MOCK HEPATITIS OUTBREAK DRIVES POD EXERCISE

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Volume 3, Issue 2 MOCK HEPATITIS OUTBREAK DRIVES POD EXERCISE Averill Park POD open and ready for business!

eyes after being exposed to a particular shipment of produce during a nine-day period in March.

or immunoglobulin as clinically appropriate. Those were the marching orders for the Rensselaer County Health Dept.

residents nearest the grocery store in question. Acting Director of Public Safety, Ray Davis was contacted for permission to deploy the MRC which was granted.

1 Volume 3, Issue 2 MOCK HEPATITIS OUTBREAK DRIVES POD EXERCISE Averill Park POD open and ready for business! It was a chilling scenario a 24-year-old employee at the county s largest grocery store developed a high fever, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms along with yellowing of the skin and eyes after being exposed to a particular shipment of produce during a nine-day period in March. Laboratory tests confirmed Hepatitis A and it was determined that county residents who may have consumed produce from the store during that time period should be offered either a Hepatitis A vaccine or immunoglobulin as clinically appropriate. Those were the marching orders for the Rensselaer County Health Dept. and MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) and plans were formulated to conduct a POD (Point-of-Dispensing) at Averill Park High School (our southern POD partner) to offer the medical countermeasure to residents nearest the grocery store in question. Acting Director of Public Safety, Ray Davis was contacted for permission to deploy the MRC which was granted. POD Leadership was designated, plans were drawn up, appropriate Just-in-Time Training (JITT) was conducted and all logistical supplies brought to bear at the school s gymnasium on Tuesday morning, April 3 at 8am. The county has an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the school that allows us access and use of the school in such emergencies and several of their staff did yeoman service in assisting us with the physical plant as well as internet and computer support. Those patients arriving at the POD whose responses to medical screening questions met a certain criteria were given a simulated injection of a Hepatitis A vaccine. Others with different screening parameters, i.e. age/weight, were given a simulated injection of immunoglobulin (IG). In the two hours of POD operation for this particular exercise, approximately 160 were screened and roughly 75% given one of the two countermeasures. The remaining were determined to not be in need of a vaccine, again based on their particular answers to the screening questions. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Hepatitis POD Exercise Welcome New Members Stop the Bleed! POD Exercise in Photos Upstanders Hits the Road! 2018 MRC Meeting Dates Meet our new County Exec! Welcome New Members! GLENN BECKER ABIGAIL BREEN KHYSTIN COMERFORD SHARON DAVIS EBONY FLETCHER VICKIE LANE PHYLLIS MICHAEL MARIE OSTOYICH IAN RAYDO CORI ROWE ROSHI SHIVALILA-JAMES ANDREA VALENTI PATRICIA WOLFSON After the POD concluded at noon, the nearly 50 county health dept. staff and some 33 MRC volunteers shared lunch together an engaged in a hotwash debriefing of the exercise with numerous good suggestions being made for how to improve our responses to public health emergencies in the future. A local CBS 6 News reporter was on hand part of the morning, interviewing several staff, volunteers and patients. A good piece on the drill aired that evening on their newscast. Sal Scecchitano, MRC Coordinator

Page 2 UPSTANDERS SYMPOSIUM FOLLOW-UP: The Stop the Bleed symposium follow-up event originally scheduled for Saturday,

will conduct the training which will focus on the use of pressure dressings and tourniquets to stem life-threatening

2 Page 2 UPSTANDERS SYMPOSIUM FOLLOW-UP: The Stop the Bleed symposium follow-up event originally scheduled for Saturday, April 21 at 10am has been moved to Saturday, May 12 at the same time, here in the Health Dept. s 2nd floor conference room. Dr. Heidi Cordi, an EMS Physician for Rensselaer County and ER Staff at Albany Med and MRC Coordinator, Sal Scecchitano will conduct the training which will focus on the use of pressure dressings and tourniquets to stem life-threatening blood loss. Registration will be limited to the first 48 who sign up so that everyone who attends will receive a CAT Tourniquet provided with funds left over from last year s symposium grant. To sign up, go to Opioid Coalition Remaining Meeting Dates for 2018 May 23 July 11 August 22 October 10 November 14 All meetings held on Wednesdays from 10am to noon at the Rensselaer County DSS Bldg. 127 Bloomingrove Dr. in Troy

3 Page 3 POD PEOPLE UNITE! A photo retrospective of our 2018 Exercise... Amanda, Art and Phyllis awaiting the masses! Dr. Heidi Cordi and PA Katie Calder pose while Janet & Theresa ready their station Wendy looks on as POD and Med Ops Managers Ann and Lisa fire up their computers Doris and Dean Calamaras at their first MRC exercise Rachel, Joyce and Gail get the process rolling with a new patient Nicole and Patti catch a breather before the next patient arrives Eileen and Judy prepare for an Immunoglobulin injection Deputy Dinardo and Trooper Lewis keep the POD secure POD Evaluator, Doug Cosey is all smiles (so far!) Kris registers a new patient while Nicole prepares to vaccinate Averill Park Fire Police take a break from the parking detail with Rose from Sand Lake Ambulance Keeper of the Door Kim with MRC Runner Don

4 Page 4 POD PEOPLE UNITE! A photo retrospective of our 2018 Exercise... Must have been really funny, Anna! Psychological First Aid Jen, Deb and Tom ready for anything! Nurse Michelle improvises a mask (just in case!) Even Boy Scouts got involved Be Prepared! Franny & Rich discuss Operations & Safety/Security Getting the ambulance stretcher ready (for hopefully no one!) Logistics Kevin and MRC Elaine share a moment with evaluator Doug Just-in-Time Trainer Jen checks in with the Operations Staff Plans Manager Jen during the calm before the storm! MRC Coord. Sal rubs elbows in a selfie with Dr. Cordi and PAs Pam Young and Kenny Lampert Pat and Stacey MRC and Nursing working together for a new patient

Page 5 UPSTANDERS SYMPOSIUM FOLLOW-UP: The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) must have really liked the MRC Challenge Grant proposal we submitted last year for the

skills to provide meaningful interventions for the sick and injured. But this time we ll be taking the show on the road!

5 Page 5 UPSTANDERS SYMPOSIUM FOLLOW-UP: The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) must have really liked the MRC Challenge Grant proposal we submitted last year for the BYSTANDERS TO UPSTANDERS Symposium They re giving us a follow-up grant of $7500 to continue spreading the concept of equipping medically untrained citizen bystanders with basic emergency medical skills to provide meaningful interventions for the sick and injured. But this time we ll be taking the show on the road! Our new grant proposal calls for our MRC to send out a mobile classroom to train workers at some of our county s larger employers as well as community members involved in faith-based organizations with whom we partner. We ll be seeking to identify MRC members with training and expertise in specific emergency medical fields and then we ll travel to these employers and faith-based organizations for hands-on seminars to impart those skills to willing students in those communities. If you are interested and feel qualified to be part of that team, please send an to our MRC Coordinator: Sscecchitano@rensco.com. Let s get a team together and hit the road!

Next Meeting A national network of local groups of volunteers engaging local communities to strengthen public health, reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and improve preparedness, response and

Tuesday, July 17 (CPR Class) Thursday, October 18 WORD CHOICES FOR CROSSWORD PUZZLE ON PAGE 5 GRIAGE HIPAA WOUNDED VACCINATION AED VECTOR CHAIN IMMUNIZATION IG SCREENING Rensselaer County Dept.

6 Next Meeting A national network of local groups of volunteers engaging local communities to strengthen public health, reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and improve preparedness, response and recovery capabilities. MRC QUARTERLY MEETING DATES FOR 2018 GET THEM ON YOUR CALENDARS NOW! Tuesday, July 17 (CPR Class) Thursday, October 18 WORD CHOICES FOR CROSSWORD PUZZLE ON PAGE 5 GRIAGE HIPAA WOUNDED VACCINATION AED VECTOR CHAIN IMMUNIZATION IG SCREENING Rensselaer County Dept. of Health Preparedness Division Maryfran Wachunas Public Health Director Len Claus Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Jennifer Lee Public Health Preparedness Trainer Sal Scecchitano Public Health Aide Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator Sscecchitano@rensco.com 1600 Seventh Avenue Troy NY (518) (518) (fax) Greetings from new Rensselaer County Executive, Steve McLaughlin Greetings and thanks again to members of our Medical Reserve Corps team and our Health Department for your efforts to keep our county safe, healthy and ready to respond to an emergency or outbreak. Your work and your talent are genuinely appreciated by myself and so many across our great county. Our county has many great assets, but none as important as a great team of volunteers like our MRC working at the community level to ensure our county is prepared and able to respond to and recover from any situation. We live in a time of uncertainty and we cannot place too great a premium on being prepared. I am impressed by the pictures in this edition of MRC team members at the 2018 exercise and the account of the scenario training. The MRC is a crucial part of our county s ability to respond when needed, and to bring compassion and care to those who live and work here. As County Executive, I recognize our shared mission of growing our county while safeguarding our health, safety and quality of life. The work and training you do today may save lives tomorrow and keep our county strong if challenged or tested. Thank you again for your service and for being there for our county and our residents.

American Education Week, Parent Visitation - Date Changed

October 31, 2018 Happy Halloween! Be Safe Trick-or-Treating! American Education Week, Parent Visitation - Date Changed Please note, Visitation Day has been changed to Tuesday, November 13, 2018, due to