A Year in Review: Members, Volunteers, and Events

We would like to say "Thank you" to each of our Healthcare Coalition partners for their involvement and support. Region 7 Healthcare Coalition could not do it without each of you. We are always looking for new ways to provide hospitals, medical control authorities, long term care facilities, and several other agencies within our coalition with the training, events, and equipment both needed and desired. 

Without the continued support of our coalition members and volunteers, we would not be able to provide the above offerings. With the involvement of each individual, we are able to show, in quantifiable data, that there is a need for these things and that there is a reason for continued funding in Medical Disaster Preparedness. 

Everyone has made a valuable contribution to the preparedness efforts of the Healthcare Coalition and we would like to highlight some of the events we are proud of. 

Thank you for your continued support and involvement. We look forward to working with and for each of you in Budget Period 4!

Region 7 Healthcare Coalition Staff

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ICS 300 & 400
In November of 2014, Region 7 Healthcare Coalition hosted the ICS 300 and 400 courses in Gaylord, Michigan. Each section of the course was two days long, totaling four days of intensive ICS training. Approximately 30 students were able to attend the courses, in spite of the unforgiving Northern Michigan weather. During training, they were able to learn, via lecture and hands on exercises, how an Incident Command System operates and how to apply their knowledge of this system to a complex situation.

Introduction To Personal Protective Measures For Biological Events: Per 320
In January 2015, Region 7 HCC hosted PER320, which is a Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) course. The course was put on by the Michigan State Police and Bureau of EMS, Trauma, and Preparedness (BETP)* at the University Center in Gaylord. Students who attended were able to learn about biological threats and how to respond using personal protective equipment, donning and doffing procedures, and decontamination guidelines.  These response procedures can be applied to any situation in need of decontamination or the implementation of personal protective measures, such as Ebola response, a chemical exposure, or a biological emergency.

*Formerly the Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP)

Mental First Aid
In February 2015, Region 7 HCC, in partnership with Northern Lakes Community Mental Health, hosted a Behavioral Health and Emergency Responder focused Mental Health First Aid course. With this having been the first time Region 7 conducted a Behavioral Health focused event, the number of people in attendance and the number of specialties represented was a pleasant surprise. 
Students were able to understand how to implement a mental first aid action plan for various disorders and emergencies, such as trauma induced stress, depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. With the number of emergency responders in attendance, students were able to understand how to apply what they learned to situations within and outside of the ER and/or traumatic scene. Instructors left the students with the necessary skill set that would help help assist someone suffering from a mental health crises in the event of an emergency. 

FEMA Virtual Tabletop Exercise
On June 18, 2015, the Region 7 HCC group went through a tabletop exercise that detailed a bacteria that spread from livestock to the human population. A diverse Region 7 group was able to compare our thoughts and tactics with those of groups throughout the nation including the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Great knowledge was gained and this exercise will serve as a catalyst for future planning and training.

MICIMS/ Web EOC
The Region 7 HCC hosted and instructed its first MI-CIMS (WEB-EOC) course in Gaylord on June 19, 2015. Representatives from the Region 7 hospitals as well as the new District 7 EMHSD Coordinator, Lieutenant Michael De Castro, were instructed on the use of this system. Each participant were given log in information to the system and they are now more able to manage an emergency from their host agency and provide a common operation picture for an event.