Pandemic Influenza Task Force Meeting: Media Preparedness

1. South Central Health District Pandemic Influenza Task Force Meeting:Media Preparedness Laurice BentleySouth Central Health District 2121-B Bellevue RdDublin GA 31021478-274-7600albentley@dhr.state.ga.us

2. Preparing for a Flu Pandemic • What will you do if a large % of your workforce becomes infected? • What impact will a pandemic have on your business and customers? • What can you do now to prepare for these events?

3. Preparedness Goals • Develop your strategy before a pandemic strikes • Evaluate/develop policies now to address issues that may arise later • Become informed about pandemic issues, and track developments

4. Business Planning • Identify a pandemic coordinator/team • Identify essential employees/critical inputs • Consider specialized customer needs • Stay informed: Obtain and update reliable pandemic information • Establish emergency communications plan • Establish continuity of operations plan

5. Business Planning (cont.) • Evaluate absence/medical leave policies • Consider health plan coverage issues • Consider workplace infection issues • Facilitate access to health care services • Financial/production issues regarding large scale disability claims/absences • Practice drills: test the response plan

6. Business Interruption Planning • Identify key vendors, suppliers and customers • Identify/develop key contacts and chains of communication • Anticipate supply/distribution chain interruptions • Anticipate travel restrictions

7. Absence/Leave Policies • Evaluate policies for employee absences, including medical leaves (FMLA and other types of leave) • Leave due to isolation or quarantine • Self-quarantine or “weather emergency days”

8. Other Absences Evaluate whether policies contemplate other sorts of absences, including those for: • essential health care workers • volunteers responding to pandemic • childcare needs forced by school closings • lack of public transportation

9. Health Plan Coverage Review health plan policies: • Coverage for vaccines? • Experimental treatments exclusion • Consider policy to pay for otherwise-excluded expenses

10. Limiting Infection at Work • Develop policies to limit exposure in the workplace • limit face-to-face contact, meetings • consider flexible schedules/worksite • Evaluate other infection control measures • hand-washing facilities • other infection control practices

11. Facilitating Treatment • Collaborate with health department and care providers to determine how treatment/vaccine should be offered • Evaluate possibility of providing on-site clinic • Determine other methods of access, including providing transportation to medical facility

12. Short- and Long-termDisability Issues • Anticipate large number of disability claims • Prepare for financial impact of mass claims (self-funded programs) • Other employee cash flow needs due to illness/inability to work

13. Other Issues for Employer • Education of workforce regarding flu issues • get/stay informed • partner with other businesses/share information • Encourage healthy behavior • stay home if ill (discourage “presenteeism”) • hand-washing, cough etiquette • other forms of infection control

14. Other Issues for Employer • Possible workplace shutdowns • Transferring work/union issues • HIPAA privacy protection for certain medical information • Employee requests for hardship withdrawals/loans from 401k plans

15. Additional Resources • Dept of Health and Human Services • Centers for Disease Control • Georgia Division of Public Health • www.pandemicflu.gov • www.cdc.gov/business 4345762