As part of the President’s commitment to ensure that our country is more prepared for a pandemic than we were when he took office, the Administration created the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR). This will be a permanent office in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the United States. OPPR will take over the duties of the current COVID-19 Response Team and Mpox Team at the White House and will continue to coordinate and develop policies and priorities related to pandemic preparedness and response. Read more here.

IHMM, in keeping with the spirit and letter of helping America become more prepared for the next pandemic, has created the Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist® [CPPS®] microcredential, reflecting the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities a professional must have in order to better prepare a private sector business or government.

Learn more about the IHMM Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist® [CPPS®] microcredential here.

What is a microcredential? “A microcredential is a certification of assessed learning that is additional, alternate, complementary to or a formal component of a formal qualification” (Oliver, 2019, p.19).  In the case of the CPPS, one has to be either a CHMM or a CSHM first, then may apply to become a CPPS. This is a recognition that the CHMM or CSHM reflects their solid basis of learning, experience, and certification in broader subject areas and then augments that foundation with narrower, more specific knowledge, skills, and experience with pandemic preparedness.

About IHMM
Founded in 1984, the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM), is a not-for-profit organization. IHMM has been protecting the environment and the public’s health, safety, and
security through the creation of credentials recognizing professionals who have demonstrated a high level of knowledge, expertise, and excellence in the environment, health, and safety communities of practice. For more information, visit www.ihmm.org
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