Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) Classes
February 12, 2023​
A BDLS course will be offered virtually on Microsoft Teams and is open to a statewide audience. It is designed to engage participants through interactive scenarios and group discussion. The goal is to teach a common lexicon, vocabulary and knowledge base.

Pre-course work is required and can be found at https://register3.ndlsf.org/.
Pre-approved MDHHS EMS CE credits, AMA Category 1 Physician, nursing and pharmacy CME credits are available. This course is grant funded through the MDHHS, Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care.

For questions contact Judy Wheeler ([email protected]).


HHS Home Test to Treat Program Expands Nationwide
The federal government has expanded the Home Test to Treat program, a virtual community health program that offers free COVID-19 health services. Services available to eligible participants nationwide include at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions, and at-home treatments. With its expansion, the Home Test to Treat program will now offer free testing, telehealth sessions, and treatment for both COVID-19 and for influenza (flu) A and B. It is the first public health program that includes home testing technology at such a scale for both COVID-19 and flu. Home Test to Treat, a collaboration among the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ASPR, and CDC, was launched as a pilot in select locations in 2023.


FEMA Releases New Exercise Starter Kits
January 31, 2024
Exercises help the whole community to prepare for disasters and emergencies by providing opportunities to shape planning, assess and validates capabilities, and address areas for improvement.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Exercise Division (NED) has developed ten new Exercise Starter Kits to support exercise practitioners and emergency managers at all levels of government, the private sector and nonprofit organizations as they plan, conduct, and evaluate their exercises.
The ten new kits cover the following topics:

• Climate resilience.
• Climate adaptation.
• Complex incident coordination.
• Large-scale population movement and resettlement.
• Mitigating social isolation and loneliness.
• Community preparedness and response to the opioid crisis.
• Enhancing supply chain resilience.
• Recovery.
• Community profile.
• Reunification.

The new kits align with FEMA’s 2023-2026 National Exercise Program Principals’ Exercise Priorities. Each kit contains a sample exercise facilitator and evaluator guide, sample conduct slides, a sample situation manual and a customizable placemat. All Exercise Starter Kits are available in the Emergency Management Toolkit section of FEMA’s Preparedness Toolkit.

FEMA will host a series of webinars to discuss the new kits. All webinars will offer the same content. Registration is not required to attend. Visit FEMA’s Adobe Connect Room for the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) during one of the times listed below to participate:

• Session 1: Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. EST.
• Session 2: Wednesday, Jan. 31, at noon EST.
• Session 3: Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. EST.

If you are unable to attend one of the webinars listed above, a recorded version of the webinar will be available on the Preparedness Toolkit HSEEP Webinars page starting Feb. 1.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].


Coalition Connect
February 15, 2024
The Coalition Connect meets are designed to allow healthcare coalitions from across Region V to discuss best practices, lessons learned and gives opportunities to work together and share ideas.

​Target Audience:
Healthcare Coalition Coordinators and State level Hospital Preparedness Program staff.
Teams login information coming soon.
Save the Date Flyer


Preparedness Lunch and Learn
February 20, 2024​
The Preparedness Lunch and Learn series continues February 20, 2024, with a discussion on emPOWER. Tools that can be used to understand vulnerable populations in communities and regions.
Throughout the Preparedness Lunch and Learn series topics will continue to build knowledge for emergency managers in hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as healthcare coalitions, local health departments, and tribes.
This series is the third Tuesday every month from 12:00p.m. - 1:00 p.m. For registration, visit MI-TRAIN, course ID # 1112624 for the entire series.
Click on the image for the full flyer!  

Preparedness Lunch and Learn


Health Equity: A Native American Perspective​
Including Native American perspectives in discussions of health equity is essential to gaining a comprehensive understanding of health. As the cornerstone and fundamental concept in the healing sciences, health has been revered by cultures throughout human history as a precious asset, possessing intrinsic value for individuals and the communities to which they belong. Moreover, it serves as an instrumental resource for sustaining life. Health equity encompasses an evaluation of the fair or unfair health statuses among individuals, families, communities, or entire populations, including Native Americans. Historical injustices, such as forced relocation, loss of ancestral lands, and the impact of colonization, have had enduring effects on Native American health. These experiences contribute to contemporary health inequities within these communities. Moreover, the preservation of cultural practices and traditional healing methods plays a vital role in Native American health and well-being. Learn more on milbank.org.

Request for Applications (RFA): Wastewater Surveillance Mentorship Program 2024 Cohort
Due by: February 5, 2024
Did you know January is National Mentoring Month? NACCHO, with support from the CDC, is releasing a timely Request for Applications (RFA) for four mentee sites and two mentor sites to participate in the 2024 Wastewater Surveillance Mentorship Program. LHDs with demonstrated experience in utilizing wastewater surveillance will be matched with LHDs in the early stages of developing a wastewater surveillance program that are looking for guidance, tools, and resources to meet their community's needs. Selected mentee sites will receive funding in the amount of up to $10,000 each, and selected mentor sites will receive up to $12,000. Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than 11:59 PM ET on February 5. There will be an optional informational webinar on January 18 at 1:00 PM ET that will provide an overview of the RFA and answer any questions for potential applicants.  Learn more and access the full RFA


Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Web-Based Training
ASPR has developed the HHS/ ASPR Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Web-Based Training to help public health officials, emergency managers, and social/human service providers learn how to address Access and Functional Needs (AFN) in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This is great class to take yourself and to share with HCC partners.

PDF fact sheet for more information
To take the course


FEMA Offers Exercise Support Through the National Exercise Program
​The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Exercise Program (NEP) is now accepting requests for exercise support. The NEP offers no-cost assistance to state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) jurisdictions for exercise design, development, execution and evaluation to validate capabilities across all mission areas. To be considered for the 2024 round of the NEP, applications must be submitted by Friday, March 1. Applications are open to all state, local, tribal and territorial governments. Instructions on how to submit a request for support are provided on FEMA’s National Exercise Program website. Throughout the month of January, FEMA will host webinars to discuss the exercise support process. All webinars will offer the same content. To view webinar dates and to register, visit FEMA’s webinar registration page.



American Medical Association (AMA): How Tribal Medical Education Programs Could Solve the Rural Health Care Crisis
In the latest episode of the AMA Update podcast, AMA takes a look at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s unique partnership with The Cherokee Nation. Natasha Bray, DO, dean of OSUCOM at the Cherokee Nation, joins to share how this innovative partnership came to life and the impact it’s expected to have in the local community. Dr. Bray details the unique clinical training students receive and why it’s important for physicians to truly understand the communities they serve. Listen to the full podcast episode from AMA.

Preparedness Lunch and Learn
January 16, 2024
The Preparedness Lunch and Learn series continues with Pediatric Readiness on January 16, 2024, with a discussion on Hospital Mass Fatality Planning. Throughout the series topics will continue to build knowledge for emergency managers in hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as healthcare coalitions, local health departments, tribes and others.

This series is the third Tuesday every month from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. For registration, visit MI-TRAIN, course ID # 1112624 for the entire series. Click on the image for the full flyer!  

Preparedness Lunch and Learn Schedule December-March 2024


SNS to Host Monthly Informational Series on Preparedness Topics
January 17, 2024
The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) will host a series of monthly SNS Office Hours starting in January 2024. These one-hour national calls for state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) partners will focus on topic areas to assist SNS MCM planners and their partners with enhancing SNS preparedness programs. The first SNS Office Hours, scheduled for 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 17, will focus on the SNS CHEMPACK program. During this session, CHEMPACK subject matter experts will provide the most recent program updates and answer participant questions. To ensure maximum benefit from this session, participants are strongly encouraged to submit questions to [email protected] (subject: SNS Office Hours: CHEMPACK) by Wednesday, January 10.
​
Register here for the January SNS Office Hours.


Michigan Volunteer Registry Administrator Training
January 25, 2024


National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) Classes
February 12, 2024​
The first statewide NDLS course of 2024, Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) will be offered virtually February 12, 2024, from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Registration will open 30-days prior to the course. Please share this information with regional HCC partners.

The following BDLS class will be April 5, 2024, starting at 8:00 a.m. and running until 12:00 p.m.
For registration information or questions please contact Judy Wheeler at [email protected]).


Annual Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Information
As each coalition begins to work on the annual hazard vulnerability assessment (HVA) for their region, with a focus on healthcare, HPP would like to share some potential resources. The annual HVA is due into the CAT on June 30, 2024.

Michigan Hazard Mitigation Plan
Medical Surge Capacity Capability - Hazard Vulnerability Assessments for HCCs
2019 National Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) Methodology


2024 Michigan Communicable Disease Surveillance and Reporting Changes
The updated 2024 Reportable Diseases in Michigan list is now available. This is Michigan's official list of mandatory reportable communicable disease conditions as described by the Michigan Communicable Disease Rules [Public Act 368 of 1978, 333.5111]. The Rules require MDHHS to annually review, update, and publish the list on the Department's website.

The list is available in two formats:

• Organized by Pathogen (Color Print or Black & White Print)
• Organized by Condition (Color Print or Black & White Print)

The revised 2024 Healthcare Professional's Guide to Disease Reporting in Michigan (MDHHS Brick Book) is also available.
​
For questions regarding reportable diseases, please contact the MDHHS Communicable Disease Division at 517-335-8165.
2024 Michigan Communicable Disease Surveillance and Reporting Changes


ACMT & AACT Joint Position Statement: Nalmefene Should Not Replace Naloxone as the Primary Opioid Antidote at This Time
​Please see the attached joint statement regarding the newly FDA approved intranasal opioid overdose reversal medications, OPVEE and Indivior (both nalmefene) from the American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. The intent of the paper is to critically evaluate the recent approval of nalmefene as an opioid antagonist for overdose reversal, focusing on potential risks and the need for further research. To do so, a literature review and analysis of expert opinions from physicians, pharmacists, toxicologists, and poison information specialists was conducted.

Concerns were identified regarding nalmefene's potential for causing prolonged and severe withdrawal symptoms due to its extended duration of action, compared to the established standard, naloxone. The purported efficacy of nalmefene against synthetic opioids lacked robust clinical evidence in real-world overdose settings. The limited data on its safety and effectiveness in actual overdose patients raised concerns about untoward consequences. Further, the anticipated need for prolonged hospital observation due to nalmefene's slower action profile could exacerbate resource limitations in healthcare systems.

The authors concluded that “the potential benefits of nalmefene over naloxone (greater opioid receptor affinity, longer duration action) carry risk of causing harm. These benefits, if present, should be demonstrated in the clinical environment, balanced with the risks, and compared to naloxone prior to broad adoption of nalmefene.”

ACMT & AACT Joint Position Statement: Nalmefene Should Not Replace Naloxone as the Primary Opioid Antidote at This Time


FDA: Safely Using Hand Sanitizer​
If soap and water are not available, CDC recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing of at least 60% alcohol to help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Learn more about how to safely use hand sanitizer in a recently updated guide from the FDA.