SWCPHP News / Events

CDC Publication on Vulnerable Populations

2008-10-21T21:54:00.001-05:00

by Michael Sheyahshe

During any significant event - catastrophic or otherwise - first responders, community groups, and many other public health individuals will most likely encounter individuals from vulnerable populations; populations that exhibit specific needs based on "age, class, race, poverty, language, and a host of other social, cultural, economic, and psychological factors." Such encounters are especially pertinent here in Oklahoma, considering our Native American community makes up almost 8% of the state's total population (see image below for more detail).

To assist in preparing the public health community, the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) has published the "2006-2007 ASPH/CDC Vulnerable Populations Collaboration Group Preparedness Resource Kit," available online at:

http://preparedness.asph.org/documents/VulnerablePopulations.pdf

After being appointed to one of the CDC's Collaboration Group that focused on Vulnerable Populations, I was fortunate enough co-author this important document along with many other Public Health leaders from academic institutions around the nation. I chaired the committee on Ethnic and Cultural Minority Populations, which produced that section within the publication.

Individuals within the Public Health field and especially those first responders that will most likely encounter such populations are urged to review this Resource Kit to foster learning and enable improved effective response for such groups in future events.

Source: US Census FactFinder for Oklahoma

OVERVIEW: Effectively Using Virtual Simulations

2008-04-15T09:44:00.002-05:00

Government Technology reports about the emerging use of virtual simulations (read that: "video games") for effective training in the Public Health arena.

The article ("Virtual Worlds Help Public Safety Officials Practice for Real-Life Threats") outlines simulation use by California Department of Health Services, in conjunction with the University of California-Davis Health System; U.S. Department of Defense; Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center; Duke University School of Medicine; the Emergency Management Training, Analysis and Simulation Center (EMTASC); and Virginia Emergency Response Team Exercise.

In short, the article outlines how more and more institutions are implementing virtual 3D simulations to help facilitate and supplement effective training and education with Public Health in mind.

See the article at: http://www.govtech.com/gt/261426?topic=117677.

FEMA Plans Trailer Exodus Over Chemical

2008-02-15T14:39:00.004-06:00

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN (AP)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - After downplaying the risks for months, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday it will rush to move Gulf Coast hurricane victims out of roughly 35,000 government-issued trailers because tests found dangerous levels of formaldehyde fumes.
FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said the agency hopes to get everyone out and into hotels, motels, apartments and other temporary housing by the summer, when the heat and stuffy air could worsen the problem inside the trailers.
"The real issue is not what it will cost but how fast we can move people out," he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fumes from 519 tested trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi were, on average, about five times what people are exposed to in most modern homes. Formaldehyde, a preservative commonly used in construction materials, can lead to breathing problems and is also believed to cause cancer.
The findings stirred worry and anger across the Gulf Coast, where FEMA is already a dirty word and housing has been scarce since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005.
"Am I angry at FEMA? Of course I am. They should have started moving people out of these trailers once they first started finding problems," said Lynette Hooks, 48. She said that since she began living in her trailer outside her damaged New Orleans home in October 2006, she has suffered headaches and sinus problems, in addition to the asthma she had before.
The CDC findings could also have disturbing implications for the safety of other trailers and mobile homes across the country, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Capitol Hill on Thursday. But the CDC study did not look beyond the FEMA housing.
Paulison vowed that the agency will never again use the flimsy, cramped travel trailers to shelter victims of disasters. Mobile homes are generally roomier than trailers and considered less susceptible to buildups of fumes.
FEMA will press ahead with plans to supply leftover, never-used mobile homes from the twin disasters to victims of last week's tornadoes in the South, Paulison said. But the mobile homes will be opened up, aired out and tested first, he said.
The formaldehyde levels in some trailers were found to be high enough to cause breathing problems in children, the elderly or people who already have respiratory trouble, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said. About 5 percent had levels high enough to cause breathing problems even in people who do not ordinarily have respiratory trouble, she said.
Gerberding said the tests could not draw a direct link between formaldehyde levels and the wide range of ailments reported by trailer occupants. But the CDC urged people to move out as quickly as possible.
As early as 2006, trailer occupants began reporting headaches, nosebleeds and difficulty breathing.
But as recently as last spring, a FEMA spokesman said the agency said no reason to question the safety of its trailers. Just last month, congressional investigators accused FEMA of suppressing and manipulating scientific research to play down the danger - an accusation the agency denied.
"I don't understand why FEMA bought trailers in the first place that were dangerous," said Henry Alexander, 60, who has been living in a trailer since February 2006. "You would hope they would test them for formaldehyde before." He said he was "very angry" that another agency had to step forward and say they were a health risk.
(AP) In a file photo FEMA trailers that are being used for housing for University of New Orleans...Full Image Chertoff said at a Senate committee hearing that the government has trying since last summer to prod people to move out of the trailers, but it has been difficult to get them to do so because the housing shortage means they might have to move far away, and because they are being allowed to live in the trailers rent-free.
Louisiana has 25,162 occupied FEMA trailers and mobile homes, while Mississippi has 10,362, according to FEMA. Other states also have hundreds of trailers. At one point, FEMA had placed victims of the 2005 hurricanes in more than 144,000 trailers and mobile homes.
Paulison had no estimate of how much it would cost to put people in hotels, apartments and other housing.
Formaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fumes can cause burning of the eyes and nose, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest.
The CDC examined only FEMA housing and cannot draw any conclusions about the safety of prefab homes elsewhere, Gerberding said. But "I think we're going to learn a lot more in the next year or two," she said after a news conference at FEMA offices in New Orleans.
"It seems like I have had more respiratory problems since I have been in the trailer," Roger Sheldon, 60, said in Pascagoula, Miss. But he was not ready to blame formaldehyde "You know you can walk into any new trailer, or house for that matter, and things like new carpet can cause irritation."
"To be honest, I'm thankful to the government," he added. "I don't like the trailer, but it beats the alternative for now."
With housing still in short supply - 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded, the pace of rebuilding has been slow, and rents are out of reach for many - Ernest Penns of the devastated Lower Ninth Ward said he, too, was grateful for his trailer: "I got nowhere else to go."
---
Associated Press writers John Moreno Gonzales in New Orleans, Kathy Hanrahan and Emily Wagster-Pettus in Jackson, Miss., Eileen Sullivan in Washington and Mike Stobbe in Atlanta contributed to this story.

See this story at http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080215/D8UQH9P80.html

CDC: Too Few Adults Get Their Vaccines

2008-01-25T09:13:00.000-06:00

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Vaccines aren't just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are rolling up their sleeves, disappointed federal health officials reported Wednesday.
The numbers of newly vaccinated are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new shots - which protect against shingles, whooping cough and cervical cancer - received in recent years.
Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that aside from the flu, most adults have trouble even naming diseases that they could prevent with a simple inoculation.
"We really need to get beyond the mentality that vaccines are for kids. Vaccines are for everybody," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who called the new data sobering. "We obviously have a lot more work to do."
The new CDC report found:
Only about 2 percent of Americans ages 60 and older received a vaccine against shingles in its first year of sales.
There are more than 1 million new cases a year of shingles, an excruciating rite of aging that causes a blistering skin rash. Up to 200,000 of them develop a complication, severe nerve pain that can last for months or even years. Anyone who ever had chickenpox is at risk, especially once they hit their 60s, because the chickenpox virus hibernates for decades in nerve cells until erupting again.
"Many people describe the shingles pain as the worst pain they've ever endured," said Dr. Michael Oxman of the University of California, San Diego.
The shingles vaccine, Merck & Co. (MRK)'s Zostavax, isn't perfect, but it cuts in half the risk of shingles - and those who still get it have a much milder case.
About 2 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 got a booster shot against whooping cough in the two years since it hit the market.
The cough so strong it can break a rib is making a big comeback, because the vaccine given to babies and toddlers starts wearing off by adolescence. Older patients usually recover, but whooping cough can cause weeks of misery. Worse, those people can easily spread the illness to not-yet-vaccinated infants, who can die from the bacterial infection, also called pertussis.
The pertussis booster was added to another long-recommended shot, a booster against tetanus and diphtheria that adults should get every 10 years. The new triple combo is called "Tdap." Sanofi-Aventis's Adacel brand is for ages 11 to 64. There also is a version for 10- to 18-year-olds, GlaxoSmithKline's Boostrix.
About 10 percent of women ages 18 to 26 have received at least one dose of a three-shot series that protects against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that causes cervical cancer.
There are more than 100 different types of HPV, the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection. Usually, the body gets rid of HPV without symptoms. But certain high-risk strains can persist and cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
The vaccine, Merck's Gardasil, protects against four of those high-risk types. That's not complete protection - so even the vaccinated still need regular Pap smears - but those strains are responsible for about 72 percent of cervical cancer and 90 percent of genital warts, said Dr. Stanley Gall of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Stay tuned: The government is considering whether even more women should get the vaccine - those up to age 45 who aren't yet infected, Gall said. And studies are under way to see if it works in men.
Price may play a role in these low vaccination rates. The shingles shot costs around $150, and the three-shot HPV vaccine about $300, and insurance coverage varies. There's no national program to guarantee access for adults who can't afford vaccines as there is for child vaccines.
But adults aren't taking full advantage of some cheap old standby vaccines, either. Among people 65 or older, a high-risk age, CDC found only 69 percent get an annual flu shot; just 66 percent have had a one-time pneumonia vaccine; and 44 percent had received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years.
It's not too late for a flu shot this year - and Oxman urged getting some of the other adult shots in the same doctor visit.
See the full story at: Excite News - CDC: Too Few Adults Get Their Vaccines

More Info on OK's Readiness

2007-12-19T13:22:00.000-06:00

source: NewsOK.com

by Jeff Raymond, Staff Writer

Oklahoma has sustained disaster readiness but falls short in protecting healthcare providers from being sued and in the number of elderly who receive flu vaccines, according to a national report released Tuesday that measures states' public-health preparedness.

In its fifth-annual report, “Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism – 2007,” Washington-based Trust for America’s Health found states have made significant progress but gaps remain.

Click HERE for the full article.

Some States Not Planning for Flu Season

2007-12-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

(source: Excite News)
By KEVIN FREKING, Assoc. Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Seven states have yet to participate in a federal program to buy antivirals for a potential influenza pandemic. Thirteen states do not have adequate plans to distribute vaccines and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile.

Those findings and others are part of a new report on how well states have prepared for public health emergencies. The report concluded that states have made significant progress since the terrorist and anthrax attacks in 2001. However, critical gaps remain.

Seven states performed adequately in each of the 10 categories that were measured, which earned them a score of 10 from the Trust for America's Health, a research group. The top scores went to Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
The states that got the lowest score were Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The federal government has had a difficult time measuring progress when it comes to the billions of dollars it has sent states over the past six years to improve preparedness. The money went to upgrade laboratories, buy medical supplies and conduct training exercises.

The Bush administration has encouraged states to stock up on antivirals in the event of an influenza pandemic. Under one program, the federal government will pay for a quarter of the cost of buying Tamiflu or Relenza, and states pay the remainder for a combined investment of about $680 million. Antivirals reduce the severity of influenza.

Seven states have so far declined to purchase any antivirals, according to the report: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota and Rhode Island. Several more have bought only a fraction of what they're entitled to under the federal program.

"If a significant number of states don't pick up their share of responsibility, then the country as a whole is less protected," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said that states have until June 2008 to get their orders in. All states, have told the federal government they plan on participating, he said. However, many have only ordered part of the medicine that's available to them.

"States that are not buying the full amount of antivirals we have allocated under this program are putting their own citizen at risk," said HHS Spokesman Bill Hall.

The report also highlighted the need for nearly half the states to update their "Good Samaritan" laws. Such laws create liability shields for those who come to the aid of another at the scene of an emergency. The trust said states need shield laws that can cover days or even weeks of voluntary work, such as a shield law tied to a declared emergency by a governor.

The report also warned that a decrease in federal funding could offset many of the improvements that states have made since 2001.

Among the other categories measured, the report said
- Flu vaccination rates for the elderly dropped in 11 states.
- Six states cut their public health department budgets last year.
- All 50 states and the District of Columbia held emergency drills with their health department and state National Guard.
- Twenty-one states do not have key liability protections for health care volunteers who respond to emergencies.

On the Net: Trust for America's Health: http://healthyamericans.org/

New MRSA Article in PHR

2007-12-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

contributed by Paul Woodson, Ph.D.

January/February 2008 Issue of PHR Features Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Practice Article

"A Model for Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus," by authors Ms. Hannah Simons and Dr. Philip Alcabes appears in the "Practice Articles" section of the first 2008 issue of Public Health Reports. The article addresses methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a community pathogen and attempts to distinguish the differences between community-associated and hospital-associated MRSA strains. Some of these differences include distinct methicillin resistance genes and genetic backgrounds and differing susceptibilities to antibiotics. The best methods for population-level detection and containment of these strains have not yet been established.

Find out more HERE.

MRSA - Info You Need

2007-11-27T11:19:00.001-06:00

by Michael Sheyahshe, IDS

Dr. Ronald Greenfield provides important information about MRSA and how to defend against it. The CDC has additional information, which you can find here.

Dr. Ronald Greenfield is a Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Dr. Greenfield graduated from SUNY, State University of New York, with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1977 and received a Master of Science degree in Biostatistics in 1993 from the University of Oklahoma, College of Public Health. He also received a Bachelor of Science cum laude and with Distinction in Psychology from Ohio State University in 1972. He did his Internship and Residency in Medicine and a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin with a completion date of 1980.

Dr. Greenfield is a nationally recognized expert in antimicrobial therapy, HIV/AIDS, and Bioterrorism. He is a highly sought after speaker for local and national speaking engagements. He also holds other administrative positions in addition to his title of Section Chief of Infectious Diseases. He is well published in national medical journals. His principal interests are treatment of HIV/AIDS infection, opportunistic infections, medical mycology, and cryptosporidiosis.

MRSA INFO: CDC Features - Q&A about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

2007-11-13T14:32:00.000-06:00

by Paul Woodson, Ph.D.

Answers to commonly asked questions about preventing the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections.
CDC, along with parents and school officials, wants to do everything possible to protect students from MRSA skin infections. These are commonly asked questions that will help parents and school officials prevent the spread of MRSA in schools.
CDC Features - Q&A about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Schools

Are You Ready? Find out your personal Readiness Quotient!

2007-09-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

In recent years, the American people have been urged to “get ready” and to prepare for emergencies—from natural disasters to terrorist attacks. But no one has ever given the public a simple, comprehensive and consistent tool to actually measure how prepared they are. No one has ever provided communities and the nation as a whole with a practical “gauge” to assess their preparedness, recognize their successes, and identify gaps where more work needs to be done. Until now.
The Public Readiness Index (PRI) is a first-of-its kind tool for individuals, families and communities to determine and evaluate their readiness. See how you stack up against the national average and learn specific steps you can take to better prepare yourself and your family, as well as things you can do to encourage your community, schools, and workplace to be better prepared.

Click the link below to to find out your Readiness Quotient:
http://www.whatsyourrq.org/survey.htm

DHS: More Than 1,700 Organizations to Participate in Fourth Annual Homeland Security National Preparedness Month

2007-09-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

DHS: More Than 1,700 Organizations to Participate in Fourth Annual Homeland Security National Preparedness Month

From The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on National Preparedness Month 2007

For the first time, National Preparedness Month is focusing on different areas of emergency preparedness.

September 1-8: Back-to-School (Ready Kids)
September 9-15: Business preparedness(Ready Business)
September 16-22: Multicultural preparedness(Listo)
September 23-30: Home and family preparedness, including pets, older Americans and individuals with disabilities and special needs (Ready America)

Click here for more information.

NORAD Discussions

2007-08-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

by Daniel Boatright, Ph.D.

In the fall of 2006, the SWCPHP was invited to participate in discussions with U.S. Northern Command, NORAD, regarding the potential role of the Centers for Public Health Preparedness in collaborating with NORTHCOM/NORAD in enhancing public health preparedness and readiness relative to issues such as pandemic influenza and other public health disasters. Dr Daniel Boatright, Director of the SWCPHP has subsequently participated in a number of NORTHCOM/NORAD conferences and events, most recently presenting in and completing the Homeland Defense Medical Executive at the request of the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute. Pandemic Influenza planning and preparedness is a key area of concern for NORTHCOM/NORAD as well as other catastrophic events that could require Department of Defense involvement in support of state and local entities.

For more information on the Center's role in this and other events, please view the SWCPHP website.

Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) @ SWCPHP

2007-08-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

by Tracey Burton, Instructional Coordinator

On August 21st and 22nd, 2007 the Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness hosted 4 Radiological Assistance Program sessions, at the Center offices in Oklahoma City. The training, developed and delivered by the Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), provides education to help prepare fire and police personnel, emergency and first responders, public health administration and support staff to respond to radiological events and/or exposure.
It addresses such topics as Radiation Basics and Concepts, Radiological/Nuclear Devices, Methods to Protect Against Exposure to Radiation, Common Commercial Sources of Radiation, Exposure Limits, Types of Radiological Hazards, and Biological Effects of Radiation. More than 50 individuals from around the State were in attendance.
Click HERE for more information on the Radiological Assistance Program.

ITEMC Meeting at SWCPHP

2007-08-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

by Tracey Burton, Instructional Coordinator

On August 16th, 2007 Kaw Nation hosted their monthly Intertribal Emergency Management Coalition (ITEMC) gathering to discuss pandemic flu plans, disaster declarations, RHINO and upcoming ICS training. Allan Harder, Linda Soos, Julie Alvarez and Tamara Copeland addressed the group which gathered for the day long meeting at the Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness in Oklahoma City.

For more information on ITEMC, contact Gary Robison, Emergency Manager - Kaw Nation at 580-362-1232 or by email at info@itemc.org.

SWCPHP Podcast Series - redux

2007-08-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

SWCPHP has re-launched our podcast feed. The new subscription feed has been posted on several online podcast directory sites.

Please follow the instructions below to subscribe to our episodes.

Launch iTunes.
In the Advanced menu, select Subscribe to Podcast.
Enter the following URL in the text box: http://www.swcphp.ouhsc.edu/podcast/subscribe.xml
Click OK.

iTunes displays your Podcast playlist, which shows all of the podcasts to which you have subscribed. Next to the new podcast subscription, you should see an orange circle, which indicates that iTunes is downloading your most recent episode. When the orange circle disappears, you should be able to see your podcast title, a list of all the episodes referenced in your feed, and a check next to the most recent episode, indicating that it has been successfully downloaded. Double-click on the episode to play it in iTunes.

If the orange circle is replaced by an "i" in a black circle, iTunes encountered a problem with your feed or episode. Please refer to http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcastsfaq.html for more information, should you encounter technical issues.

SWCPHP and OK Career Techs

2007-08-24T09:23:00.000-05:00

by Tracey Burton, Instructional Coordinator

The Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness and Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education have partnered together in order to deliver quality all-hazards preparedness training, free of charge, to students from various backgrounds including health care providers, high school and college students, business and industry personnel, and the general public.
Using Career Tech’s eLearning Courseware, the Southwest Center is able to provide life-long learning opportunities to students from all walks of life, and specifically to the public health workforce to better prepare for times of crisis.
Please visit our website and check out our current courses at http://www.swcphp.ouhsc.edu/.

SWCPHP Joins in with LANL's HazMat Challenge

2007-08-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

by Paul Woodson, Ph.D.
SWCPHP Administrator

July 30 through August 3, 2007 The Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness sponsored the Midwest City, Moore, and Norman Fire Departments to compete in the 11th Annual Los Alamos National Laboratories HazMat Challenge in New Mexico. This is the fourth year SWCPHP has had Oklahoma representation at the challenge.

There were thirteen participants this year with the following honors for Oklahoma particpants:

Midwest City won first place in the technical division and first place in overall performance
Moore claimed second place in the technical events and seventh in the overall competition
Norman placed fourth in the technical events and sixth in the overall competition

This was the first year since the challenge was begun that one team (Midwest City) won both first place awards in the same year.

Dr. Paul Woodson, SWCPHP Center Administrator was on-site and assisted LANL personnel as an evaluator at one of the challenge scenario events. The national recognized and unique setting at LANL has multiple exercise scenarios with leaking railcars, clandestine laboratory mock-ups, wrecked semi-transports, confined space facilities, hazardous valve tree leak mock-ups, conditions with chemical, biological, and/or radiological exposure conditions, and many other actual situations that utilize real life-sized props each requiring HazMat responders to function in level A personal protective equipment suits in timed and critical evaluated assignments.

Click HERE for more information about LANL's HazMat Challenge.

CO Division of Mental Health

2007-07-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

by Curt H Drennen, PsyD, RN
Mental Health Disaster Response Coordinator
Colorado Behavioral Health Services

The Colorado Division of Mental Health was activated by the Colorado Division of Emergency Management to be on site at the former Lowery Air Force Base to provide behavioral health support to the evacuees and the responders providing medical, housing and individual services. As we activated our efforts, several other agencies were activating theirs as well, including the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross, Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance and several faith based and professional organizations.

At one point in time, we had approximately four volunteers for every evacuee. It is events like this that highlight our need to develop an over-arching structure to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of our response efforts. We have a broad range of resources and when the community is in need, there is no limit to those who come to lend a hand. Unfortunately, we have often had systems that were at odds with each other, having different philosophies, different organizational structures, different intervention technologies and different expectations of who should be doing what, when and where. These differences negatively affect our ability to achieve our goal of supporting those impacted by trauma.

The Colorado Division of Mental Health’s Disaster Response and Planning Workgroup began hosting the Mental Health Disaster Response Planning Council in order to address these issues. A group of 65 professionals from across the state had our first meeting on December 19, 2006 at Four Mile Historic Park in Denver Colorado. This group committed to come together every other month for the next 6 to 9 months to develop a working structure for behavioral health disaster response. Initial work included developing 6 sub committees (Command, Training and Credentialing, Communications, Resource Development, Response Team Development, and Deployment/Response Protocols).

We expect that there will be some difficulty with this process and yet we expect the outcomes of this process will result in stronger working relationships across response agencies and organizations, greater trust and improved effectiveness in the field. We identified our vision as “An inclusive, collaborative and cooperative model of mental health disaster response” with the following five goals:

Identification of missing partners with the purpose of including them in the process,
Adoption and adaptation of the Incident Command System for behavioral health response,
Development of true partnerships across agencies throughout the system for behavioral health disaster response, including formal Memorandums of Understanding and Mutual Aid Agreements,
Development of communication systems that are inclusive and redundant, and
Development of a protocol document that can be utilized by the larger system as well as a template for regional, county and city/town partnerships for behavioral health disaster response.

While we have a long way to go to achieve our goals, we expect that this effort will pay dividends for years to come. The results of this effort should be greater collaboration and cooperation, more effective deployments that utilize our human resources effectively and efficiently, and a greater sense of community between disaster events. Stay tuned. I hope to be able to report our areas of progress in a few months.

VOAD

2007-07-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

The Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness partners will gather in New Mexico April 18 to attend the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters Annual Conference.
Click here to learn more.

ICCTC at OUHSC

2007-07-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

The Indian Country Child Trauma Center (ICCTC), at OUHSC is part of the Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) that is funded by SAMHSA, with the specific goal of developing culturally relevant trauma intervention models and materials for use with American Indian and Alaskan Native children exposed to trauma.
Click here to find out more.

Volunteer Training in NM

2007-07-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

In conjunction with the Albuquerque Medical Reserve Corps, our SWCPHP partners in New Mexico have completed several training events for volunteers.
Click here for more information.

New Mexico Answers the Call

2007-07-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

Our SWCPHP partners in New Mexico have just completed the long-awaited 2007 update to the core emergency preparedness training for healthcare and public health professionals.

This four-hour course, entitled Answering the Call: Health and Medical Emergency Preparedness and Response in New Mexico, provides an awareness-level overview of the emergency response elements unique to New Mexico. The curriculum also provides basic information about the federal response system, incident management, risk communication, and threat awareness. To learn more about this course, or to schedule a course in your community or agency, please contact Leslie at 505-272-6272 or LScarborough@salud.unm.edu. Or you can visit the website for the UNM Center for Disaster Medicine at http://hsc.unm.edu/som/cdm.

Pandemic Influenza Information

2007-07-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

Did you know? SWCPHP now has a website devoted to Pandemic Influenza.
Click here to view the Pan Flu website.

Psychological First Aid

2007-07-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

Dr. Betty Pfefferbaum discusses the importance of psychological first aid and the compassion that is required in order to assist individuals experiencing psychological distress in times of disaster. Fortunately, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD have recently developed manuals to aid mental health professionals and other response workers in establishing early connections with distraught survivors.
See the full text here.

Learning from Katrina

2007-07-17T10:24:00.002-05:00

by Brenda L. Elledge, Dr. P.H.
Spring 2006

In response to a call from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, the SWCPHP departed for Houston on September 7th with an environmental health response team, led by Dr. Daniel Boatright, to assist with the Hurricane Katrina response. Team members included Drs. Brenda Elledge and Rod Clinkenbeard of the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and Dr. Paul Woodson of the Southwest Center for Public Health Preparedness. Dr. Robert Vincent joined the team on September 10.

In Brief
Following the hurricane, more than 200,000 were displaced to evacuation centers in at least 18 states. Thousands of displaced citizens of New Orleans and surrounding areas were relocated to Houston, with temporary placement at the Reliant Center.

Our Part
The SWCPHP team supported our UTHSC colleagues in their efforts to deal with prevalent environmental health issues. Upon arrival, approximately 25,000 citizens were housed in three separate facilities within the Reliant Center.

Team Work
The SWCPHP joined several other teams in performing thousands of health assessments every evening using a one page rapid assessment tally form. The information gathered was used to help identify communicable disease signs and syndromes and expedite care for those in need.

Observations
The team observed volunteers engaging in numerous risky behaviors that not only contributed to the possible spread of infection, but also increased personal risk of exposure.

Discussion
At the 2006 OPHA pre-conference, the SWCPHP will discuss the educational and training curricula with public health leaders, volunteer leaders, volunteers and emergency responders. Following this, materials will be developed and made available for dissemination.

Potential Pitfalls
As a part of our effort, the SWCPHP team observed a number of public health issues that inevitably occur when evacuees are placed in this type of situation. A few to mention include over-crowding, bright environment, noise, sleep deprivation, poor diet, spread of infectious diseases, lack of hygienic practices, lack of facilities conducive to good hygiene, a reluctance to seek medical care and poor support for special populations.

Points
As an element of our response, several lessons were learned. While many are obvious--such as providing a strong ICS, extra support for special populations, better waste disposal, increased security, adequate staffing and services to provide for the needs of entire populations--one of the most important lessons recognised was the need for volunteers to have training in fundamental public health tenants, especially basic environmental sanitation.

Synthesis
The SWCPHP is in the process of describing educational and training curricula that may be presented to volunteer organizations and interested parties, along with dissemination techniques and strategies to enhance not only response effectiveness and efficiency, but to reduce the risk of exposure to volunteers.