ASPR TRACIE Express: August 2019 Updates

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Express

August 2019

As the effects of Dorian are felt by our colleagues in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and to help our stakeholders in Florida and all along the east coast prepare, ASPR TRACIE would like to call your attention to our Hurricane Resources Page. There, you can find information on hospital and federal patient evacuation, potential public health and medical implications, and lessons learned from recent recovery efforts.

While the days may be growing slowly shorter, we know your to-do list is not. ASPR TRACIE can help! Did you miss our webinar where we highlighted our new resources and future plans? Access the recording and/or the resources we highlighted today. September is right around the cornerdont forget to follow ASPR on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn as they highlight resources throughout National Preparedness Month. As always, we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a resource to share or need technical assistance.

In this issue of The Express, we highlight new publications, upcoming events, and updates from our three domains.

New: ASPR TRACIE Disaster Behavioral Health Self Care for Healthcare Workers Modules

ASPR TRACIE has worked closely with ASPR At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health & Community Resilience (ABC) interagency/external partner working groups in every disaster recovery operation for the last four years. One continuous knowledge gap identified during this time has been the need for information for front-line healthcare and social services workers to use prior to a disaster to recognize and reduce their stress levels and maintain resilience during recovery. These modules are designed for healthcare workers in all settings, but primarily hospital-based providers. We also encourage you to check out our Disaster Behavioral Health Resources page.

New: Emergency Preparedness Information Modules for Nurses in Acute Care Settings (EPIMN)

To address the perceived gap nurses traditionally report specific to emergency preparedness and response knowledge, ASPR TRACIE partnered with Spectrum Health to develop a series of healthcare emergency preparedness information modules for nurses (EPIMN) in acute care settings. To complement this effort, we also engaged a senior health economist to construct a framework to assess the impact and outcomes associated with implementing training programs like EPIMN. This report describes the project and includes links to all related materials.

New: Partnering with the Healthcare Supply Chain to Improve Disaster Response and Healthcare Coalition Supply Chain Integrity Self-Assessment Checklist

The healthcare supply chain is complex. It supports 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. Around the world, the healthcare supply chain is confronted with countless small to large challenges every day. During disasters or catastrophic events, the healthcare 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 healthcare supply chain owners, operators, and end users, as well as insights for healthcare coalitions working with healthcare supply chain partners on preparedness, response, and recovery.

Healing After a Traumatic Incident: A Responder's Perspective

In November 2013, Ross Chávez was serving as the EMS Duty Chief for Hennepin EMS when he responded to the scene of a crash involving five children and a female driver who had lost control of her car and landed in a retention pond. All five children were in cardiac arrest when retrieved from the sunken car, although three survived. Ross shared his experience with identifying the need for and receiving mental health assistance after the incident in this new Behind the Response article (featured in Issue 4 of The Exchange).

Upcoming Events

September 23-24, 2019

The Public Health & Disasters Conference (held in West Jordan, UT) is an annual, multidisciplinary national conference that brings together professionals from public health, health care, emergency management and other disciplines involved in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies. ASPR TRACIE resources will be highlighted during this conference.

October 9-11, 2019

The 11th Annual Healthcare Preparedness Symposium (held in Galveston, TX) provides an opportunity for national collaboration and information sharing while promoting resiliency in the healthcare community.

October 13-15, 2019

The 2019 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo provides home care and hospice professionals the opportunity to network, learn from colleagues and discuss exciting new trends in home care and hospice delivery. ASPR TRACIE will be speaking on the connection between home health and hospice providers and medical surge capabilities. The ASPR TRACIE session, Disaster Preparedness Update: CMS Surveys and ASPR TRACIE's Home Care and Hospice Surge Project, is scheduled for October 15, at 2:30 PM.

November 4-6, 2019

The AHEPP Annual Conference (held in Orlando, FL) provides attendees the opportunity to learn more about research and best practices, network, and collaborate on ways to move healthcare preparedness forward. Make sure to attend our session Beyond the Response: Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Behavioral Health Needs for Healthcare Providers at 11:30 AM on November 5!

December 2-5, 2019

This years National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference is being held in Houston and will focus on how coalitions can contribute to community resilience. Our session Beyond the Response: Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Behavioral Health Needs for Healthcare Providers will be held December 3, at 11:30 AM.

Domain Updates

Technical Resources
We continue to refresh our comprehensively developed Topic Collections in the Technical Resources domain! Access the most recent versions of the Recovery Planning and Continuity of Operations/Business Continuity Planning Topic Collections today! Next in line: Emergency Operations Plans/Emergency Managementcheck back often!

Assistance Center
The Assistance Center has processed more than 5,000 technical assistance (TA) requests from a variety of stakeholders. Recently released responses to TA requests include: Joint Information Center (JIC) Resources; Hospital Reimbursement Guidance after Evacuation; Provider Licensure Portability; Cybersecurity Attack Checklists for Healthcare Facilities; Isolation/ Quarantine and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Legal Authorities; and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Job Description. Check out our summary of TA responses, and please reach out if you need assistance.

Information Exchange
More than 6,300 of your colleagues use the Information Exchange (IE)do you? Register now to join the conversation and learn more about setting up private topic areas. Need help navigating the IE? Check out this short how-to video.