scholarly journals Description of the Use of the Incident Command System Among Public Health Agencies Responding to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-881
Author(s):  
Sarah Elizabeth Scales ◽  
◽  
Roxanna Fouladi ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
Health Agencies

The utilization of Incident Command Systems (ICS) and Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in public health emergency and disaster response are cornerstones of the capabilities prescribed for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP). To assess the use of ICS and EOCs by public health agencies during the COVID-19 response, we conducted a content analysis of online materials available from 62 health departments funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for PHEP. Bivariate associations between evidence of ICS utilization in COVID response were assessed using relative risk regression. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported. 58% (36 of 62) of PHEP grantees had accessible information regarding the use of ICS in COVID-19 public health response. PHEP grantees with online information about PHEP, Hospital Preparedness Program linkages, public health seats at state or jurisdictional EOCs, exercises, and ICS generally were more likely to have COVID-specific ICS information. COVID-19 has placed significant strain on the operational response capacity of public health agencies. Given that this is the most significant event in which PHEP Capabilities have been tested, both in terms of geographic spread and duration, assessment of both preparedness and response capacities is critical for recognizing strengths and addressing shortcomings to improve PHEP operations in future incidents.

The 2017 Hurricane Public Health Responses: Case Studies Illustrating the Role of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
DeAndrea Martinez ◽  
Kelcie A. Landon ◽  
Wesley McDermott ◽  
Joseph Roth ◽  
Amy Helene Schnall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Hurricane Season ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

ABSTRACT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR), Public Health Emergency Preparedness(PHEP) program funds 62 recipients to strengthen capability standards to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Recipients use these PHEP resources in addition to CDC’s administrative and scientific guidance to support preparedness and response program planning and requirements. It is expected that public health agencies develop and maintain comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plans in preparation for disasters such as hurricanes. The 2017 historic hurricane season highlighted how emergency planning and collaborative operational execution is important for public health agencies to effectively prepare for and respond to both the immediate and long-term population health consequences of these disasters. In 2017, the southeastern United States (US) and US Caribbean territories experienced 3 Category 4 or higher Atlantic hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, and Maria) within a 5-week period. This paper highlights selected case studies that illustrate the contributions and impact of jurisdictional emergency management planning and operational capacity supported by capability standards during the 2017 hurricane season. Although the magnitude of the 2017 hurricanes required public health officials to seek additional assistance, the following case studies describe the use of public health preparedness systems and recovery resources supported by the PHEP program.

scholarly journals Online information on face masks in Italian and English websites: deficiencies and responsibilities of search engines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaily Meta ◽  
Daria Ghezzi ◽  
Alessia Catalani ◽  
Tania Vanzolini ◽  
Pietro Ghezzi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
The Usa

AbstractCountries have major differences in the acceptance of face mask use for the prevention of COVID-19. We analyzed 450 webpages returned by searching the string “are face masks dangerous” in Italy, the UK and the USA using three search engines (Bing, Duckduckgo and Google). The majority (64-79%) were pages from news outlets, with few (2-6%) pages from government and public health agencies. Webpages with a positive stance on masks were more frequent in English (50%) than in Italian (36%), and those with a negative stance were more frequent in Italian (28% vs. 19% in English). Google returned the highest number of mask-positive pages and Duckduckgo the lowest. Google also returned the lowest number of pages mentioning conspiracy theories and Duckduckgo the highest. Webpages in Italian scored lower than those in English in transparency (reporting authors, their credentials and backing the information with references). When issues about the use of face masks were analyzed, mask effectiveness was the most discussed followed by hypercapnia (accumulation of carbon dioxide), contraindication in respiratory disease, and hypoxia, with issues related to their contraindications in mental health conditions and disability mentioned by very few pages. This study suggests that: 1) public health agencies should increase their web presence in providing correct information on face masks; 2) search engines should improve the information quality criteria in their ranking; 3) the public should be more informed on issues related to the use of masks and disabilities, mental health and stigma arising for those people who cannot wear masks.

All Hands on Deck: Local Public Health Agencies Leveraging the Incident Command System During Crises

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole R. Baskin ◽  
Mark Barry ◽  
Rachel E. Cohen ◽  
Coleen Condren ◽  
Sarah Crosley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Health Agencies

Mass Arsenic Poisoning and the Public Health Response in Maine

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dora A. Mills ◽  
Anthony J. Tomassoni ◽  
Lindsay A. Tallon ◽  
Kristy A. Kade ◽  
Elena S. Savoia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Arsenic Poisoning ◽  
Laboratory Services ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

AbstractCreated in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Maine's Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness within the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention undertook a major reorganization of epidemiology and laboratory services and began developing relationships with key partners and stakeholders, and a knowledgeable and skilled public health emergency preparedness workforce. In 2003, these newly implemented initiatives were tested extensively during a mass arsenic poisoning at the Gustav Adolph Lutheran Church in the rural northern community of New Sweden, Maine. This episode serves as a prominent marker of how increased preparedness capabilities, as demonstrated by the rapid identification and administration of antidotes and effective collaborations between key partners, can contribute to the management of broader public health emergencies in rural areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:319-326)

scholarly journals (A50) The Nurse as Incident Commander

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s15-s15
Author(s):  
D.J. Persell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Student Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The University

The year 2010 brought an unprecedented public health response to the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. Included in that response were colleges and universities across the globe. At universities not associated with medical centers, medical directors of student health looked to nursing faculty or nurse practitioner directors of student health for leadership. From the day novel H1N1 was formally declared a public health emergency, Arkansas State University utilized a nurse faculty member with expertise in homeland security as its Incident Commander. A portion of the nurse's time was dedicated to managing the incident. The nurse was positioned to provide guidance and lead the response with an understanding of university structures as well as business and academic continuity. From the beginning, the nurse utilized the Incident Command System to manage the response. Portions of the University's Incident Command structure were activated and Incident Command meetings were held no less than every two weeks. A tabletop exercise was developed specifically for a university setting and to give University officials practice at pandemic management. The nurse's clinical focus and pre-established relationships with disaster response and public health officials allowed critical access to important resources that the University would have otherwise gone without. She guided the University through redefining their pandemic plan, including assisting residence life in establishing alternative housing for sick students. An on-line reporting system was developed that was utilized by faculty, students, staff, and other concerned constituents. A public awareness campaign on the campus was instituted and 1,000 posters were posted around campus encouraging sick students to stay home and/or seek medical care. The World Health Organization, (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Education guidelines were monitored and implemented. Two mass-immunization clinics were held on the campus with > 7,000 immunizations provided.

scholarly journals Linking public health agencies and hospitals for improved emergency preparedness: North Carolina's public health epidemiologist program

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milissa Markiewicz ◽  
Christine A Bevc ◽  
Jennifer Hegle ◽  
Jennifer A Horney ◽  
Megan Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies

Ebola Preparedness Planning and Collaboration by Two Health Systems in Wisconsin, September to December 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Kraft Leonhardt ◽  
Megan Keuler ◽  
Nasia Safdar ◽  
Paul Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Preparedness Planning ◽  
Health Agencies

AbstractWe describe the collaborative approach used by 2 health systems in Wisconsin to plan and prepare for the threat of Ebola virus disease. This was a descriptive study of the preparedness planning, infection prevention, and collaboration with public health agencies undertaken by 2 health systems in Wisconsin between September and December 2014. The preparedness approach used by the 2 health systems relied successfully on their robust infrastructure for planning and infection prevention. In the setting of rapidly evolving guidance and unprecedented fear regarding Ebola, the 2 health systems enhanced their response through collaboration and coordination with each other and government public health agencies. Key lessons learned included the importance of a rigorous planning process, robust infection prevention practices, and coalitions between public and private health sectors. The potential threat of Ebola virus disease stimulated emergency preparedness in which acute care facilities played a leading role in the public health response. Leveraging the existing expertise of health systems is essential when faced with emerging infectious diseases. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:691–697)

scholarly journals Online information on face masks: analysis of websites in Italian and English returned by different search engines

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e046364
Author(s):  
Shaily Mehta ◽  
Daria Ghezzi ◽  
Alessia Catalani ◽  
Tania Vanzolini ◽  
Pietro Ghezzi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
The Usa

ObjectiveCountries have major differences in the acceptance of face mask use for the prevention of COVID-19. This work aims at studying the information online in different countries in terms of information quality and content.DesignContent analysis.MethodWe analysed 450 webpages returned by searching the string ‘are face masks dangerous’ in Italy, the UK and the USA using three search engines (Bing, Duckduckgo and Google) in August 2020. The type of website and the stance about masks were assessed by two raters for each language and inter-rater agreement reported as Cohen’s kappa. The text of the webpages was collected from the web using WebBootCaT and analysed using a corpus analysis software to identify issues mentioned.ResultsMost pages were news outlets, and few (2%–6%) from public health agencies. Webpages with a negative stance on masks were more frequent in Italian (28%) than English (19%). Google returned the highest number of mask-positive pages and Duckduckgo the lowest. Google also returned the lowest number of pages mentioning conspiracy theories and Duckduckgo the highest. Webpages in Italian scored lower than those in English in transparency (reporting authors, their credentials and backing the information with references). When issues about the use of face masks were analysed, mask effectiveness was the most discussed followed by hypercapnia (accumulation of carbon dioxide), contraindication in respiratory disease and hypoxia, with issues related to their contraindications in mental health conditions and disability mentioned by very few pages.ConclusionsThis study suggests that: (1) public health agencies should increase their web presence in providing correct information on face masks; (2) search engines should improve the information quality criteria in their ranking; (3) the public should be more informed on issues related to the use of masks and disabilities, mental health and stigma arising for those people who cannot wear masks.

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