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MGT 403: Undeserved Populations Preparedness Planning for Rural Responders and Volunteers
August 20th, 2024 This 8-hour management-level, instructor-led course is designed to prepare rural first responders, care providers, public health, and local volunteers with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities to develop a whole community approach to incident planning. View the full course description here. This course may be delivered locally, in person or virtually through the internet at no cost to participants or local hosts. The training benefits those working in law enforcement, public health, healthcare, emergency management, volunteers, and more. Request the course now by clicking here. L-1301: Continuity Planning Course September 17 & 18th, 2024 A course designed for continuity planners throughout the Whole Community. This course assists continuity practitioners with an understanding of their continuity roles and responsibilities, and provides them with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to help develop and maintain a viable continuity plan for their organization. The course does have a prerequisite of IS-1300 and can be completed here. Registration for L-1301 ends on August 31, 2024 More Information on L-1301 FEMA NETC Online Admissions Application Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency September 24-26, 2024 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is happy to announce two offerings of the CDC’s Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency course. This course is focused on preparing participants to anticipate decisions that will need to be made, and to support decision makers who will guide public health needs, in a radiation emergency. Specifically, this course:
Location(s): Lansing, MI (July) and Wayne County (September) Time: 8:00 AM ET – 5:00 PM ET each day Comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control Training Program The MDHHS Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Section recently partnered with Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center to create a comprehensive infection prevention and control training program to support continuous learning in healthcare settings. The series includes six courses designed to integrate into an organization’s comprehensive infection prevention and control training plans. Participants will receive a certificate of completion for each course, which can be retained for employee training files. Courses 1, 2, and 6 are tailored for infection preventionist in acute and long-term care settings. These quality improvement courses walk infection preventionist through implementing quality improvement best practices, and how to conduct assessments in an infection control and prevention program. Courses 3, 4 and 5 are designed for all staff interacting with patients, including direct care staff, housekeeping, and food service. Course Modules and More Information PER-294: Testing an Emergency Operations Plan in Rural EOC This eight-hour performance-level course has been designed with a proactive approach to testing rural communities’ Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) environment. In the process, the course provides relevant and valuable training to elected officials, EOC personnel, and rural community leaders representing both public and private sector entities. Throughout the training session, participants are provided with opportunities to exchange perceptions and best practices while interacting with participants from responder organizations, public and private sectors organizations, as well as with other EOC personnel working at regional and state levels. The emphasis of this course is a performance-oriented exercise which allows course participants to replicate the roles of various EOC personnel in an effort to test their community’s EOP. In the event that the community receiving the training does not have a written EOP, participants will be provided with a model EOP written for a rural county in the fictitious state of Columbia. Register for a class by selecting a class date from the Training Schedule, click on the Registration link above the course description to access a registration form for that class. Request a new class to be scheduled in your area by submitting a Request a Course form.
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Juvare Training
July 10-12th, 2024 This event is a pivotal opportunity for users of emergency preparedness and response software solutions to delve into the heart of digital innovation that directly impacts our communities. The conference will be held virtually July 10 to July 12, 2024 and is free of charge. Featured Sessions:
Preparedness Lunch and Learn July 16th, 2024 Through natural disasters, active assailant events and even pandemics, Healthcare Emergency Managers are consistently challenged to help their organizations plan, train and respond to incidents. In this Preparedness Lunch and Learn series of virtual trainings every third Tuesday of each month, we will continue to build knowledge for emergency managers. Credits are offered for EMS, NHA, CME, and CNE. Audience: EMS, Healthcare Coalitions, Hospitals, Long-Term Care, Local Emergency Management, Local Health Departments, Tribes, etc. Basic Disaster Life Support July 31, 2024 The NDLS course will be virtual and offered on MS Teams July 31, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It is a competency-based, awareness-level course that prepares health professionals for the management of injuries and illness caused by disasters and public health emergencies. This will be the last Statewide BDLS course offered before the August 7 Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS) class. BDLS is a pre-requisite to take ADLS. To register please contact Judy Wheeler. Registration will open 30 days prior to the class. Advanced Disaster Life Support August 7th, 2024 ADLS is a practical, hands-on course which follows BDLS and allows participants to demonstrate competencies in mass casualty management. Working through scenarios such as a mass casualty incident, decontamination, entrapment, and emergency operations center. BDLS is a pre-requisite and pre-course work is required. The ADLS course will be offered at 300 Nazareth Rd., Kalamazoo, MI. Courses open up one (1) month prior to the course date. Contact Judy Wheeler for the enrollment code. ICS 300 August 12-14, 2024 EPESoC will be hosting ICS 300 August 12 – August 14, 2024 in Lansing. Dr. Karla Black from Kent County Health Department and Luke Aurner, Region 6 Healthcare Coalition Coordinator will be teaching the course. This is a great course for health care, Healthcare Coalitions, local health departments, tribes, and others to attend. Below is the registration instructions and prerequisite information, space is limited, so register soon. Course registration is at MI-TRAIN, course ID # 1029037. MI-TRAIN Registration Instructions ICS 300 Prerequisites Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency September 24-26, 2024 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is happy to announce two offerings of the CDC’s Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency course. This course is focused on preparing participants to anticipate decisions that will need to be made, and to support decision makers who will guide public health needs, in a radiation emergency. Specifically, this course:
The target audience for this course includes professionals from across all sectors who are expected to take on decision-making roles in a radiation emergency, or to support those who do. Participants should already have a basic level of knowledge about radiation emergency preparedness and response. Please contact Jason Smith ([email protected]) if you’ve any questions. Date(s): July 16-18, 2024 and September 24-26, 2024 Location(s): Lansing, MI (July) and Wayne County (September) Time: 8:00 AM ET – 5:00 PM ET each day Registration: The 2024 Michigan Special Pathogens Response Network (SPRN) Conference will be held on June 18, 2024. This one-day event will include training in the morning and an afternoon exercise for hospitals and EMS agencies. Please share the save the date with HCC partners. Save the Date for the 2024 MI SPRN Conference (Course ID #1119326) Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency
July 16-18, 2024, or September 24-26-2024 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is happy to announce two offerings of the CDC’s Public Health Decision Making in a Radiation Emergency course. This course is focused on preparing participants to anticipate decisions that will need to be made, and to support decision makers who will guide public health needs, in a radiation emergency. Specifically, this course:
ASTHO Releases Strategies to Enhance Preparedness and Response
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has released a technical package of evidence-based strategies designed to enhance public health emergency preparedness and response. The strategies were published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The national response to COVID-19 highlighted several areas that are crucial to achieving all-hazards readiness, including the importance of specific administrative and operational readiness activities that are vital to community, jurisdictional, and national resilience. ASTHO has bundled these activities into a “technical package,” a prioritized group of related interventions that, together, allows ASTHO to contribute to substantial improvements in a specific subject matter. ASTHO technical packages are not intended to be comprehensive, rather prioritize what works to address a particular problem and match the scale of team efforts with ASTHO's organizational capacity. Full Article Here Save the Date: Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP) 2025 Conference Save the Date The AHEPP Annual 2025 Pre-Conference and Conference is scheduled for February 24 - 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. More Information and Early Registration Available Here The Michigan Update: Vaccinations for First Responders
Author: Jennifer Crooker, BSPH, CHES®, MDHHS Division of Immunization First responders are the first line of protection for the community and therefore also at a higher risk for disease. To best protect themselves and their communities, first responders should ensure they are up to date on all their vaccines. Infectious disease places EMS workers, law enforcement, fire fighters, and first responders at risk of becoming ill along with their families and community members. An outbreak of infectious disease among first responders can also hamper response efforts by increasing absenteeism and compounding staffing shortages. Vaccination is an important way to mitigate these risks. Two vaccines are currently recommended for disaster responders by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Tetanus is recommended for all first responders and hepatitis B is recommended for those who may come into contact with bodily fluids (CDC, 2019).
Healthcare workers are also strongly advised by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to stay up to date on these vaccines: hepatitis B, influenza, tetanus/ diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) or tetanus/diphtheria (Td), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), varicella (chickenpox), and COVID-19 (CDC, 2011, 2023a). Seasonal upper respiratory illnesses including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 are also risks for first responders as they work in their communities. As one EMS provider writes in EMS1 Magazine, “It’s easy to groan when the pager squawks out yet another ‘sick person, possible flu’ call, but these folks can be really ill, and they need our help. But they can also easily spread that illness to us and our families” (Fraley, 2019). COVID-19 has hit first responders particularly hard. Data from 2020 indicate that workers in “protective service” occupations- police, firefighters, fire inspectors, correctional officers, private detectives, security guards, and probation officers- had the highest death rate from COVID-19 that year of all occupational groups (60.3 per 100,000), more than double the overall rate for all workers (28.6 per 100,000) and almost double that of healthcare workers (31.2 per 200,000) (Kekatos, 2022). According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 62% of officer deaths in 2020 (284 officers) and over 70% (501 officers) in 2021 were due to COVID-19 (Officer Down Memorial Page, 2024). According to the U.S. Fire Administration, in 2021 of the 141 firefighters that died while on duty, 63 died from COVID-19 (U.S. Fire Administration, 2021). For best protection, first responders should ensure they are up to date on flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines, especially as respiratory viruses are still circling. Routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications. Further, CDC recommends the 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines Local Conference Opportunity: NACCHO 360 Conference
July 23-26, 2024 Annually, NACCHO360 is the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals in the United States, offering the opportunity to learn, network, and share experiences and best practices across local health departments. In 2024, the public health community will gather in Detroit, Michigan, July 23-26, to explore our conference theme, "Heard it Through the Grapevine: Public Health Partnerships, Collaboration, and Innovation.” Attendees, both on-site at the Huntington Place Convention Center and watching via livestream, will learn how to adopt effective practices, engage with federal and state partners, and gain insights from public health experts. The agenda is not out just yet, but of course registration is open. They have posted some information about the tracks they will be hosting Conference Tracks - NACCHO 360. Special Pathogens Response Survey Due January 31, 2024 The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) and the Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) are conducting a needs assessment survey related to special pathogen preparedness to gather insights from healthcare facilities, public health partners and EMS organizations. Participation and response to this survey will play a pivotal role in shaping the development of workplans and prioritizing future projects for NETEC and the RESPTCs related to special pathogen preparedness. The insights gathered from this survey will be instrumental in:
The survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, if you are unable to complete the survey in one sitting, you can reenter and finish at a later time. Please complete the survey by January 31, 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Amy Encinger at [email protected]. To complete the survey 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 The Critical Connection: Public Health Infrastructure and Cybersecurity January 10, 2024 On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. a webinar will be held with speakers highlighting forward-thinking strategies designed to empower participants to prepare for and navigate future cybersecurity challenges. Please share this opportunity with your HCCs. Connection Information INSPIRE Readiness Website Launch: Strengthening Public Health Preparedness January 16, 2024 Join the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for the launch of the INSPIRE: Readiness website and explore how it can help meet today's public health challenges. This webinar is scheduled for January 16, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST. This innovative new platform features inspiring stories, practical resources, and proven strategies for addressing persistent issues across four key areas: workforce, training and resources, equity, and data systems and management. For more information, including connection information 2024 Hometown Health Hero Awards – Nominations Open January 31, 2024 The Michigan Public Health Week Partnership invites you to nominate someone for the Hometown Health Hero award. The award is presented every year to individuals and/or organizations that have made significant and measurable contributions to preserve and/or improve the health of their community. The 2024 award event marks the 20th anniversary of these awards and the Partnership that sponsors them. Over the last twenty years, community leaders, organizations, and individuals have been doing great things to improve the health of their communities and to increase equity in health. The Partnership wants to continue to recognize those accomplishments, but we need your help. Awardees are selected solely from nominations received. The only way for someone to receive this award is to be nominated. Submit a completed nomination form to the Partnership by email (or fax to 517-335-8392) no later than 5:00 pm, January 31. Awardees are selected solely from nominations received by the deadline. Awards will be presented on Wednesday, April 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Atrium of Heritage Hall in the State Capitol Building. The event is open to the public. For more information & nomination form CISA Releases Key Risk and Vulnerability Findings for Healthcare and Public Health Sector In January 2023, CISA conducted a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) at the request of a Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) sector organization to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement. An RVA is a two-week penetration test of an entire organization, with one week spent on external testing and one week spent assessing the internal network. As part of the RVA, the CISA assessment team conducted web application, phishing, penetration, database, and wireless assessments. The assessed organization was a large organization deploying on-premises software. During the one-week external assessment, the assessment team did not identify any significant or exploitable conditions in externally available systems that may allow a malicious actor to easily obtain initial access to the organization’s network. Furthermore, the assessment team was unable to gain initial access to the assessed organization through phishing. However, during internal penetration testing, the team exploited misconfigurations, weak passwords, and other issues through multiple attack paths to compromise the organization’s domain. In coordination with the assessed organization, CISA is releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) detailing the RVA team’s activities and key findings to provide network defenders and software manufacturers recommendations for improving their organizations’ and customers’ cyber posture, which reduces the impact of follow-on activity after initial access. CISA encourages the HPH sector and other critical infrastructure organizations deploying on-premises software, as well as software manufacturers, to apply the recommendations in the Mitigations section of this CSA to harden networks against malicious activity and to reduce the likelihood of domain compromise. Learn more on cisa.gov. INSPIRE Readiness Website Launch: Strengthening Public Health Preparedness
January 16, 2024 Join the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for the launch of the INSPIRE: Readiness website and explore how it can help meet today's public health challenges. This webinar is scheduled for January 16, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST. This innovative new platform features inspiring stories, practical resources, and proven strategies for addressing persistent issues across four key areas: workforce, training and resources, equity, and data systems and management. For more information, including connection information HHS Announces Next Steps in Ongoing Work to Enhance Cybersecurity for Healthcare and Public Health Sectors The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a concept paper that outlines the Department’s cybersecurity strategy for the healthcare sector. The concept paper builds on the National Cybersecurity Strategy that President Biden released last year, focusing specifically on strengthening resilience for hospitals, patients, and communities threatened by cyber-attacks. The paper details four pillars for action, including publishing new voluntary healthcare-specific cybersecurity performance goals, working with Congress to develop supports and incentives for domestic hospitals to improve cybersecurity, and increasing accountability and coordination within the healthcare sector. Full Press Release Michigan Flu Focus – Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report
During flu season, the Bureau of Infectious Disease Prevention publishes the "Michigan Flu Focus", which includes information on Influenza and influenza-like illnesses. It also includes information regarding flu nationally as well as state-wide and regional data, providing a weekly snapshot on influenza data. Sign Up for the Flu Focus Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Announces Rural Environmental Public Health Needs Competition EPA and partners announced the Small Communities, Big Challenges Competition for local governments in the United States to demonstrate innovative and inclusive strategies for engaging with rural communities. Local governments, while ideally positioned to engage with these rural and remote communities, often have expansive responsibilities, limited resources, and geographic barriers that make it difficult to directly engage with these communities to collaboratively identify priority environmental public health issues. This opportunity also encourages collaboration to understand issues that could benefit from future scientific research. Applying innovative and inclusive approaches or strategies could help local governments connect with rural communities to identify environmental and public health issues impacting their citizens, pets, agriculture, education systems, and critical infrastructure. The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. ASTHO Releases Health Care Capacity Discussion Guide for 2023 Fall and Winter Respiratory Illness Season ASTHO recently released the Health Care Capacity Discussion Guide. This guide was developed for public health leaders when meeting with leaders of health care systems and assessing health care capacity. It aims to assist public health leaders in discussing short- and long-term strategies to prevent and manage potential surge challenges to health care capacity during the 2023 fall and winter respiratory illness season. Dangers of Cold and Flu Season As the calendar turns to fall and winter, we’re officially in peak cold and flu season. For most of us, this means extra sniffles and a lingering cough, but for others, viruses like the flu can be serious business. Influenza causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year. And, each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of 2-3 colds per year, and children have even more. So how can we stay healthy during cold and flu season? Mitigation is a key to staying healthy during cold and flu season. Things like sneezing and coughing into our sleeves or staying home when we’re sick are tried and true methods of stopping the spread of germs. But what about making changes to our lifestyle? Healthy eating, exercise, sleep, and quitting smoking are all daily habits that can improve our health. Doing one or all these things can significantly limit the effects that colds and flu can have on us, as those with chronic illness, like obesity and respiratory disease, have more adverse effects from these viruses. But, even with healthy living, we can still catch a cold or the flu. How do you kick them? There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster, and don’t forget to always read the label and use medications as directed. Antibiotics will not help you recover from a cold caused by a respiratory virus. They do not work against viruses, and they may make it harder for your body to fight future bacterial infections if you take them unnecessarily. If you’re ill and have the opportunity, see your family doctor to rule out anything more serious. To help avoid catching a cold, wash your hands regularly with soap and water, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, and, if you can, stay away from people who are sick. If you suspect you have the flu, go see a doctor, and if prescribed, take antiviral medication. Take everyday precautions, like you would with the common cold, to protect others while sick. Stay home until you are better. If you are sick with flu-like illness, the CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine. Consider getting vaccinated for influenza. The best way to reduce your risk from seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is to get vaccinated every year. The flu vaccine may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it can reduce its effects if you do get it. You can get your seasonal flu vaccine at your local drug store, doctor, or clinic. Finally, help to stop the spread of colds and respiratory by staying home if you’re sick! Not sure if you have a cold, the flu, COVID-19, or Hay Fever? We’ve attached this chart so you can see the main differences between each. A special shout out to our federal partners who, without their expertise, this article would not exist (we’re not doctors, after all). Thank you to the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov), the National Institutes for Health (www.nih.gov), Health and Human Services (www.hhs.gov), and Health.gov (www.health.gov). Staying Warm This Winter Cold weather is creeping in on us in the Midwest and, for many of us, that means we’re starting to crank up those furnaces to heat our homes. In some cases, we’re pulling out space heaters, portable fireplaces and using other devices to keep warm. These are certainly viable home heating options but, it’s important to remember that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a home catches fire every 93 seconds in the United States and in 2021, 75% of all fire deaths were caused by fires in the home. With that in mind – let’s talk safety. When using space heaters, keep curtains, carpets and other items that can burn at least three feet away from the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heaters. Space heaters should never be set up on top of carpet or rugs. Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters. Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed. If you can, purchase a space heater that has a timer and will shut off after 30 minutes or so. Also, be sure the tip over feature is working on the space heater so it will automatically turn off if it is knocked over. Never use your oven to heat your home. This can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide in your home, which can lead to very serious health risks. Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters and have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. Consider this checklist as we enter home heating season:
Finally, it’s important to have a plan to assist family members who have a physical disability. Consider using smoke detectors with flashing lights to alert individuals who are deaf and/or hard of hearing. It's also a good idea to check all exits to be sure individuals who use a walker or wheelchair can get through the doorways. For additional tips that can help guide you as you create a fire safety plan, check out Ready.gov/home-fires. |
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