PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Catherine Slemp, MD, MPH WV Bureau for Public Health When Disaster Strikes— Response and Recovery in WV, Summit II Charleston, WV April 23, 2007


Summary of Topics: Summary of Topics Key Principles PH System Structure Health and Medical Preparedness Planning Structure Coordination of Public Health and Emergency Management functions Key Accomplishments / Activities to Date Selected Areas for Further Work


Key Principles: Key Principles All hazard planning wherever feasible Must coordinate and align with broader Emergency Management (EM) and Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) under NIMS By code and state EOP, response is local with state support / coordination. (Provision for state to step in if needed to protect health and safety) Public Health Agency Emergency Response Capacity is directly proportional to strength of everyday public health system


Key Principles: Key Principles Government can coordinate, can provide leadership, can provide many services. Government cannot and should not undertake preparedness or response alone. Private Sector, Organized Volunteer Community, Individuals, families, and communities


WV’s Public Health System: WV’s Public Health System WVDHHR-- Bureau for Public Health Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facil. State Health Department 49 Local Health Departments Collaboration with many other agencies


LHD PH Preparedness Organization: LHD PH Preparedness Organization Each LHD has a designated Threat Preparedness Coordinator and other defined roles (most not full time); Some regional leads. Each to have developed a local PH Threat Response Plan to address public health response functions All plans must align with local jurisdiction’s EOP Each is expected to participate in Regional Healthcare System Response Planning (Patient Surge Plans) Each participates in a defined Public Health Preparedness Planning region


Slide7: WV Public Health Threat Preparedness Planning Regions


Health Care System Preparedness Organization: Health Care System Preparedness Organization Regional Health Care System Planning Groups—Hospitals, LHDs, EM, Primary Care, EMS, etc. WV Hospital Assoc partnership coordinating work with Hospitals—WV Hosp. Prep Task Force, facility response plans, regionally advancing surge capacity (plans, resources, sharing, etc.) Emphasis on linking with jurisdictional response Regions correspond to Medical Command Regions


Slide9: WV Health Care System Planning Regions


Public Health and Medical System (Everyday Activities): Public Health and Medical System (Everyday Activities) WVDHHR-BPH 49 Local Health Departments Health Care Providers and Facilities andamp; Many Other Health Partners


Emergency Response Plans: Emergency Response Plans Plans Nest: Not all is held in any single plan Plan Holder WV Emergency Operations Plan DHSEM Annex G: Health and Medical DHSEM WVDHHR Threat Response Plan WVDHHR Agency / Office Response Office /Bureau Plans, protocols, policies, tools Family / Individual Plan You andamp; Me


WVDHHR Incident Command Structure: WVDHHR Incident Command Structure


WV Health and Medical System Emergency Response: WV Health and Medical System Emergency Response WV STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WV LOCAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS NIMS/NRP Other State and Federal Ops Centers


Health and Medical Response Functions (sample): Health and Medical Response Functions (sample) Disease Detection, Investigation, and Control Laboratory Diagnostics—Bio, Chem, Envir Environmental Health (drinking water, food safety, health effects of environmental exposure, infectious medical waste, etc.) Mass Immunization and Prophylaxis Communicating Health Risk and What to do Coordinating Selected Medical Resource Distribution Support / Coordinate Health Care System in Providing Medical Response Behavioral Health


Selected Key Activities / Accomplishments: Selected Key Activities / Accomplishments


WVDHHR Activities: WVDHHR Activities Distributing Funds and Supporting System Development 2006-07: CDC- $ 8.5 million (incl. 1 time Pan Flu $); HRSA $3 million Local Health Departments Hospitals Community Mental Health Centers EMS WV Poison Center WV Council of Churches WV Department of Agriculture WV Department of Education American Red Cross


Slide17:


Biosafety Level 3 Lab: Biosafety Level 3 Lab Bioterrorism Agents West Nile Virus Influenza Pertussis Norovirus


Mass Vaccination / Strategic National Stockpile Planning: Mass Vaccination / Strategic National Stockpile Planning Caches of medical equipment andamp; medications stored in US Delivery to state within 12 hrs Accessed by State Health Department who oversees management and distribution Local Health Departments responsible for dispensing to public; hospitals to own staff / patients Two systems: Push Pack Vendor managed inventory LHDs frequently test SNS mass vaccination plans with seasonal flu clinics


WV REDI: WV REDI WV Responder Emergency Deployment Information System Registers and Credentials Health Professional and Other Health Volunteers in advance Web based Links Vol to local H andamp; M Volunteer Group for training, support, etc. Now training system administrators andamp; preparing for launch


Pandemic Flu Planning: Pandemic Flu Planning State and Regional Summits State and Agency Plan Development State and Regional Tabletop Exercises Caches of basic supplies and equipment (alternate care facilities x 7; antivirals; N-95 masks for HCWs; etc.) Developing plans for allocating scarce resources: antivirals, vaccine, etc. Planning for Non Pharmaceutical Interventions COOP


Communications: Communications Health Alert Network Wide Area Network with LHDs andamp; DHHR Offices Collecting and maintaining partner contact info (providers, law enforcement, etc.) Rapidly disseminates info to partners when necessary, via multiple possible modalities Linking in groups that reach Special Needs Pops Tactical Communications Radios (EMS, Hospitals, Med Comm) Rapid Notification System Satellite Phones, Cell Phones, etc.


Training People: Training People Awareness – Emergency Preparedness, Pandemic Influenza, etc. Incident Command / NIMS Outbreak investigation Mass Dispensing / Vaccination Identifying and treating casualties of an event Psychological Impacts of Disaster / Critical Incident Stress Management Techniques Risk Communications


Areas Needing Attention : Areas Needing Attention Enhancing Individual / Family Preparedness Enhancing Private Sector Preparedness COOP—all sectors; in manageable chunks Health and Medical Resource Tracking Coordinating with Volunteers Coordinating with Special Needs Populations


Additional Resources: Additional Resources http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp : Incident command and other training on line http://www.pandemicflu.gov: Federal Gov’t Pandemic Flu information and resources http://www.wvdhhr.org/healthprep : WVBPH Public Health Preparedness webpage. http://www.wvflu.org: WV flu planning resources and information (site now being revised) WVBPH Division of Surveillance and Disease Control http://www.wvdhhr.org/idep/ : protocols, disease fact sheets, WV outbreak andamp; disease reporting info, etc. (1-800-423-1271) http://www.ready.gov : Individual and Family Readiness materials from the US Department of Homeland Security http://www.bt.cdc.gov : disease info, fact sheets, etc.


Preparedness Lessons From Noah: Preparedness Lessons From Noah Don’t miss the boat Remember that we are all in the same boat For safety’s sake, travel in pairs Plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark Build your future on high ground Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.


Slide27: Remember, the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals And for those days when you think you just don’t know enough to do the job……….


Thank You!: Thank You! Cathy Slemp, MD, MPH 505 Capitol St., Suite 200 Charleston, WV 304-558-6900 cathyslemp@wvdhhr.org