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February 22: Medical Response and Surge Exercise (MRSE) Office Hours
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ASPR Prepares for Changing Landscape of Mpox Response at Home and Abroad |
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Since the beginning of the mpox outbreak in 2022, ASPR has worked closely with partners in the federal government and across the country to provide vaccines and therapeutics to protect and treat those who may be impacted by the disease – shipping over one million vials of the JYNNEOS vaccine and over 40,000 treatment courses of TPOXX, TEMBEXA, and VIG-IV from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
Learn more and read the full blog post from ASPR. |
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February SNS Office Hours: Updates from the SNS Office of Science |
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Register today
for the next monthly SNS Office Hours, scheduled for February 28 from 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET. This one-hour session features SNS health scientists who will provide the most recent SNS science updates and answer questions on SNS formulary topics. To ensure maximum benefit from this session, participants are strongly encouraged to submit questions in advance to sns-sltt@hhs.gov (subject: SNS Office Hours: Office of Science Updates) by Friday, February 9. For more information or for questions, please contact the SNS Office of State, Local, Tribal, Territorial (SLTT) Preparedness at that same email address. |
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Upcoming Recipient Meetings |
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Meeting Name |
Recipient Group |
Event Details |
Medical Response and Surge Exercise (MRSE) Office Hours |
HPP cooperative agreement recipients |
Thursday, February 22
12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Registration Information | Note: ASPR will update this table in each issue of the Bulletin as additional meetings are scheduled. Recordings and transcripts from previous webinars can be accessed on the
ASPR Health Care Readiness Programs Webinars webpage. |
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Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Recipients |
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Medical Response and Surge Exercise (MRSE) Update and Office Hours |
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The MRSE Support Team will resume hosting monthly office hours to discuss the MRSE starting in February through June 2024. These sessions are intended to provide technical assistance and discuss any questions about MRSE planning, executing, and reporting.
As a gentle reminder, we are currently halfway through the fiscal year (FY), and FY 2023 MRSE planning should be well underway. We highly encourage recipients and sub-recipients to assist one another with planning and executing their exercise. The MRSE Support Team and Project Officers are available to assist with MRSE planning, execution, and Exercise Reporting Tool reviews.
We will be releasing a MRSE Recipient Review Guide to aid recipients in their final review of MRSE Tools before HCC submission to the Coalition Assessment Tool. The guide will be published on the MRSE web page in the coming weeks.
Please submit any questions that you may have to your Project Officer or the MRSE mailbox. You may also request a one-on-one session with the MRSE Support Team by emailing the MRSE mailbox.
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To access the MRSE Situation Manual, Evaluation Plan, Fact Sheet, and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the MRSE web page on the ASPR website: Health Care Medical Response and Surge Exercise
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To access and submit the MRSE Exercise Planning and Evaluation Tool and the Real-World Incident Reporting and Evaluation Tool, please visit the Coalition Assessment Tool
The next MRSE Office Hours session is scheduled for Thursday, February 22 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET.
During this session, the support team will walk through the MRSE Recipient Review Guide which aids recipients in their final review of MRSE Tools before health care coalition (HCC) submission to the Coalition Assessment Tool. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the MRSE.
Note that registration is required. After registering here, you will receive an email with a link to join the meeting and a Zoom invite to add to your calendar.
Please submit questions to the MRSE mailbox prior to the scheduled office hours session to assist the MRSE Support Team in tailoring the discussion to certain topics of interest. You may also request a one-on-one session with the MRSE Support Team by emailing the MRSE mailbox. |
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HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds |
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The HHS/ASPR Project ECHO Clinical Readiness Rounds focus on sharing clinical challenges and successes in preparing for and responding to disasters from all threats. This program designed to create peer-to-peer learning networks where clinicians who have more experience treating patients in emergency situations share their challenges and successes with clinicians across the U.S. and around the world with a wide variety of experience of these situations. Topics for sessions are based on new and emergent information around emergency preparedness, as well as topics requested by participants.
Sessions occur every other Tuesday from 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET. The next session is on March 5. |
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Upcoming Trainings and Webinars |
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Host |
Event |
Event Details |
National Association of County
and City Health Officials (NACCHO) |
Protecting Infants from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Update on New Prevention Strategies and Real-World Evidence
The webinar will provide an update on RSV prevention strategies, gain feedback to help prepare for next RSV season, and share recently published real world evidence for Nirsevimab. |
Wednesday, February 21
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
NACCHO |
Using Environmental Health Data to Inform Pool Regulatory Efforts in the City of Long Beach, California
Attend this webinar to learn about the City of Long Beach’s results to date and lessons learned along the way for other health departments looking to utilize environmental health data to evaluate an intervention conducted for lower-compliance public pools and spas. |
Thursday, February 22
1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) |
Integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes into Practice: Benefits, Challenges, and Recommendations for Action
AHRQ will host a presentation where an expert panel of speakers will share their research findings on how best to use patient-reported outcomes
(PROs) for patients with varying health conditions and how to scale and spread PRO use within health systems thereby overcoming the factors that hinder their usage. |
Tuesday, February 27
3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals |
Annual Conference
Topics include real-life case studies of hospital disaster responses, lessons learned, leadership training, approaches to building health care emergency management resiliency, strategies for health care facilities to enhance medical surge capacity, and more. |
February 27 - 28
Frisco, Texas
Registration Information |
NACCHO |
Preparedness Summit
The Summit will provide an opportunity for sectors to come together, align missions, and discover better ways to work as true partners to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. |
March 25 - 28
Cleveland, Ohio
Registration Information |
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UMTB) Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, and Education (SPECTRE) |
Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists
Join UTMB SPECTRE for a symposium on tropical and emerging infectious diseases for the clinician and translational investigator. The symposium will feature expert-led interactive sessions and tours of UTMB's high-containment Galveston National Lab and Biocontainment Unit. |
April 9 - 12
Galveston, Texas
Registration Information |
Cedars-Sinai Health System |
2024 Cedars-Sinai Special Pathogens Symposium
The intent of the special pathogens symposium is to provide education regarding hospital preparedness for high-consequence infectious diseases to health care professionals in Health and Human Services (HHS) Region IX frontline, assessment and treatment facilities. |
Monday, April 29
Los Angeles, California
Registration Information |
Public Health Law Practitioners |
Empowering Public Health Through Law and Policy
This event will provide professionals from state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions with firsthand knowledge from fellow public health leaders, attorneys, policy professionals, and practitioners on how to positively impact their community’s health and wellbeing. |
April 30 - May 2
New Orleans, Louisiana
Registration Information |
NACCHO |
Health Care Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Summit
The Summit provides participants the opportunity to connect, share valuable insights, and explore innovative approaches between public health, healthcare, and community partner networks to advance the implementation of IPC in healthcare settings. |
May 7 - 9
Chicago, Illinois
Conference Information | |
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ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) Resource Spotlight: Disaster Behavioral Health, Resources at Your Fingertips |
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This updated document
provides links to select disaster behavioral health resources that can help emergency health care providers, emergency management stakeholders, and other professionals and survivors affected by naturally-occurring or human-caused incidents. |
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HHS Launches Postpartum Maternal Health Collaborative |
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This new collaborative seeks to bring together state experts, local providers, community partners, and federal experts to develop a better understanding of the challenges being experienced among the postpartum population and support new solutions that will improve postpartum mortality. In conjunction with this new HHS collaborative, the National Governors Association launched their Improving Maternal and Child Health in Rural America State and Territory Policy Learning Collaborative. This new initiative will focus on implementing policy changes to improve maternal and child health outcomes in rural America.
Read the full press release from HHS. |
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates Respiratory Disease Season Outlook Webpage |
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CDC recently updated the Respiratory Disease Season Outlook webpage. CDC anticipates that total hospitalizations for COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will decline but remain elevated into February. No further updates are likely for the 2023-2024 season. |
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CDC Launches New Ads to Encourage People to Quit Smoking |
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CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign returns with new ads and resources to encourage people to quit smoking. This year, seven new people are featured in the ads sharing their stories about how cigarette smoking and smoking-related diseases have negatively impacted their lives. Many of this year’s new ads include messaging about the harms of menthol cigarettes, which can contribute to tobacco-related health disparities. Menthol in cigarettes can make it easier to start smoking and harder to quit.
Read the full press release at CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® Launches New Ads to Encourage People to Quit Smoking. |
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Issues Additional Guidance on Program to Allow People with Medicare to Pay Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs in Monthly Payments |
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“Too many seniors and people with disabilities can’t afford to fill their prescriptions at the pharmacy – and that is unacceptable. Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, certain Medicare patients will be able to spread their costs across smaller, monthly payments,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “In addition to adding flexibility through a payment plan, the law cuts drug costs through provisions such as caps on out-of-pocket costs and the cost of insulin, and a mandate on drug companies to pay a rebate to Medicare if they raise prices faster than inflation. We are committed to ensuring that all people – including people with Medicare – receive the
care they deserve at a cost they can afford.”
Read the full press release from CMS. |
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Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Partners with BioFire Defense to Develop Improved Influenza Diagnostic |
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BARDA awarded BioFire Defense, LLC, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a $13 million contract for the next development stages of the Emerging Flu Panel, designed as a diagnostic test to identify and distinguish between influenza A and B, and novel, emerging influenza viruses.
Read the full press release from BARDA.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Caring for Others, Resources for Caregivers from the FDA's Office of Women's Health |
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Caregiving is the act of providing support for someone with a chronic illness, injury, disability or age-related needs. Taking care of family and friends is a normal part of every day for most women. It can be fun and rewarding to spend time with those who need you. It can also present you with new challenges.
FDA has resources to help you keep you and your loved ones as healthy as they can be. |
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National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) Expert Dr. Syra Madad Joins the Remedy Podcast |
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NETEC expert Dr. Syra Madad joined the Remedy podcast from the NYC Health + Hospitals System to discuss how the emergency management team at NYC Health + Hospitals is preparing for the next pandemic.
Listen to the full podcast episode from NYC Health + Hospitals. |
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National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Updates Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Cybersecurity Resource Guide |
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NIST released updated guidance
to help HIPAA-covered entities and business associates assess and manage cybersecurity risks to electronic protected health information and comply with the HIPAA security rule. HHS' Office for Civil Rights collaborated with NIST on the guidance, last updated in 2008, which identifies activities that a regulated entity might consider implementing as part of an information security program and resources to help in complying with the HIPAA security rule. |
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American Medical Association (AMA): How Do You Boost Chronic Care at Home, Call in the Geeks |
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For a patient with a chronic condition who is coming home from the hospital, it can be overwhelming trying to follow discharge instructions. After a trying hospital stay, the last thing they may want to worry about is how to install a self-measured blood pressure monitor. But what if there were a way to take the guesswork out of technology installation and use? Officials at the Geisinger integrated health system believe they have found a way, and it involves partnering with a well-known name in consumer technology.
Read the full health care system profile from AMA. |
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Targeted Sanofi Launches Reservation Program for Infant Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Immunizations |
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Sanofi recently launched a reservation program for infant RSV immunizations in 2024-2025. Pediatricians will be able to reserve doses of RSV immunization nirsevimab (Beyfortus) for the 2024-2025 season. The program will apply to private purchases of the monoclonal antibody, which protects infants and high-risk toddlers from RSV.
Read the full American Academy of Pediatrics release at Sanofi launching reservation program for infant RSV immunizations in 2024-’25. |
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Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): Public Health Authority Toolkit |
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ASTHO recently developed the Public Health Authority Toolkit
to support governmental public health officials and to provide an understanding of state and territorial public health’s legal responsibility and authority in an acute or declared public health emergency. This toolkit includes evidence-based resources, examples of legislative testimony, and other resources to assist state and territorial health officials and educate the public and policymakers. State and territorial health officials are granted legal authorities to prevent and mitigate the spread of infectious disease and other health threats. These mechanisms are available in day-to-day operations to prevent, detect, and contain health threats in the community, and in the event of a declared disaster or public health emergency. |
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Additional Guidance, Tools, and Reports |
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CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports |
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We Want to Hear from You!
ASPR wants to hear how your organization and/or sub-recipients are making an impact in your communities. We will use your stories to demonstrate the importance of investing in emergency preparedness and response in some of our policy and budgetary documents.
Share your organization's experience in emergency preparedness, response, or recovery by answering a few questions on our Story From the Field Submission Form.
Our team will contact you for more information, as needed, and you may see your story published on the Health Care Readiness in Action: Stories from the Field webpage. Thank you in advance for sharing! |
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Note: ASPR provides the above sources of information for the convenience of the ASPR Health Care Readiness community and is not responsible for the availability or content of the information or tools provided, nor does ASPR endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered. It is the responsibility of the user to determine the usefulness and applicability of the information provided. |
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