Preparing for Public Health Emergencies:

Transcription

1 Preparing for Public Health Emergencies: A Community Working Together Stephanie Nelson, RN, MSN Health Officer Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) Bozeman, Montana

2 Objectives Describe how a rural local public health system aligned resources to effectively address public health risks Describe how this alignment worked to address last years influenza vaccine shortage

3 Gallatin, Montana

4 Montana State University

5 Public Health Challenges Park management runs up against contentious issues. Each year, 3 million visitors enter West Yellowstone.

6 Question In my community, what is the most important area for improvement as we work with preparedness partners? A. Formal Agreements B. Communication C. Leveraging Limited Resources D. Real event problem-solving

7 Post 9/11 Incidents Anthrax on east coast Mysterious powder on tomatoes at MSU and the Bozeman Post Office Smallpox vaccination directive

8 Unified Health Command (UHC) Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Gallatin Community Clinic GCCHD Advisory Team Montana State University

9 UHC Strategies Align partners and expertise Identify and leverage limited resources Help create a single message

10 UHC Strategies Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) Joint training and exercises Real event problem solving

11 UHC in Action: Influenza Vaccine Shortage ( ) Goal 1: Surveillance Inventory vaccine Identify high risk

12 UHC in Action: Influenza Vaccine Shortage ( ) Goal 2: Prevention & Containment Prioritize CDC s recommendation Develop a tiered approach to immunize the public Create a system by which providers would access vaccine as it became available

13 UHC in Action: Influenza Vaccine Shortage ( ) Goal 3: Communication Dissemination of information Posed the greatest challenges

14 Communication, Disease Reporting and Collaboration Brigid O Connor Lake County Health Department Flathead Reservation and Lake County TERC/LEPC

15 Lake County: Who we are 26,000 residents 25% Native American (approximately) 80% rural population Open Reservation Polson with 4,041 residents largest community Salish Kootenai College Largest Employers: 1: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes 2: Lake County

16 Lake County, Montana

17 Tribal Areas in Lake County

18 Goals Internal: Develop a comprehensive Communicable Disease program in the Lake County Health Department External: Partner PH with local disaster responders through the TERC/LEPC Create/foster regional PH connections.

19 Develop Communicable Disease Position within Health Department Part time position to be primary CD contact for Health Dept. and PH Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Improve communication between HD and local medical providers Build on the current team-work between LCHD and Tribal Health

20 Question Does your Health Department have a Communicable Disease position supported by local funding? A. Totally funded B. More than 50% local funding C. Less than 50% local funding D. No local funding

21 Improve Communication Between HD and Local Medical Providers Develop relationship between providers and HD Offer useable information to them regularly Expect information from them HD Be a conduit for info from other sources directly to providers Identify how to best get info to the NURSES! Providers

22 TERC/LEPC TERC began in TERC/LEPC meeting monthly Spring 1996 Epi-Team created Autumn 2001 Health Subgroup of the TERC/LEPC born Early autumn 2002 CDC Emerg. Prep. Grants Late autumn 2002 Health Subgroup expanded Tribal/County Charter

23 Strengthen Regional Communication Send Communicable Disease notes to both providers and neighboring Health Departments Coordinate on significant press releases Collaborate on deliverables Share plans and templates

24 Challenges Policy issues Jurisdictional issues Meshing DES and PH

25 Successes Strengthened coordination between LCHD and THHS Established valued advisory group Health Subgroup of the TERC/LEPC Managed Communicable Disease events as a team Assured a Public Health position in the TERC/LEPC Charter One joint PHERP One DES Response Plan

26 The Unified Health Command: Strengthening Public Health Interventions in Yellowstone County Doug Moore, MD, MPH Yellowstone City-County Health Department October 18, 2005

27 Yellowstone County, Montana

28 Objectives Identify key components of a successful health-based preparedness committee Describe how a local service based health department transitioned into a public health focused organization

29 YCCHD Timeline Up to / /02 11/02 3/03 6/03 7/03 03 & 04 Health officer, medical director, communicable disease PHN, and environmental health PHPS assignee chronic care BT grant PHPS assignee BT preparedness/chap Public health and safety mill levy BT focused PHS staff, PHN Risk communications manager Received mill levy PHS staffing

30 Timeline September 11 th Anthrax attacks Small pox Flu/vaccine shortage NPS audit West Nile Virus E. coli O157 and Campylobacter Cyclospora Flu vaccine Pertussis West Nile Virus Flu vaccine

31 Mission To unify the health professions community in Yellowstone County for the purpose of preventing disease, preparing for events that may affect the health of our community, and responding to such events as an organized body.

32 Objectives Prepare our community for all events that may have a health impact Write, review, and update disaster preparedness plans Respond to outbreaks as a coordinated response team Develop singular messages for conveying health-related information to the community Coordinate mass treatment or mass prophylaxis clinics during emergencies Develop coordinated prevention campaigns Lead health related recovery efforts after an emergency

33 Unified Health Command Unified response to communicable disease outbreaks and public health issues Disaster medical health plan Mass immunization plan Training, tabletop, and live exercises Cover Your Cough campaign Respiratory illness plan 4 D s campaign

34 Question Currently my community has an identified public health/ medical infrastructure for addressing disasters. True or False? A. True B. False

35 Positive Impacts Response Planning Communication Internal External healthcare community and the community at large National Public Health Performance Standards Assessment

36 Impact of the Assessment Health department strategic plan based on the 10 essential services Future plans Community assessment Community health plan Community health profile Another community assessment

37 Question In my community which one of the following has been the biggest challenge in using preparedness resources? A. Long-term viability B. Mismatch of priorities C. BT v. full use focus D. Other

38 Challenges Long-term viability Mismatch of priorities federal, state, and local BT v. full use focus