JACKSON, Miss. -- The Mississippi Department of Health (MDH) has gotten eight out of a possible 10 points in the Robert Wood Johnson’s Trust for America’s Heath Report. 

That means the agency is well prepared to help protect and meet your health needs during emergencies like floods, tornadoes, an oil spill and even infectious disease outbreaks.  “To know that that level of preparedness should be reassuring to our citizens,” said MDH Health Protection Director Jim Craig.

He said the report is an indicator that Mississippi’s overall Emergency Preparedness program is strong.  “Some of the strengths identified in the report was the great work done by our public health laboratory in testing for chemical threats; for being able to be staffed well enough to work 12-hour days during public health emergencies; and all our licensed child care facilities have a multi-hazard, written evacuation and relocation plan,” said Craig.
 
Mississippi is one of only five states to receive eight out of 10 points. Craig said to maintain that lever of preparedness, they must maintain funding.  But, he said their federal funding has been cut by nearly 38% since 2005.