Adam Negley and Melissa Sever, Ohio Center for Public Health Preparedness co-coordinators, facilitated a statewide public health stakeholder meeting on July 14, 2009. The purpose of this meeting was to identify and prioritize critical issues that must be addressed prior to fall flu season and the arrival of the H1N1 vaccine. The meeting was attended by the Ohio Department of Health preparedness leadership and representatives from many of Ohio's 130 local public health agencies. In all, approximately 160 people participated in the meeting.

Issues were first identified and grouped into five pre-established categories through a large group discussion process. Once 9-10 critical issues had been identified, electronic voting devices were utilized to quickly prioritize the issues within each category. Once prioritized, 15 small groups began the process of identifying action steps and a framework for moving forward to address the three highest priority issues in each category. Key participants in future planning efforts were also identified as a part of the process.

A summary of the top three issues in each category can be found below:

Category	Top 3 issues
Community & Provider Communication	Consistency and clarity of message at all levels of government Get the message out to the general public - fight complacency Two way communication with partners
Interventions	Interventions match disease progression Educate public & policy makers about social distancing Identify scale & capability of local health departments to implement interventions
Vaccine/Antiviral	Simple, efficient tracking of administration & adverse events Consistent prioritization plan State guidance to clarify roles
Epidemiology, Surveillance, Lab	Clear understanding of testing guidance/protocols Consistency between federal & state algorithms Consistent method for surveillance in schools
Situational Awareness	Access & exchange of information between state and local health departments Exchange of information between local health departments, their partners & communities Support for sustainability of the incident (including internal staff)

The Center for Public Health Practice is a part of The Ohio State University's College of Public Health. The center is home to federally funded public health programs, including the Center for Public Health Preparedness, Pennsylvania and Ohio Public Health Training Center and the Buckeye Bluegrass Regional Leadership Academy. The center provides training to hundreds of public health practitioners every year through in-person and online programs. It also offers contractual and fee-for-service support in the areas of organizational and leadership development.