The Role of Neighborhood Residency in the Decision to Evacuate

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International 3

Interactive

Session Number: 166

This presentation will highlight the characterization of neighborhood demographic attributes in order to realize the importance of social units when creating evacuation preparedness policy.  In addition, the presenter will discuss the variables of   neighborhood residency, evacuation warning awareness, and threat belief variables and their significance in the decision to evacuate. 

Emergency Preparedness Planning for Seasonal and Migrant Worker Populations

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: M301

Interactive

Session Number: 180

Migrant and seasonal farm workers are generally not included in official population counts and as a result may not be included in preparedness plans. This vulnerable population may have unique preparedness needs for outreach and communications, sheltering, evacuation, medical care, and prophylaxis. This session will present recommendations of an expert panel on migrant and seasonal farm worker communities and specific strategies for effectively incorporating these populations in preparedness planning and provide a brief tutorial on using the Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Preparedness Guide as a tool for advancing preparedness of communities with migrant worker populations.

Using Computer Models to Plan for the H1N1 Fall Event and Other Health Events

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International 10

Interactive

Session Number: 249

Local health departments used many different planning tools to help them tackle the H1N1 event this past fall. The Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center (MD) and the University of Maryland will walk public health planners through several planning scenarios utilizing computer models, including a real event Hepatitis A vaccination involving the Tarrant County Advanced Practice Center (TX). This session will help planners become more familiar with the computer models and demonstrate how they can be effective in planning for a public health emergency. Participants are welcome to bring their laptops to the session.

Leadership and Risk Communication: The Right Person at the Right Time with the Right Message Can Save Lives

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: A706/707

Interactive

Session Number: 262

Effective leadership in a crisis that involves the physical safety and emotional well-being of those being led offers an intense leader environment. One of the challenges a crisis leader faces is effectively communicating courses of action needed to allow for a reduction of harm and the ultimate restoration of the group, organization, or community. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s crisis and emergency risk communication program offers participants steps to engage the public and the tools to help with that engagement. The program offers best practices and simple ways to avoid common pitfalls.

Ethical Considerations in Point of Dispensing Operations: Lessons from a Closed Point of Dispensing Exercise

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International 4/5

Interactive

Session Number: 331

In emergency response scenarios, it may be necessary to vaccinate a population within a 48-hour timeframe. This is the essential goal of point of dispensing (POD) operations and is the reason public health and emergency response practitioners plan and prepare to activate PODs. Getting members of the population to willingly participate is an integral to accomplishing the goal of PODs. Much like in other health-related and public health activities, ethical values such as trust are essential to achieving the goal of PODs. POD ethical considerations include prioritization, equity, geographical availability, control of supply, right of refusal, and privacy.

Barriers to Data Sharing During Disasters

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International 6/7

Interactive

Session Number: 417

During responses to large scale disasters, there are a number of federal public health and medical teams that may deploy at the request of state and local health departments (LHDs). Many of these teams collect data that may be useful to the state and local health department they are assisting. For over a year, members from several United States Public Health Service teams and others have been working in workgroups to improve data collection tools that can be used by deployed public health teams. This sharing session will address broader issues of data sharing during emergency response. It will encourage public health responders at all levels to identify the challenges the stand in the way of getting the data to those who need it and to identify actual or potential means of overcoming those barriers.

Utilizing Students During Emergencies

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International C

Interactive

Session Number: 425

With the growing necessity for the public health community to strengthen preparedness and response efforts, there is a need for increased personnel to assist agencies in planning and response during public health emergencies. In recent years, teams of students at universities across the nation have been collaborating with local, state, and federal health agencies to provide surge capacity and support during emergencies. These unique partnerships benefit both students and the health agencies because students learn to apply classroom knowledge to real-life challenges and health agencies have access to competent, eager volunteers. Representatives from several student teams will describe the development of these relationships and discuss the challenges and benefits of such programs.

Building Bridges to Increase Point of Dispensing Staff

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: A703/704

Interactive

Session Number: 432

Recruiting volunteers for point of dispensing (POD) staff is an ongoing challenge. This session will discuss the role of pharmacists in a POD site, strategies for engaging institutions of higher education, and lessons learned from the Houston Department of Health and Human Services Pharmacy Collaborative Project.

Engaging and Ensuring Community Resources for All Hazards Preparedness Exercises

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International 2

Interactive

Session Number: 452

Top Officials 3 (TOPOFF 3), a congressionally mandated preparedness exercise sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness Office involves New Jersey, Connecticut, United Kingdom, and Canada. The Sussex County (NJ) Domestic Preparedness Task Force, officials, and community prepared for a simulated biologic attack to test county planning, risk communication, emergency operations, medical, hospital, public health, and coordination systems. The session explores best practices and opportunities for improvement based upon personal experience of the county's health director. It may help medical reserve corps, planners, first responders, and community and health leaders ensure availability and reliability of trained staff for points of dispensing to achieve prophylaxis of first responders and at-risk populations.

Multi-Agency Coordination Group: Public Health and Medical Resource Coordination

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: A601

Interactive

Session Number: 459

Participants in this session will learn how they can use the Multi-Agency Coordination Group to prioritize by criteria how scarce or limited medical resources may be allocated in the most effective and efficient manner in response to a disaster or emergency. Upon completion of the session, participant will have a better understanding of how to support the Emergency Support Function #8 Public Health and Medical (Hospital and Healthcare) environment in a large-scale response effort across multiple stakeholder entities.

Planning for Mass Fatalities

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: International B

Interactive

Session Number: 463

This session is based on Illinois' development of the "Standard Guide for Fatality Management" through the use of a cooperative working group. The working group is staffed through a partnership with state, county, and private organizations (emergency management agencies, coroners, funeral directors, and health and mortuary services). The outcome is a guide providing standardized methodology for planning for and managing mass fatalities.

Urban Preparedness Model to Incorporate the Primary Care Community into Citywide Emergency Planning and Response Efforts

Thursday February 18th, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: A602

Interactive

Session Number: 464

Since 2003, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Community Health Care Association of New York State, and the Primary Care Development Corporation have collaborated to advance emergency preparedness activities in the primary care community of NYC. These organizations will present best practices used in NYC to ensure the integration of the primary care community, including Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and non-FQHCs, into citywide, emergency planning and response efforts. Examples will include building capacity in the centers, securing representation at the health and medical section of the city's incident management system and provision of vaccines, and care and antivirals through the centers during the H1N1 pandemic.