Public Health and Healthcare (Bio)Terrorism Preparedness and Response Program

Iowa Department of Public HealthDivision of Epidemiology, EMS

and Disaster Operations

Sharon Cook, BS, RDH

A Look BackOctober 2001 - New Office created - Division of Epidemiology, EMS, and Disaster Operations (2003 Legislature)

April 2002 - Department of Health and Human Services Funding 12.8M- CDC public health = 11.5M- HRSA healthcare/EMS = 1.3M

A Look BackJune 2002 – Iowa’s First Public Health Congress99 counties (BOH)Allocation of Local Public Health fundsBuild planning regions & governance

A Look Back

Disaster/Terrorism Committees

6 Bio-terrorism Planning Regions

August 2003 – 18M funding for public health and healthcare- CDC public health = 12.6M- HRSA healthcare/EMS = 5.4M

Mission

To provide a statewide, effective and sustainable program of public health and healthcare disaster/terrorism services across organizational boundaries of all stakeholders that is fully integrated into Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Plan.

PartnershipsHealthcareEmergency Medical ServicesPublic HealthLaboratoriesFire ServiceHazmatLaw EnforcementHomeland Security and Emergency ManagementState AgenciesFederal Agencies

Iowa (Bio)terrorism CommitteesCDC (public health) & HRSA (healthcare)Bioterrorism Regional Steering CommitteesIA-DMAT (disaster medical assistance teams)SNS (strategic national stockpile)HAN (health alert network) and communicationsLaboratory

Iowa (Bio)terrorism Planning Regions

Structure

Why Regional Planning?• Required by Grants

• Opportunity to identify and integrate resource capacities and capability

• Bring multiple response partners together

• Build upon existing county emergency response infrastructure

• Develop a regional response plan, ensuring integration into state Homeland Security and Emergency Plan

(Bio)terrorism Regional Steering Committees

HRSA (healthcare)All Hospitals x2EMS (career & volunteer)Emergency ManagementPublic Health Community Health CentersIndian Health Services

CDC (public health)All county public health HospitalsEMSEmergency ManagementCommunity Health CentersIndian Health Services

The System = Partnerships

County “All Hazard Plan”

Emergency Management

State Emergency Plan

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Regional Public Health and Healthcare Bioterrorism

Preparedness and Response Program

Local Authority

State Authority

Resource

Capacity

Capabilities

Incident

Federal

State Emergency Response Plan

Follows incident management systemDefines what each department is tasked with doing in the event of a disasterUses a “multi-hazard” approach to planning

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Plan

IDPH Serves as LEAD agency for 4 annexes:

1. Medical Services2. Public Health3. Radiological Health4. Mass Fatalities

Comprehensive Bio-Emergency Planning

SmallpoxWNVSNS

Bio-Emergency Response Plan TemplateSARS Response Plan

Iowa Accomplishments99 local public health bioemergency plans24/7 duty officer call system with 800 numberRegional capacity and resource sharing plansComprehensive needs assessmentPublic health disaster legislationSNS plan and full scale exercise

Purchased and equipped all hospitals with portable decontamination showers and PPEUHL connection with sentinel labs 99% high speed internet connection HAN, 24/7 emergency contactsRegional epidemiology program

Iowa AccomplishmentsRisk communication training in each regionFive volunteer disaster medical assistance teamsEnvironmental sampling teams and kitsComprehensive survey of level a and b laboratoriesLaboratory response planSecurity plan for information systemsPIO go kits

Learning management systemEMS start triage programRegional tabletop scenariosEstablished redundant communication system with all hospitals with 800 mHz radiosIdentified mass dispensing/vaccination sites in all counties

Iowa Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (IA-DMAT)

Volunteer force of medical, public health and environmental health professionals

No pay, but receive legal protections as state employees while deployed to a disaster site

IA-DMAT

Five sponsoring hospitalsNot an employee of the hospitalAdministration and equipment role

On-call every five months

IA-DMAT: Iowans Helping Iowans A state resource, in the event of a disaster that overwhelms local medical capabilities

IA-DMATs do not leave IowaWork in austere conditions or in a hospital

ChallengesTransforming public health and healthcareBudget deficits and workforce shortagesCommitment to sustain support and funding to build our system of emergency preparedness and responseMaintaining the momentum to continue with preparedness and response activities