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The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

March 28, 2024

Volume 12, Issue 8

 

Is AI the Future of Emergency Management?

How to incorporate AI into your day to day emergency planning

It’s easy to look at the possibilities for AI and extrapolate what it will mean for health care. Some scenarios are more fanatical—or perhaps Orwellian—than others, but there is limitless potential.

 

Read HAP's new blog post written by Charles (CJ) Sabo MPH, EMT-B,

manager, emergency management.

 

 

 

 

HAP’s EM team helps Pennsylvania's hospitals and health systems prepare for public health emergencies and serves as a national model for best practices.

HAP's Emergency Management Team

Emergency Preparedness Hot Topics

(The Hill) Biden this week signed a GOP-led resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency despite outcry from some lawmakers on the left, priming the country for the end of the pandemic era of the coronavirus outbreak. While the measure was spearheaded by Republican lawmakers, it garnered relatively strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate before President Biden signed it. The national emergency is separate from the public health emergency, which is scheduled to end in exactly one month, though states have been given the leeway to begin unwinding measures enacted under the health emergency a month before or after its official conclusion.

 

(CNN) Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans’ views of the disease’s impact have stagnated into a complex set of mixed feelings, with few believing that the pandemic has ended but most also saying that their lives had returned mostly—if not entirely—to normal. In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey about the Biden administration’s original plan to end the public health emergency by May, 59 percent of Americans said they expected the decision to have no impact on them or their family, with the remainder about evenly split between the 20 percent who thought it would have a positive effect and the 21 percent who thought the impact would be negative. Only 24 percent of Americans personally feel that the pandemic is over, a recent Monmouth University poll found, with 20 percent saying it will end eventually and 53 percent saying that it’ll never be over.

 

(Fortune Well) The World Health Organization (WHO) has its eye on a new COVID variant thought to be driving a new surge of cases in India—at a time when reported cases are down in much of the rest of the world. XBB.1.16, dubbed “Arcturus” by variant trackers, is very similar to U.S. dominant “Kraken” XBB.1.5—the most transmissible COVID variant yet, Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 technical lead for the WHO, said earlier this week at a news conference.

 

(The Lancet) The COVID-19 pandemic, which has lasted for nearly three years, has killed millions of people worldwide. Globally, during this public health emergency of international concern, the police have played an important role in maintaining social stability and preventing the crisis from further escalating during lockdowns. They also partnered with local centers for disease control and prevention to track citizens’ information to prevent the virus from spreading and conducted crisis communication to keep people away from misinformation. However, the police are facing important challenges in the control of public health emergencies. Human rights violations could be a potential concern due to abuse of law enforcement and a lack of information transparency. To improve the role of the police in public health emergencies, increasing the transparency of police participation through stronger media monitoring is important.

National Preparedness News and Updates

COVID-19

(Associated Press) When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends in the U.S. next month, you’ll still have access to a multitude of tests but with one big difference: Who pays for them. For the first time, you may have to pick up some or all of the costs, depending on insurance coverage and whether the tests are done at home or in a doctor’s office. But there’s still time to get some free tests before the May 11 change, and there could still be free ones available afterward.

 

(Nature) In view of a conspicuous absence of any cross-country study linking obesity and COVID-19 mortality, we conduct an empirical analysis of plausible associations between COVID-19 mortality and the proportion of obese in the adult population distributed across 142 countries around the globe. We observe a statistically significant positive association between COVID-19 mortality and the proportion of obese in adult populations spanning 142 countries. This association holds across countries belonging to different income groups and is not sensitive to a population’s median age, proportion of the elderly, and/or proportion of females.

 

(JAMA) Numbers of deaths and infections from COVID-19 varied up to almost fourfold across the 50 states, even when factors like age and comorbidities were taken into account, according to an analysis of outcomes between January 1, 2020, and July 31, 2022. The highest burdens of deaths and infections clustered in states with lower education, higher poverty, less access to quality health care, and lower levels of interpersonal trust. This set of traits, in turn, tended to exist in areas where larger proportions of the population identified as Black or Hispanic, and in states where the majority voted Republican in 2020’s Presidential election, the researchers reported in The Lancet.

 

(National Institute of Standards and Technology) JILA researchers have upgraded a breathalyzer based on Nobel Prize-winning frequency-comb technology and combined it with machine learning to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection with excellent accuracy in 170 volunteer subjects. Their achievement represents the first real-world test of the technology's capability to diagnose disease in exhaled human breath. Frequency comb technology has the potential to non-invasively diagnose more health conditions than other breath analysis techniques, while also being faster and potentially more accurate than some other medical tests.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Data Tracking and Resources

 

  • : Monitor the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing volume and percent positivity, nationally and by state.
  • : Use the interactive tool to explore observed and forecasted weekly reported COVID-19 cases and cumulative and incident COVID-19 deaths in the United States.
  • in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the U.S. Reported to the CDC by State or Territory; Maps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates Weekly

Resources

offers a searchable, open-source database of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 publications, clinical trials, protocols, datasets, and epidemiology data. This resource can be found on .

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania also has a .

Mpox

(Japan Times) Health ministry statistics show that the number of mpox patients in Japan has crept up this month, in contrast with many other countries where the number of cases has recently declined. As of the last week in March, Japan had reported 80 cases of mpox, an infectious viral disease that is primarily transmitted through men having sex with men. But anyone who has close contact with an infected person is also at risk.

Additional Mpox Resources

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of a draft guidance titled, “” The draft guidance provides the FDA’s current thinking regarding nonclinical, virology, and clinical considerations for mpox drug development programs.
    • The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in the clinical development of drugs for the treatment of mpox. Comments and suggestions regarding this draft guidance within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice announcing the availability of the draft guidance.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Emerging Disease

(CNN) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory about the Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. Marburg is a rare but highly fatal viral fever that causes uncontrolled bleeding, similar to Ebola. The CDC’s warning says that although there are no cases in the United States and the current risk is low, health care providers should be on the lookout for any imported cases.

 

(CIDRAP) Equatorial Guinea's health ministry on Twitter reported one more Marburg virus case, raising the outbreak total to 15 confirmed cases. Officials also reported one more death, putting the fatality count at 11. Currently, no patients are hospitalized, and health officials are monitoring 385 contacts, down from 604 a week ago. The outbreak—the country's first—began during January. During the early part of the outbreak, 20 probable cases were reported, all of them fatal. Confirmed cases have been reported from four districts, raising concerns about more widespread transmission. At least eight cases are from the city of Bata, a port city with a population of roughly 173,000.

 

(Reuters) Chile detected the first case of bird flu in a human, the country's health ministry recently reported. The case was detected in a 53-year-old man who presented severe influenza symptoms, according to a statement issued by the ministry, but they noted the patient was in stable condition. The government is also investigating the source of contagion as well as others who were in contact with the patient.

 

(Reuters) A Chinese woman has become the first person to die from a type of bird flu that is rare in humans, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, but the strain does not appear to spread between people. The 56-year-old woman from the southern province of Guangdong was the third person known to have been infected with the H3N8 subtype of avian influenza, the WHO said in a recent statement. The patient had multiple underlying conditions, said the WHO, and a history of exposure to live poultry. Sporadic infections in people with bird flu are common in China where avian flu viruses constantly circulate in huge poultry and wild bird populations.

 

(News.com.au) Health authorities are urging residents in a small East African country to frequently wash their hands and avoid eating wild animals in a bid to stop the transmission of a deadly mystery illness. Three people in the landlocked nation of Burundi have lost their lives during three days to a yet-to-be formally identified disease, which has forced dozens of people into strict quarantine. Symptoms of the disease mimic those of the highly dangerous Ebola and Marburg viruses, however the Burundian Ministry of Health has ruled out both illnesses.

 

(CNN) Ninety-three confirmed or probable cases of blastomycosis have been identified in Michigan’s Delta and Menominee counties, according to the local health department, and they are believed to be associated with a paper mill in the town of Escanaba. Blastomycosis is caused by a fungus, Blastomyces, that lives in the environment, especially in moist soil and decomposing matter like wood or leaves, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

(CIDRAP) The Wyoming State Veterinary Lab (WSVL) said it has diagnosed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a barn cat, the state's first detection of the virus in a domestic cat. In a brief statement at its website, the WSVL said the cat is located near Thermopolis, in the central part of the state. It said that the cat probably contracted the virus from eating meat from wild waterfowl. During recent months, the lab also has detected the virus in other carnivores, including mountain lions and a red fox.

SUPPLY CHAIN

(Nature) Could the next pandemic hit global food supplies? Scientists warn that a fungal pathogen that threatens wheat production in South America is poised to go global. Outbreaks of the ‘wheat blast’ pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae in parts of Africa and Asia originated from a single family of the fungus that was imported from South America, researchers report on April 11 in PLoS Biology. Scientists warn that this lineage could strike elsewhere, or develop worrying traits such as fungicide resistance and the ability to affect other important food crops.

 

(The Load Star) U.S. container imports during February 2023 were massively down from the highs of the previous year, with U.S. West Coast ports in particular suffering a huge 37 percent drop. The top ten U.S. container ports, import throughput last month fell a record 28 percent, to 1,454,438 twenty-foot equivalent unit (teu), the lowest level since March 2020, as extremely weak demand was exacerbated by the Chinese New Year falling ten days earlier than last year.

 

Imports at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports declined 18.7 percent, to 809,375 teu, with only the port of Houston recording an increase, 12.7 percent year on year, to 141,946 teu. The West Coast ports were also impacted by the continued coastal shift to the east and the unresolved west coast labor situation. The port of Los Angeles saw a startling 41.2 percent collapse in container imports, to 249,407 teu, demoting it to third in the import rankings behind New York/New Jersey, with 280,652 teu, and San Pedro Bay neighbor Long Beach’s 254,970 teu.

 

Vessel calls during February were down to 61, compared with 93 in the same month of last year, and no fewer than 30 blanked sailings in the month. The demand is just not there. “U.S. warehouses remain largely full, retailers must clear inventory levels before the next wave of imports arrive, but with the economy on everybody’s mind and consumers continuing to feel the pinch of inflation, older inventories are simply not moving fast enough. Three-month data is now showing a 21 percent decline in import volumes, a further decrease on the 17.2 percent negative of last month. Meanwhile, U.S. exports continued their recent gains, recording an overall 4.6 percent increase to 789,037 teu during February, for a trailing three-month gain of 8.7 percent. According to the McCown report, the ports with the strongest export performance during February were Houston, up 41.7 percent to 116,265 teu, Charleston, up 12.2 percent to 61,448 teu, and Norfolk, up 8.8 percent to 96,399 teu. Los Angeles was the weakest, with a loss of 13.7 percent, to 82,404 teu, followed by Oakland, with a drop of 9.4 percent, to 56,475 teu.

 

(Supply Chain Brain) A highly drug-resistant "superbug" bacteria that was linked to eyedrops imported from India and that spread from person to person in a Connecticut long-term care center has prompted concerns that the strain could gain a foothold in the U.S. and highlighted issues around lack of scrutiny of far-flung manufacturers. The New York Times reports that, during recent months, three deaths, eight cases of blindness and dozens of infections have been traced to EzriCare artificial tears, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leading to a widespread recall this year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates over-the-counter medicine, has stopped imports of the product. But these outbreaks highlight regulatory gaps in controlling imports of overseas medications. The FDA has long been criticized for lapses in inspections of overseas manufacturing in China and India, which are the two major producers of drugs and raw ingredients for medicines. While the FDA requires a pre-approval inspection of plants that manufacture prescription drugs, there is no such mandate for those that make over-the-counter medicines like artificial tears.

 

(FDA) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a national strategy outlining actions the agency will take immediately to help ensure one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations continues to have access to safe, nutritious infant formula and to increase resiliency of the U.S. infant formula market and supply.

 

The Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 (FDORA) directed the FDA, in consultation with other federal government partners, to develop this immediate strategy to increase the resiliency of the U.S. infant formula market. Key elements of the immediate strategy were released. These actions are well underway. FDORA also called on the FDA to trace the events that led up to and followed the voluntary recall of infant formula during February 2022 by Abbott Nutrition, the temporary pause in production at the facility in Sturgis, Michigan, and the numerous factors that contributed to the fragility of this particular supply chain. The strategy also describes initial actions the FDA took to address the infant formula shortage and details the agency’s plans for improving the safety and resiliency of the infant formula supply, while noting considerations beyond the purview of the FDA. The agency remains committed to improving the infant formula supply and ensuring that consumers have the utmost confidence that infant formula available in the U.S. is safe and nutritious.

 

(ASPR) The U.S. Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) released the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Multiyear Budget (MYB) for fiscal years 2022–2026. The report assesses budget needs to support medical countermeasure priorities which would allow the U.S. government to prepare for the next public health threat. The multiyear budget projects an estimated overall funding need of $64 billion during the five-year period.

 

As the first PHEMCE MYB released since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will serve as a useful tool for Congress to gauge ASPR’s funding levels to provide the country protection against whatever comes next. The is an interagency body that reviews the current threat landscape and makes recommendations to the Secretary of the HHS about available or future medical countermeasures. This MYB was built during a period of time in which there were continuing resolutions, omnibus spending bills, and a near-simultaneously released President’s budget. This MYB is indicative of the assessed need and does not substitute for requested levels in the President’s budget. The MYB also provides Congress and external stakeholders with funding information related to investments made in specified threats. The report highlights key priorities—from supporting innovative approaches to medical countermeasures (MCM) development, to fostering clear, scientifically supported regulatory pathways for MCMs, to ensuring our national security. ASPR looks forward to working with Congress to overcome challenges and ensure America is prepared for whatever threat is around the corner.

CYBERSECURITY AND PHYSICAL SECURITY

Cybersecurity

(FDA) On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 ("Omnibus") was signed into law. Section 3305 of the Omnibus—"Ensuring Cybersecurity of Medical Devices"—amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) by adding section 524B, Ensuring Cybersecurity of Devices. The Omnibus states that the amendments to the FD&C Act shall take effect 90 days after the enactment of this Act on March 29, 2023. As provided by the Omnibus, the cybersecurity requirements do not apply to an application or submission submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before March 29, 2023. Beginning October 1, 2023, the FDA expects that sponsors of such cyber devices will have had sufficient time to prepare premarket submissions that contain information required by section 524B of the FD&C Act, and FDA may refuse to accept premarket submissions that do not. This guidance is being implemented without prior public comment because the agency has determined that prior public participation is not feasible or appropriate (see section 701(h)(1)(C) of the FD&C () and . FDA has determined that it is not feasible to obtain public comment prior to the 90-day statutory timeframe for the effective date of section 524B of the FD&C Act. Although this policy is being implemented immediately without prior comment, FDA will consider all comments received and revise the guidance document as appropriate.

 

The Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) is a coalition of private-sector critical health care infrastructure entities organized to partner with and advise the government to identify and mitigate strategic threats and vulnerabilities facing the sector’s ability to provide services and assets to the public. The HSCC Cybersecurity Working Group is composed of more than 400 industry and government organizations collaborating to develop strategies to combat emerging and ongoing cybersecurity challenges to the health sector.

 

The Health Sector Coordinating Council recently released a free cybersecurity training video series titled “.” This impactful series explains in easy, non-technical language the basics for how cyber-attacks can affect clinical operations and patient safety, and how clinicians can do their part to help keep health care data, systems, and patients safe from cyber threats without losing time away from patients.

 

The eight-episode series, totaling about 45 minutes, offers one CME/CEU credit hour. The series may also satisfy documentation requirements of the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, the National Fire Protection Association and The Joint Commission for facility Hazard Vulnerability Analysis and Risk Analysis and Training. It is intended for private clinical practices, health provider institutions of all types and sizes, academic institutions, and health care support functions. To view an introduction of this series, see the .

 

(HC3) During Q1 of 2023, the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) observed a continuation of many ongoing trends with regards to cyber threats to the Healthcare and Public Health community. Ransomware attacks, data breaches, and often both together continued to be prevalent in attacks against the health sector. Ransomware operators continued to evolve their techniques and weapons for increasing extortion pressure and maximizing their payday. Vulnerabilities in software and hardware platforms, some ubiquitous and some specific to health care, continued to keep the attack surface of health care organizations open. Managed service provider compromise continued to be a significant threat to the health sector, as did supply chain compromise.

 

(HC3) Pro-Russia hacktivist group, KillNet, has actively targeted the United States health and public health (HPH) sector since December 2022. Their signature distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on critical infrastructure sectors typically only cause service outages lasting several hours or even days. However, the range of consequences from these attacks on the HPH sector can be significant, threatening routine to critical day-to-day operations. An examination of the group’s cyber offensive from December 2022 to March 2023 provides insight into how and why they target the health care industry, and recommendations for how HPH organizations can better protect themselves. .

Latest CISA Vulnerability Summary The latest provides a summary of new vulnerabilities that have been recorded by the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) in the past week. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the bulletin may not yet have assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.

Receive HPH Sector Cyber Notifications directly by subscribing to the HPH Sector bulletins. HPH Sector bulletins inform stakeholders about the most significant issues facing the sector including cybersecurity, medical supply chains, COVID-19, and more. If you are interested in receiving cyber notifications or other HPH Sector bulletins, visit the .

HEALTH SYSTEM PREPAREDNESS

Health Care

(CNN) About 100,000 registered nurses in the U.S. left the workplace due to the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a survey recently published by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Another 610,388 registered nurses, who had more than 10 years of experience and an average age of 57, said they planned to leave the workforce by 2027 because of stress, burnout, or retirement.

 

(STAT News) The Environmental Protection Agency proposed new limits on the use of a carcinogenic gas called ethylene oxide. The hope is to reduce ethylene oxide emissions by 80 percent, which the agency said is part of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot and its “commitment to securing environmental justice and protecting public health.” The actions consist of two rules: one aimed at forcing sterilizing facilities that use ethylene oxide to cut down on their emissions, and another aimed at protecting workers and communities who are most vulnerable to exposure.

 

(Scientific American) During the past three years of the pandemic, testing sewage water for the virus that causes COVID has become a valuable tool: it has spotted surging infections and new variants weeks before they showed up in medical clinics, for instance. The technology has also warned of other health threats such as seasonal viruses and increased opioid use. But now its long-term ability to protect public health is in jeopardy. Funding uncertainty from the federal government and uneven commitments from state health departments have raised the specter that wastewater monitoring programs may shut down in the future.

 

(CBRN) threats on infants, young children and breastfeeding women (Emergency Nutrition Network) In modern warfare, there is increased risk of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons exposure and of nuclear emergencies due to damage to nuclear power plants. Most international agencies have action guidelines for the general population, but an urgent gap exists in guidance specifically for the breastfeeding population. Before now, there was no centralized place for agencies or individuals to go to access vital information about the treatment of breastfeeding women, infants, and young children and the safety of breastfeeding in CBRN crises. In response to the lack of critical information, the Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Group, along with the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, has created guidelines for the breastfeeding population in the context of the most common chemical and biological agents along with guidance for the first three days after a nuclear power plant emergency.

 

(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) As COVID-19 swept across the U.S., a panicked public turned its eyes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies for answers. When none came and the pandemic dragged on and thousands fell ill, faith in their authority and decision-making began to plummet. Now, as COVID becomes part of daily life, those organizations look to regain footing with a wary, distrusting nation. A new report, “Building the CDC the Country Needs,” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies offers guidance for rebuilding the agency’s image, under the knowledge that the power to reset CDC, lies outside of CDC.

Are you reading a forwarded copy of Keystone Digest?

 

Education

Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (NACIDD)

Thursday, April 20 at 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET

 

During this meeting, NACIDD members will discuss, finalize, and vote on an initial set of recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary and the ASPR regarding challenges, opportunities, and priorities for national public health and medical preparedness, response, and recovery, specific to the needs of people with disabilities in disasters. Members of the public and expert stakeholders are invited to virtually participate in the meeting as observers.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE)

ASPR TRACIE Roundtable: Lessons Learned in Healthcare Communications

Thursday, April 20 at 3 to 4:15 p.m. EDT

 

Health care and public health entities have learned many lessons about communicating to their personnel and the public after three years of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent emergencies. ASPR TRACIE is holding a webinar during which speakers representing a wide range of stakeholders and jurisdiction types (national, large/urban, regional, and rural/tribal) will share their perspectives on how they integrated these lessons into current and future responses. Topics will include channels used for outreach and continued engagement, strategies for reaching different community and cultural groups and countering rumors, and working with partners to create complementary messaging.

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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

National Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety

Tuesday, April 25 at 2 to 3 p.m. ET

 

AHRQ Director Robert Otto Valdez, PhD, M.H.S.A., will highlight activities of the . Established by AHRQ on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Action Alliance is a public-private effort to improve both patient and workforce safety across health care delivery settings. Partners include health systems, clinicians, patients, families, caregivers, professional societies, workforce safety advocates, health services researchers, payors, and others. The upcoming webinar will offer an overview of , provide an update on responses to AHRQ’s on creating the National Action Alliance, and allow participants to share their insights.

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National Academies

Exploring the Future of AI in Health Professions Education

Wednesday, April 26 at 12:30 to 2 p.m. ET

 

The National Academies' (HPE) organized a virtual workshop series to explore opportunities, challenges, and concerns around preparing health professionals to maximize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the process of HPE.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Learning Connection Highlights Free CE Credit Opportunities helps public health and health care professionals stay informed about quality trainings from the CDC, other federal agencies, and federally funded partners. This month, CDC Learning Connection is offering the following CE credit opportunities:

for the CDC Learning Connection newsletter.

Training Opportunities—Ongoing

ASPR’s (CIP) offers a variety of newsletters to keep stakeholders informed during emergency response and steady state. The newsletters inform stakeholders of the most significant issues facing the Healthcare and Public Health Sector including cybersecurity, healthcare supply chains, COVID-19, and more. If you are interested in receiving CIP newsletters, visit the

The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) is offering a . This is a modular, online course covering the 11 core competencies in disaster medicine and public health.

 

Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Training for Health Care Workers: The Nationwide SAR Initiative's (NSI) online training module, , was developed to teach workers to recognize suspicious behavior associated with pre-incident terrorist activities. The training also discusses civil rights, privacy, and how and when to report suspicious activity. NSI also offers a two-page resource: . This training module could easily be added to any in-house training for new employees or yearly refresher training for established personnel.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Outreach and Community Activity .

 

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

 

: This interactive, online training has broad utility for response and health care partners as well as those in existing leadership roles. The training takes about 90 minutes to complete.

 

: The Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency have established TRAIN PA, the Pennsylvania affiliate for the Public Health Foundation’s learning management system and network. TRAIN PA is a free, collaborative resource for public health organizations and academic institutions across the state to assist in their educational and workforce development efforts.

 

for TRAIN PA allows access to thousands of trainings provided by public health agencies at all levels of government, schools of public health and other academic institutions, and other related organizations. If you already have a TRAIN account through TRAIN National, MRC TRAIN, or CDC TRAIN, you can log in to TRAIN PA using the username and password you use at these other sites.

 

Resources

 

. HAPevolve’s Portable Response Emergency Plan (PREP) is a web-based, mobile app created to house health care facilities’ emergency plans. HAPevolve, a subsidiary of HAP, is offering a temporarily modified COVID-19 version of PREP at no-cost to health care facilities for the global pandemic. COVID-19 PREP has a single-point access to up-to-date pandemic information and resources.

 

 

Items of Interest

 

: The health care supply chain is complex, supporting patient care on a daily basis by producing and delivering medications as well as products ranging from gloves and gowns, to diagnostics, to pharmaceuticals and biomedical equipment, to surgical supplies. During disasters or catastrophic events, the health care supply chain can experience distinct strains depending on the nature of the event and the impact on surrounding infrastructure. These resources provide an overview of the emergency planning and response considerations of health care supply chain owners, operators, and end users, as well as insights for health care coalitions working with health care supply chain partners on preparedness, response, and recovery.

 

This fact sheet addresses several frequently asked questions regarding the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) and disasters, and provides links to more resources. Note: This document is not intended to be used as regulatory guidance or in place of communications with or guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) who oversees EMTALA compliance.

 

Webinar: Dialysis During Disasters: The Kidney Community Emergency Response Program webinar recording, .

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s covers topics to take into consideration when preparing for a public health emergency:

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Provides information about bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, which can spread pathogens and vector-borne disease, discusses what state and local public health agencies can do, and provides a video and sections about Overview, Problem, Infographic, What Can Be Done, and Issue Details.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) provides crucial information to use during the first few moments and hours of a response to a potential bioterrorism incident. Designed for first responders, FBI agents who work with weapons of mass destruction, and any other person who might encounter biological agents, the app describes how to recognize signs and symptoms of disease associated with eight biological agents. The app also provides information to obtain expert help quickly with the contact details for the CDC's Emergency Operations Center, FBI field offices, and state public health laboratories.

 

, ASPR blog

 

, The California Emergency Medical Services Authority

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Preparedness’

 

HHS emPOWER Map NEW GIS REST Service Link—Partners must connect to the newly named REST service to consume the layer in their GIS System: Connect to the . In doing so, partners will be able to continue to gain population-level situational awareness of electricity-dependent populations in their own GIS applications. Please send any questions you may have to and .

 

Active Shooter Resources

 

From the Department of Homeland Security’s : Action guides that align with the dynamic threat environment and include resources that provide the critical infrastructure community with information regarding attack vectors used by terrorists and other extremist actors as well as corresponding suggested protective measures.

The action guide, , supports the general public’s understanding of the immediate actions that can be taken to increase the probability of survival and also can serve as a poster for the critical infrastructure community to use during events.

 

This standard for active shooter and/or hostile events addresses all aspects of the preparedness, response and recovery process, from identifying hazards and assessing vulnerability, to planning, resource management, incident management at a command level, competencies for first responders, and recovery. It was developed in concert by experts from a wide range of specialties and sets forth requirements for communities to establish a unified planning response and recovery program, long before an active shooter/hostile event occurs.

 

Produced by the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council, this may be a helpful teaching adjunct to the guidance document. OSHA resources include guidelines, successful case studies, and a road map to building a culture of safety in health care.

 

More from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

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