public Health Division.
  
  
  Other key participants in the project include:
• Lissa Bentrulkan, Epidemiologist, Focus Area B Lead, Yuba County;
• Roxanne W. Burke, Public Information Officer / Community Relations Coordinator, Shasta County Public Health;
• James Corona, M.D., Health Officer, Glenn County Health Services / Public Health Office;
• Andrew Deckert, M.D., M.P.H., Health Officer, Shasta County Public Health;
• Stephen A. Hall, Deputy Director, Sierra County Health and Human Services;
• Karen Jaggard, Health Education Coordinator II / Public Information Officer, Plumas County Public Health Agency;
• Gloria Newton, MA-ED, Training Coordinator, Shasta County Public Health;
• Elise Osvold-Doppelhauer, PHN, Public Health Nursing Director / Bioterrorism Administrator, Trinity County Health and Human Services;
• Lori Pini, Community Outreach Coordinator, Plumas County;
• Lorna Smallwood, Bioterrorism Coordinator, Colusa County;
• Jennifer Snider, M.P.H., Regional Epidemiologist, Shasta County;
• Susan Thurman, Bioterrorism – EMCC Meeting Coordinator, Glenn County Health Services / Public Health Office;
• Veronica Vazquez, Bioterrorism Support Staff, Colusa County; and
• Liz Watson, Trainer, Visual Imagry, Inc.

For more information about NorCalBT.com contact:
Dee Beaugez, MA, President / Chief Operating Officer, Visual Imagry, Inc.
(425) 881-1945 or email - dee.beaugez@viplanning.com

September 15, 2004 Press Release | Back to Top