1 / 15

Local Emergency Response to Biohazardous Incidents

Local Emergency Response to Biohazardous Incidents. Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, MD Medical Director Albany County Health Department April 8, 2005 Northeast Biological Safety Association. Healthcare Emergency Operations Coordinating Committee (HEOCC). MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT

saeran
Download Presentation

Local Emergency Response to Biohazardous Incidents

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Local Emergency Response to Biohazardous Incidents Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, MD Medical Director Albany County Health Department April 8, 2005 Northeast Biological Safety Association

  2. Healthcare Emergency Operations Coordinating Committee (HEOCC) MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT “In order to ensure that the hospitals, healthcare services, emergency management, health departments, and public safety in the Albany Area are prepared to respond to a critical event, a coordinated mutual assistance plan is required.”

  3. Albany County Health Department : Preparedness Efforts • Planning • Improved Surveillance • Epidemiologic Capabilities • Laboratory Diagnostics • Enhanced Communications • Medical Therapeutics Stockpiling

  4. Planning Efforts • Executive Committee • BT Team • Communicable Disease Workgroup • Information Technology: Secure web based communication- Health Information Network/Health Provider Network/ ECLRS • NYSDOH Communicable Disease Reporting Requirements • NYSDOH • CDC

  5. “Public Health Assessment of Potential Biological Terrorism Agents” Emerging Infectious Diseases/ CDC February 2002 • Identifies biological agents towards which efforts should be targeted • Placed in priority order • Biological agents causing illness in humans, and capable of affecting public health and medical infrastructures on a large scale.

  6. Agents are Category A, B or C • Category A- greatest potential for adverse public health impact with mass casualties- most require broad based public health preparedness efforts. • Category B- some potential for large scale dissemination, but generally less illness and death • Category C-could emerge as future threats

  7. Biological Agent Disease

  8. Post Event Response Plans: • Smallpox Response Plan • Anthrax Post Exposure plan with USPS • SARS • Avian Influenza • Pandemic Influenza

  9. Local Emergency Response to Biohazardous Incidents: • Depends on agent • Depends on incident • Public Health Response Team (PHRT) • Involvement and communication with community partners, NYSDOH, and CDC • Resource for information and investigation • Communication is essential

  10. Scenario 1: Laboratory worker working with SARS Co-V develops respiratory symptoms and fever: Role of LHD- • Notification via Emergency Department medical personnel/ infection control practitioner • Review Personal Protective Equipment/ Infection Control Strategies • Expedite laboratory testing • Liaise with NYSDOH/ CDC

  11. Scenario 1 (continued) • Epidemiologic investigation • Contact tracing • Isolation • Quarantine • Surveillance • Risk Communication

  12. Scenario 2: Case of Smallpox All of above plus: • Ring vaccination- vaccination of contacts and their contacts • Mass vaccination- large scale clinic to vaccinate 300,000 Albany County residents in 10 days (or fewer) • Vaccine delivery, security, volunteer mobilization; 9 clinic sites 24-hours/day

  13. Scenario 3: Positive BDS alarm for Anthrax at USPS • Protocol implementation- decontamination • Laboratory confirmatory testing:Wadsworth • Mobilization and dispensation post exposure prophylaxis medication and vaccination at clinic site • Information to medical community/ public

  14. Local Response to Biohazardous Incidents- Summary: • Albany County Health Department’s response plans coordinate activities at federal, state, county, hospital, and community levels • Incorporate readiness and response to biological / chemical/ radiological agents • Resource for information and investigation • Communication is essential

More Related