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Responding to Emergencies

Responding to Emergencies. What’s the Health Department going to do….?. An emergency requires. Visibility Quick response Accurate information Consistency Trust, credibility Titles count!. Health Dept.’s role during an emergency. W ho’s confused? Everyone! Oversight responsibilities

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Responding to Emergencies

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  1. Responding to Emergencies What’s the Health Department going to do….?

  2. An emergency requires • Visibility • Quick response • Accurate information • Consistency • Trust, credibility • Titles count!

  3. Health Dept.’s role during an emergency • Who’s confused? Everyone! • Oversight responsibilities • Role of the Health Officer • Reminder that ACPHD is de-linked from county hospital and clinics

  4. Post 9/11 The profile of health depts. rose sharply. • White powder (Anthrax) everywhere • Handling mail dilemma • Protocols for 911 responders • Addressing the sick and worried well

  5. Bioterrorism is teaching us • Scope and scale • Tapping dept. resources and beyond • The power of hoaxes • The power of hysteria

  6. Health Dept.’s role • Coordinate medical response • Link to DHS • Incident reporting • Create CD protocols for clinicians • Investigation and surveillance

  7. Our role • Ensure seamless system of care • Delineate roles and responsibilities • Acknowledge the health emergency and the criminal investigation

  8. Challenge: Multiple audiences • County residents • Hospitals • Physicians & other clinicians • County & community clinics • Community-based agencies

  9. Multiple Audiences • Elected officials • Professional groups • Internal staff • Media • Unions

  10. Information tiers • Does the public learn about emergencies before your internal staff? • Do clinicians get more information than hospital support staff (housekeeping, security)?

  11. Multiple communication mechanisms How many ways can we make contact? • For media: emails, faxes, websites, in person • For staff: newsletters, emails, websites, employee updates

  12. Multiple mechanisms • For Professional groups: list serves, conference calls • Everyone: Databases

  13. Addressed or not? • Language capacity • Needs of the disabled • Formal community linkages • Ability to tap community leaders and institutions

  14. Addressed or not? • Role of indigenous workers • Mental health needs of residents & staff • Ability to operate 24/7 • Cementing partnerships

  15. Shared knowledge We can’t handle emergencies alone. • Best practices • Lessons learned • Post mortems • Tabletop exercises • Regional collaborations

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