COURSES

What Did We Learn From the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic About Public Health Emergency Preparedness Systems?, Part 1
Michael A. Stoto, PhD
Competency 3.3 – Participate in improving the organization’s capacities (including, but not limited to programs, plans, policies, laws, and workforce training).

This course (Part 1) introduces methods for analyzing public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) system performance through careful analysis of critical events.  The course also presents lessons from the H1N1 pandemic about public health assessment, detailing surveillance, epidemiology, and situational awareness with a focus on global surveillance and notification systems, as well as methods for situational surveillance. Learning objectives will help to enhance one’s ability to ‘participate in improving the organization’s capacities’ which is competency 3.3 under Plan and Improve Practice.

Learning Objectives

• Describe public health emergency preparedness (PHEP)
• Understand PHEP system capabilities
• Describe purpose, and components of a public health assessment
• Distinguish between measuring  ‘a capability’ versus ‘a capacity’

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What Did We Learn From the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic About Public Health Emergency Preparedness Systems?, Part 2
Michael A. Stoto, PhD
Competency 3.3 – Participate in improving the organization’s capacities (including, but not limited to programs, plans, policies, laws, and workforce training).

This course (Part 2) continues the analysis of lessons from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic focusing on policy development for disease control and prevention (especially school closings) and mass case and prophylaxis (especially vaccine programs).  The presentation concludes with considerations for the development of a PHEP learning system.  Learning objectives will help to enhance one’s ability to ‘participate in improving the organization’s capacities’ which is competency 3.3 under Plan and Improve Practice.

Learning Objectives

• Build skills to develop policy for disease control and prevention
• Improve awareness of authority and the decision making processes
• Understand the importance of public health ‘assurance’
• Understand components necessary to develop a PHEP learning system

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Review of Current Doctrine Regarding After Action Reporting
Paul Biddinger, MD FACEP
Competency 3.3 – Participate in improving the organization’s capacities (including, but not limited to program, plans, policies, laws, and workforce training).

This course addresses the purpose of producing After Action Reports (AARs), as well as techniques used to produce AARs, including the current federal guidance. The course also explores some of the limitations of the current guidance and art of writing AARs, how best to capture performance during real world events and exercises, and how to  learn and communicate lessons learned.   Learning objectives will help to enhance one’s ability to ‘participate in improving the organization’s capacities’ which is competency 3.3 under Plan and Improve Practice.

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish between “ After Action Reporting’ and ‘After Action Reviewing’
• Distinguish between ‘performance improvement’ and ‘measurement of performance’
• Recognize the right unit of measurement (data and observations) during an event
• Develop a structured analysis of performance based on the unit of measurement
• Improve knowledge about Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) processes

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Using Exercises to Enhance and Measure Preparedness
Paul Biddinger, MD FACEP
Competency 3.3 – Participate in improving the organization’s capacities (including, but not limited to program, plans, policies, laws, and workforce training).

This course addresses the use of exercises to enhance and measure preparedness. Topics covered include a description of a preparedness exercise, and the purposes of exercises.  The course also describes the process of designing, conducting, and evaluating exercises, as well as common pitfalls people experience in executing preparedness exercises.  Learning objectives will help to enhance one’s ability to ‘participate in improving the organization’s capacities’ which is competency 3.3 under Plan and Improve Practice.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the types of preparedness exercises
• Understand the components of a discussion-based exercise
• Understand the components of an operation- based exercise
• Learn the attributes of a successful exercise
• Learn about the exercise evaluation and improvement process

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