OEP Newsletter: September 5, 2003

In this issue:

 

Local Public Health Grant Duties Finalized

The *SCHSAC Local Public Health Preparedness Review Group met on August 27, 2003 to discuss revisions to the local public health grant duties. The review group members reviewed and finalized the local duties. The project agreement amendments for September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2004 will be sent to all CHS Administrators for signature in the next few days.

*SCHSAC: State Community Health Services Advisory Committee

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Strategic National Stockpile Coordination Workgroup

In the event of a terrorist attack or a major natural disaster, supplies of critical medical items in the state, regional or local jurisdiction will be rapidly depleted. In anticipation, the federal government established the Strategic National Stockpile to augment local supplies of critical medical items. The SNS is managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and funded under the Federal Office of Homeland Security. The planning and responsibility for administration of this program is located within the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Emergency Preparedness. The MDH is entering the second year of program development and federal funding for this program.

Multiple state and local agencies will have a role developing the state’s distribution and dispensing plans for the SNS. To assure that these agencies have input into the development of these plans, the MDH has convened a SNS Coordinating Work Group, the purpose of the SNS Coordinating Workgroup is to assist in the development of policy, provide advice on program strategies, help develop planning guidance, and assist in SNS exercise development.

The SNS Coordinating Workgroup is entering into a planning development phase. During this phase, the Coordinating Workgroup will assist MDH to:

  • Designate federal, state, regional and local responsibilities
  • Organize a command and control structure
  • Identify and conduct site surveys of facilities to support the SNS plan
  • Complete workforce, equipment and vehicle lists that support all phases
  • Complete a tiered mass dispensing plan that ensures prophylaxis to essential personnel, prophylaxis or treatment to entire population in four days and
  • Identify MOU requirements.

The workgroup members include individuals from local public health agencies, MDH, National Guard, fire departments, pharmacists, emergency medical services and the MN Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

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Threat Level Recommendations for Local Public Health Agencies

The federal Department of Homeland Security developed the Homeland Security Advisory System to provide a comprehensive and effective means to distribute information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people. It provides warnings in the form of a set of graduated “Threat Conditions” that would increase as the risk of the threat increases. At each Threat Condition, public safety agencies implement a corresponding set of “Protective Measures” to further reduce vulnerability or increase response capability during a period of heightened alert.

MDH Office of Emergency Preparedness modified the federal Homeland Security Advisory System to assist local public health agencies in broadly interpreting what these “threat levels” may mean to them. This is simply a reference tool and is not designed to serve as specific planning or response guidance.

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Public Health Internet Training Website

The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment has developed “Get PHIT! - Public Health Internet Training.” The purpose of the course is to enable public health practitioners to use the Internet well to accomplish their work. The course is designed for a classroom setting, but using the workbook, you can easily work through the program on your own. Go to Regional Institute Health & Environmental Leadership and click on Public Health Internet Training. Each component of the program provides simple instruction and exercises for you to test your new skills.

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Central Region Full Scale Chemical Exercise

On August 18, 2003 the Central Region conducted a full-scale chemical exercise that simulated a mustard gas explosion at a gathering of St. Cloud State University Alumni. The exercise was intended to:

  • Be an interactive experience that challenged the local emergency management system to respond in a setting that is both stressful and realistic
  • Test and evaluate the local emergency operations plan and area hospital emergency plans
  • To take place at multiple locations including hospitals, the emergency operations center and at St. Cloud State University and
  • Involve all types of “players” including victims, responders, media, elected and government officials and the public.

Police, Fire (Hazmat included), Gold Cross Ambulance service and emergency medical personnel participated in the exercise. Victims were directed to a decontamination station. After the decontamination, the victims were sent to a triage station and then bussed to area hospitals. At the hospital, victims were decontaminated again, and given a medical evaluation and if needed, medical treatment.

After the event, the participating responders identified the following challenges:

  • Clear and consistent communications between the various emergency response services
  • Technical problems at the emergency operations center
  • The weather; the explosion site was over a 100 degrees
  • Control of the media
  • Managing large numbers of victims in a hospital emergency room

For more information about the exercise contact Mike Matanich, Bioterrorism Coordinator Stearns County Public Health department at 320-656-6097.

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Sherburne County Prepares for a Bioterrorist Attack on Food

Teaching is an important activity to prevent illness, whether done by a group of concerned citizens, a nurse or a sanitarian. Sherburne County is reaching out to local partners to prepare for and prevent emergencies.

Every month, Marcia Engvall of Sherburne County Public Health, pulls together local partners who may be called on to respond to emergencies. Recently, she coordinated a tabletop exercise entitled “Bioterrorist Attack on Food”. During the exercise, community partners increased their awareness and discovered common concerns as they enacted their organization's roles in responding to the outbreak, preventing further infection, and limiting community panic.

Community partners included staff from local public health departments in two counties, law enforcement, emergency management, senior care programs, school lunch programs, the mayor, a media representative, a hospital, a vet, U of M Extension, a phone company, and the MDH. Besides interdisciplinary communication, administrative challenges include coordinating among five counties. Overall, participants felt that working with each other enhances the ability of professionals to consult on emerging concerns across disciplines, and guides system improvement.

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National Database of Planning Tools

On May 10, 2003 a letter was sent out from Cornell and Columbia University to local health officials about a new database that is in development. Public health researchers at Cornell and Columbia University received grant funds from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to create a database of locally developed mass prophylaxis planning aids and protocols. The project goal is to create a single database where these guidance documents can be stored and catalogued and then made available to other public health officials around the country. The letter states that local public health officials are encouraged to submit plans and protocols that fall into any of the following categories:

  • Prophylaxis dispensing clinic floor plans and/or patient flow plans
  • Triage protocols
  • Medication or vaccine dispensing protocols
  • Interagency coordination/collaboration protocols
  • Command structure protocols and/or job action sheets
  • Other materials that you think may be appropriate (e.g. training manuals)

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NAACHO) are in full support of the database development. The end goal of the database project will be a password-protected web site from which public health and emergency management professionals can locate, view and potentially download materials. Full development and authorship credit will be given for any item located in the database unless otherwise requested. The MDH will continue to monitor the development of the site content.

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Updated Monday, 22-Nov-2010 09:12:09 CST