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Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter [March 13, 2009]
The March 13, 2009 edition of The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter presents articles on a number of topics, including prisoners admitting planning of 9/11 attacks; number of people on U.S. Terrorist watchlist; indefinite detention of legal residents; Sandia Lab mapping of cyber-attacks; Fusion Center Conference in Kansas City, MO; U.S. Pandemic flu preparedness; and other HS related International, Federal, State and Local news.
Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute
2009-03-13
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Webinar: Top Threats to Public Health and Homeland Security
"This webinar presents an overall assessment of the top public health threats facing the states. Public health threats-like anthrax, pandemic flu, and food borne illness-pose a great risk not just to the public health community, but across state government as well. The webinar discusses the implications of public health incidents for the greater preparedness community in the state and explains the partnerships formed at the local level to respond to public health events." Several presentations are linked, including: Introduction by RADM Craig Vanderwagen; "Local Public Health Tools and Capabilities for Response" by Dr. Michael Caldwell; "Threats to Public Health Security--A State Health Official's Perspective" by Dr. Mark Horton; and "A Case for Public Health Preparedness" by Dr. Scott Lillibridge. Also linked are audio and video resources for this online seminar.
National Governors' Association. Center for Best Practices
2009-03-13
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Hospital Shelter in Place Planning Checklist
"Hospitals are required to incorporate Shelter in Place (SIP) planning into their Emergency Management Program (EMP). Sheltering in place is a rapid and effective means of protecting facility occupants from an external or internal threat. In some circumstances, the external environment could pose a significant danger to patients, staff and visitors (for example, chemical, biological or nuclear event). In others, community infrastructure damage and/or limitations and a lack of timely evacuation support resources may make immediate evacuation impossible (for example, earthquake, wildfire, flood). It is not the intent of this document to address every aspect of SIP planning, but to prompt the development and documentation of criteria, critical decision-making factors, and SIP plans. SIP planning should be addressed in mitigation strategies, preparedness activities, and response and recovery plans."
California Hospital Association
2009-03-06
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Developing Your Closed Point of Dispensing (POD) Guidance Manual [presentation]
This document is an overview presentation on 'Developing Your Closed Point of Dispensing (POD) Guidance Manual'. From the Document: "This toolkit provides you with the background and the materials to become a CLOSED Point of Dispensing (POD). The toolkit will answer key questions about what it takes to become a CLOSED POD, allowing your organization to fully develop such a program jointly with your local public health agency. The materials of this toolkit are not a substitute for a complete CLOSED POD plan, and only provide reference documents to help you begin the planning process. Work with your local public health agency to develop a plan that's just right for you."
Mecklenburg County (N.C.). Health Department
Kennedy, Bobby
2009-03-05
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Legal Authorities for Isolation and Quarantine
"Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of disease. Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis. Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease. Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected. In addition to serving as medical functions, isolation and quarantine also are 'police power' functions, derived from the right of the state to take action affecting individuals for the benefit of society."
National Center for Infectious Diseases (U.S.). Division of Global Migration and Quarantine
2009-03
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Airtightness Evaluation of Shelter-in-Place Spaces for Protection against Airborne Chemical and Biological Releases
"Due to concerns about potential airborne chemical and biological (chembio) releases in or near buildings, building owners and managers and other decision makers are faced with a number of options for increasing their buildings' level of protection against such events. A wide range of technologies and approaches is being proposed with varying levels of efficacy and cost, as well as varying degrees of applicability to any particular building. In particular, shelter-in-place (SIP) has been proposed as a strategy to protect building occupants from chembio releases, particularly outdoor releases. SIP strategies involve having the building occupants stay in the building, generally in a space designated for such sheltering, until the event is over, the outdoor contaminant levels have decreased, and it is safe to leave the building. SIP is often considered as an alternative to building evacuation under conditions where the outdoor exposure is likely to be higher than the exposure in the shelter. While much guidance is available on the implementation of SIP in buildings, important technical issues remain about the degree of protection provided by a particular space and the factors that determine the level of protection. This project has consisted of the following tasks: conducting a literature review of SIP strategies and performance issues; developing a study plan for testing SIP airtightness evaluation methods; implementing the study plan through a combination of experiments and simulations; and, finally, developing recommendations on SIP evaluation and possible performance criteria for candidate SIP spaces."
National Homeland Security Research Center (U.S.)
Persily, Andrew K.; Emmerich, Steven J.; Davis, Heather L. . . .
2009-03
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Shelter-In-Place: Indoor Exposure Assessment During an Airborne Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Event
From the thesis abstract: "The goal of Shelter-In-Place (SIP) is to reduce human exposure to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents in the event of an accidental or intentional airborne release into the outdoor environment. The Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineering (BE) career field is responsible for providing hazard identification, evaluation, and control capabilities as well as executing health risk assessments to recommend appropriate courses of action to commanders pre-, trans-, and post-incident. Specifically, BE is responsible for providing sampling, identification, and quantification input to hazard prediction models and supporting evacuation plan development to provide risk-based control recommendations. This also includes providing exposure and contamination control recommendations for sheltered populations. A Gaussian plume model combined with indoor box model was used to test the consequences associated with the delay of implementing SIP procedures. It is imperative that emergency planners pre-plan the installation SIP protocol for likely scenarios identified during the various vulnerability surveys conducted for both on- and off-installation. The decision to shelter-in-place must be made immediately in order to reduce the exposure and depending on scenario, a delay greater than one minute can significantly increase the exposure resulting in additional casualties presenting at the local medical treatment facility."
Air Force Institute of Technology (U.S.)
Schmidtgoessling, Robert D.
2009-03
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Guam Memorial Hospital Authority Pandemic Flu Plan
"An influenza pandemic will create significant challenges for our hospital. The number of children and adults seeking care for febrile and respiratory illnesses will increase substantially; some disease will be severe requiring inpatient care; and many of those infected will have underlying risk factors for adverse outcome including death. Influenza also will occur among health care workers and their family members resulting in shortages of trained staff to care for others. Physical resources, such as hospital beds and respiratory therapy equipment may not be sufficient to meet demand. Shortages of antiviral medications and vaccine will limit the ability to implement these preventive interventions. And large numbers of influenza-infected patients and staff shortages will stress the ability to implement good infection control in the hospital, leading to nosocomial disease; further exacerbating the problem. Although these stresses on our hospital are inevitable in an influenza pandemic, coordination, planning and exercising preparedness plans can improve the effectiveness of a pandemic response and limit mortality and morbidity."
Guam Memorial Hospital Authority
2009-03
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London Regional Resilience Flu Pandemic Response Plan: Special Arrangements for Dealing with Pandemic Influenza in London [Version 4]
"The Government judges that one of the highest current risks to the UK is the possible emergence of a human influenza pandemic--that is, the rapid worldwide spread of influenza caused by a novel virus to which people would have no immunity, resulting in serious harm to human health, and wider social and economic damage and disruption. In 2005, the Cabinet Office required Regional Resilience Forums to oversee the development of individual and multi-agency resilience and response plans for a potential influenza pandemic. The London Regional Resilience Flu Pandemic Response Plan was first approved at the May 2006 meeting of the London Regional Resilience Forum (LRRF)." Two later versions of the plan incorporated lessons learned during Exercise Winter Willow, "the largest ever civil contingency exercise to have been conducted in the UK," and recommendations and guidance from the Department of Health (DH) and Cabinet Office (CO). Version 4 of the London Regional Resilience Flu Pandemic Response Plan "follows a national review of multi-agency pandemic planning undertaken by the Cabinet Office in early 2008, and incorporates the recommendations of that review. It aims to provide the agencies that make up the London Resilience Partnership with a strategic framework to support their integrated preparedness and response to pandemic influenza. This document will inform and support the development of local and organisational responses that are appropriate to local circumstances and sufficiently consistent to ensure a robust regional response to pandemic influenza. The document summarises key plans, guidance and procedures to allow a comprehensive overview of London's co-ordinated planning and response arrangements for human pandemic influenza."
London Resilience Partnership
2009-03
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Threats to Public Health Security - A State Public Health Official's Perspective
This presentation was developed by Mark B. Horton, Director of the California Department of Public Health, as part of a March 2009 webinar on the top threats to public health and homeland security. The presentation includes an overview of the public health threats and 15 national planning scenarios representing a range of potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters. It also reviews the role of state public health in public health security, categories of bioterrorism agents, the potential impact of pandemic flu, and current challenges and opportunities for public health preparedness.
California. Department of Public Health; National Governors' Association. Center for Best Practices
Horton, Mark
2009-02-18
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LLIS Lessons Learned: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Establishing Clear Guidance for School Closure
State public health and education departments should collaborate to establish clear plans and policy guidance regarding school closure recommendations during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)
2009-02-13?
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LLIS Lesson Learned: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Alternate Care Site Roles and Responsibilities
State public health departments should engage hospital and mass care partners to clarify roles and responsibilities for establishing and operating alternate care sites during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)
2009-02-13?
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Public Health and Medical Preparedness and Response: Issues in the 111th Congress [February 10, 2009]
"Key recent events--the 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about an influenza ('flu') pandemic, among others--sharpened congressional interest in the nation's systems to track and respond to public health threats. The 109th Congress passed several laws that established, reorganized, or reauthorized key public health and medical preparedness and response programs in the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS). The 110th Congress was engaged in oversight of the implementation of these laws, focused in particular on such matters as (1) the fitness of HHS and DHS--in terms of authority, funding, policies, and workforce--to respond to health emergencies; (2) the effectiveness of coordination among them and other federal agencies; and (3) the status of major initiatives such as pandemic flu preparedness and disaster planning for at-risk populations. The 111th Congress is likely to remain engaged in oversight of the nation's readiness for health threats. [...]. The 111th Congress may review HHS's disaster response capabilities, including its authority to declare a public health emergency and the means to fund its response efforts. [...]. At this time, there is no federal assistance program designed purposefully to cover the uncompensated or uninsured health care costs for disaster victims. The 111th Congress may reconsider earlier proposals to provide such assistance under certain circumstances. [...]. This report summarizes key issues in domestic public health and medical preparedness and response, citing other CRS Reports and sources of additional information."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lister, Sarah A.
2009-02-10
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After Action Report of Interrelationships Between Response Organizations During SARS Attack Exercise of November 5, 2008
"On November 5, 2008, a large scale functional exercise named SARS Attacks was conducted by many metro Portland, Oregon, hospitals, a local public health incident command organization, emergency management operations centers at the city, county, and state levels, and a state health agency operation center. The scenario was an outbreak of a highly contagious and serious disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, occurring during an influenza epidemic. Each organization was encouraged to draft an AAR/IP specific to their unique objectives and internal processes. This AAR addresses the interrelationships between organizations relative to common objectives. (1) Resource ordering. Clear resource ordering processes, flow of information, and ordering points for each response organization are identified and working well. (2) Allocation of resources. Orders of scarce resources are filled according to properly made allocation decisions, e.g. by a IC/UC for its operations, an AC for its IC/UCs, or a MAC group for broader application. (3) Situational Awareness. Information is rapidly shared between response organizations and displayed at suitable levels of detail at each organization. Response actions are monitored (operations reports, field observers), communicated to ICP, reflected on situation display, analyzed, and applied to adjustments to current and/or next period's operations. (4) Command, Control, Support, Coordination Relationships between activated response organizations are clear, agreed upon, and operate as an efficient system. (5) Tactical Communications between activated response organizations are efficient and effective."
United States. Office of Emergency Preparedness
2009-02-04
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Alabama's Pandemic Influenza Operational Plan
This document provides basic planning assumptions and operating objectives during a pandemic influenza event in Alabama.
Alabama. Department of Public Health
2009-02-03
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Great Lakes Border Health Initiative: Infectious Disease Emergency Communications Guideline
"This document has been prepared as a component of the Great Lakes Border Health Initiative, a cooperative endeavor between the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long‐Term Care and bordering U.S. state health departments, to enhance early warning infectious disease surveillance at our international borders.
The purpose of this document is to create a tool to categorize emergency vs. non‐emergency public health events and to pre‐determine preferred routes of communications for such events involving the public health partners listed above."
New York (State). Department of Health; Minnesota. Department of Health; Michigan. Department of Community Health . . .
2009-02
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News from NACCHO: Mass Fatality Planning for Pandemic Influenza: A Planning Model from a Seven-County Region in Kentucky
Within Kentucky, the responsibility for pandemic influenza preparedness and response lies heavily on public health. Angela Woosley, a regional public health preparedness coordinator in Kentucky, called upon the cooperation and expertise of coroners, the medical examiner, local funeral home directors, emergency management, hospitals, academia, the healthcare community and professional associations to develop a unique Natural Death Surge Plan for Catastrophic Public Health Emergencies' for western Kentucky. This plan would be activated if the mortuary capacity in Region 3 were overwhelmed by an influenza pandemic or other long-term catastrophic mass fatality event.
National Association of County & City Health Officials (U.S.)
Johnson, Victoria A.
2009-01-16?
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DPH Pandemic Influenza Spring Exercise: May 12-13, 2008: After Action Report [San Francisco, California]
From the Lessons Learned Information Sharing abstract: "On May 13, 2008, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) participated in the Pandemic Influenza Spring Exercise to test the ability of DPH staff to make infection control and other recommendations while facing shortages in infection control supplies and staffing, and communication between the Infections Disease Emergencies, Response, area hospitals and the DPH Departmental Operating Center. This after-action report analyzes exercise results, identifies strengths to be maintained and built upon as well as potential areas for improvement, and supports the development of corrective actions."
San Francisco (Calif.). Department of Public Health
2009-01-09
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Public Health and Medical Preparedness and Response: Issues in the 111th Congress [February 25, 2009]
"Key recent events-the 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about an influenza ("flu") pandemic, among others-sharpened congressional interest in the nation's systems to track and respond to public health threats." This report addresses public health and medical preparedness and response issues facing the 111th Congress and its proposed efforts in the oversight of the nation's readiness for health threats. Included in this report are laws and engagements passed by the 109th and 110th Congress; the progress and implementation of such programs, and consideration of proposals in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the economic stimulus proposal) to enhance funding for the development of medical countermeasures (e.g., drugs and vaccines), and for pandemic flu preparedness. "At this time, there is no federal assistance program designed purposefully to cover the uncompensated or uninsured health care costs for disaster victims. The 111th Congress may reconsider earlier proposals to provide such assistance under certain circumstances."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lister, Sarah A.
2009
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Pandemic Influenza and Complex Adaptive System of Systems (CASoS) Engineering
From the Abstract: "I present the story of my and colleagues' involvement in formulating the US's policy for mitigating pandemic influenza that culminated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's issuance of Interim Pre-Pandemic Planning Guidance in February 2007. Modeling lies at the heart of this formulation, but interaction, drive, serendipity, hard work, and advocacy for the use of models to select robust policy in the face of great uncertainty were required for its actualization. Reflecting on this entire process, and others in which high impact influence has been achieved, has led myself and colleagues to the recognition that nearly all the systems we wish to influence can be categorized as Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems or CASoS and that our field of endeavor is CASoS Engineering."
Sandia National Laboratories
Glass, Robert J.
2009?
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State and Local Pandemic Preparedness: Hearing Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, May 20, 2009
From the opening statement of Edolphus Towns: "Today's hearing will look at the ability of States and local communities to maintain an appropriate level of readiness to respond to a pandemic flu, and how federal authorities can assist them in mounting a sustained and effective response to a pandemic striking the United States. [...]. Current events remind us that a pandemic can strike at any time, and with little warning. Our communities need to stay ready to respond to such a threat. I am hopeful that this hearing will shed light on exactly how prepared we are to respond to a pandemic at the State and local level. I am also hopeful that our witnesses will help us discover what we all can do -not just the federal government - to make sure our communities are ready to handle what Mother Nature dishes out." Member statements and witness testimony include that of Edolphus Towns, Daniel M. Sosin, Guthrie Birkhead, Rex Archer, Terry Allan, and Paul Jarris.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (2007-)
2009
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Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers [2009]
"The goal of this document is to help healthcare workers and employers prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. The guidance document is organized into four major sections: 1) Clinical background information on influenza 2) Infection control 3) Pandemic influenza preparedness 3) OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] standards of special importance Given the technical nature and breadth of information available in the document, each section has been subdivided (see Table of Contents) in order to allow readers to quickly focus on areas of interest. The document also contains appendices which provide pandemic planners with samples of infection control plans, examples of practical pandemic planning tools and additional technical information. Topic areas include Internet resources, communication tools, sample infection control programs, selftriage and home care resources, diagnosis and treatment of staff during a pandemic, planning and supply checklists and risk communication. This educational material has been provided for informational purposes only and should be used in conjunction with the entire document in order to ensure that healthcare workers are adequately protected during a pandemic. OSHA does not recommend one option over the many effective alternatives that exist."
United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
2009
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Hospital 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Readiness Review Checklist
"Hospitals have planned for an influenza pandemic for several years, but thus far the characteristics of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic are different than the high-severity pandemic that had been anticipated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) have developed this Readiness Review Checklist as a supplement to existing hospital emergency management plans. This list focuses on information hospitals can use in response to a surge in H1N1 and seasonal flu patients rather than the basic planning and regulatory considerations included in earlier checklists."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
2009
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FEMA Disaster Assistance Fact Sheet: Pandemic Influenza
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in cooperation and coordination with various State and Federal agencies, is prepared to take appropriate and authorized action in response to requests for Federal assistance through the Stafford Act as a result of a pandemic influenza. […] In order to assist States in assessing impacts and evaluating the need for Federal assistance in a pandemic influenza, FEMA has developed these guidelines for requesting Stafford Act assistance from the Federal Government."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2009
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Foodborne Active Disease Surveillance Network (FoodNet) 2006 Surveillance Report
"The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is the principal foodborne disease component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Emerging Infections Program (EIP). FoodNet is a collaborative project among CDC, ten state health departments, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Center for Veterinary Medication (CVM) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FoodNet is an active sentinel surveillance network designed to produce stable and accurate national estimates of the burden and sources of foodborne diseases in the United States through active surveillance and additional studies. This enhanced surveillance and investigation conducted by FoodNet are integral to developing and evaluating new prevention and control strategies to improve the safety of our food and the public's health. In 2006, the FoodNet surveillance area included 45.5 million persons, or 15.2% of the United States population. FoodNet ascertained 17,432 laboratory-confirmed infections of Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, STEC non-O157, Vibrio and Yersinia. Most infections were due to Salmonella (38%) or Campylobacter (33%). Infections were approximately equally distributed between genders, and, for many pathogens, the highest risk of reported infection occurred among children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2009
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Foodborne Active Disease Surveillance Network (FoodNet) Surveillance Report, 2007
"The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is the principal foodborne disease component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Emerging Infections Program (EIP). FoodNet is a collaborative project among CDC, ten state health departments, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Center for Veterinary Medication (CVM) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FoodNet is an active sentinel surveillance network designed to produce stable and accurate national estimates of the burden and sources of foodborne diseases in the United States through active surveillance and additional studies. This enhanced surveillance and investigation conducted by FoodNet are integral to developing and evaluating new prevention and control strategies to improve the safety of our food and the public's health. In 2007, the FoodNet surveillance area included 45.9 million persons, or 15.2% of the United States population. FoodNet ascertained 18,039 laboratory-confirmed infections of Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, STEC non-O157, Vibrio and Yersinia. Most infections were due to Salmonella (38%) or Campylobacter (33%). Infections were equally distributed between genders, and the highest incidence of infection with many pathogens occurred among children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2009
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Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response: A WHO Guidance Document
"The information and recommendations contained in this guidance is the product of expert opinion, derived from several international consultations which included examination of available information and modeling studies, input from public health experts on lessons learned from SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] and both animal and human influenza responses, and consolidation of recommendations in existing WHO [World Health Organization] guidance. This guidance was subject to an extensive public review. All external experts and contributors for all meetings and consultations, including those in the public review, have signed a declaration of interest statement in accordance with WHO policy. A small number of participants indicated a conflict of interest. However it was deemed by the working group that these declarations were not sufficient in conflict with the recommendations, to exclude them from the guidance development process. The declarations of interest are available upon request. For more information on the revision process, see Annex 2. The Global Influenza Programme will revise this guidance in 2014, or sooner in the event of significant developments which impact pandemic preparedness and response planning."
World Health Organization
2009
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Limiting the Impact of Pandemic Influenza through Community-Level Actions
"Influenza pandemics are rare but recurring events. Ten pandemics have been recorded over the last 300 years, with starting points ranging from 10 to 49 years apart. In the 20th century, pandemics occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968. Considered one of the deadliest disease events in human history, the 'Spanish influenza' in 1918 claimed more than 40 million people worldwide. By any calculation, that outbreak killed more people in a year than the Black Death of the Middle Ages killed in a century; it killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years."
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
2009
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Health Care Workers in Peril: Preparing to Protect Worker Health and Safety During Pandemic Influenza
"An influenza pandemic is projected to have a global impact requiring a sustained, large-scale response from the healthcare community to provide care to sick patients. Healthcare workers will be at very high risk of becoming infected when caring for patients with pandemic flu unless adequate health and safety measures are in place, in advance of the pandemic, that will protect them. There is no existing comprehensive federal OSHA standard with mandatory and enforceable provisions that require planning and preparation designed to protect healthcare workers from exposures to pandemic influenza. Nevertheless, it is essential that workplaces plan and prepare for safety and health issues before the flu arrives. In an effort to assess the extent of employer efforts in planning adequate safety and health measures for healthcare workers, a group of unions developed a 'pandemic flu preparedness survey' to assess the level of preparedness on a facility basis. The survey was distributed to union leaders across the country who represent healthcare workers in unionized facilities. One hundred four (104) facility surveys were collected by six unions in fourteen states. The results of the survey indicate that health care facilities have made some progress in preparing for an influenza pandemic but much more needs to be done. More than one-third of the respondents believe their workplace is either not ready or only slightly ready to address the health and safety needs necessary to protect healthcare workers during a pandemic."
AFSCME
2009
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Broadcasting Flu Messages -- Citywide Transmission and Community Reception: An Evaluation of Ready New York's Pandemic Influence Outreach Campaign
From the Executive Summary: "Public health risk communication is a central feature of New York City's pandemic flu preparedness plan. Particularly in the early stages of a pandemic, before effective therapeutic measures are available, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, personal protective hygiene, and voluntary isolation are critical strategies for suppressing the spread of a novel viral strain. New York City health and emergency management officials have decided to use the city's risk communication structure - the Office of Emergency Management's Ready New York outreach and dissemination capacities - as one of the primary means to communicate pandemic flu health messages. In October 2008, NCDP [National Center for Disaster Preparedness] contracted with Public Health Solutions and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to evaluate the reach and effectiveness of its planned Ready NY [New York] Pandemic Flu community outreach campaign."
National Center for Disaster Preparedness; Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health
Abramson, David M. (David Michael), 1958-; Walsh, Lauren; Sury, Jonathan . . .
2009
