Keystone Health Preparedness Digest
May 15, 2024
Volume 13, Issue 10
Are you Using AI to Support your Emergency Management?
Have you ever said to yourself or someone else that you wish there were more hours in a day? Or how about simply: “I don’t have time for that.” I am sure at some point in your life you have said that or both, possibly multiple times.?
Read the new blog post by CJ Sabo, MPH, EMT-B HAP's Manager, Emergency Management.
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HAP’s EM team helps Pennsylvania's hospitals and health systems prepare for public health emergencies and serves as a national model for best practices.
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HOT TOPICS
Case report bolsters evidence for H5N1 avian flu spread from cow to Texas dairy worker , CIDRAP: The patient worked at a farm where the illness was suspected in cows and in a region where H5N1 was confirmed in other dairy herds.
GAO report shows SNS challenges during COVID, mpox , CIDRAP: 24 percent of jurisdictions did not know whom to contact to access the SNS in the first months of the pandemic.
FDA Encourages the Public to Follow Established Choking Protocols , FDA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages the public to follow established choking rescue protocols, which are step-by-step guides, approved by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association to relieve the airway obstruction in choking victims.
?These rescue protocols include abdominal thrusts (also called the “Heimlich” maneuver) for children and adults. These protocols do not include anti-choking devices. The safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter anti-choking devices have not been established; they are not FDA approved or cleared. Consumers should be aware that using anti-choking devices first could delay action, as consumers usually have to take them out of packaging, assemble them, and follow device instructions, which may delay the use of established rescue protocols. This rescue protocol includes recommendations for Consumers, Parents and Caregivers, Health Care Providers, and Guidance on Potential Problems with Anti-Choking Devices.
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National Preparedness News and Updates
COVID-19?
Hospitals No Longer Required to Report COVID-19 Data to CDC , CDC: Hospitals had been required to share COVID-19 admissions, ICU capacity, and other related data on a daily, and then less frequent, basis since 2020. The CDC said it still encourages hospitals to report their data on a "voluntary" basis and will soon begin displaying those data online.
COVID booster linked to 25% lower odds of long COVID , CIDRAP: People who received the COVID-19 booster vaccine had 25 percent lower odds of having long COVID than their unvaccinated counterparts.
Common diabetes drug lowers SARS-CoV-2 levels, clinical trial finds , CIDRAP: The mean SARS-CoV-2 viral load was reduced 3.6-fold with metformin.
Study: HHS' COVID vaccine campaign saved $732 billion in averted infections, costs , CIDRAP: Researchers say the campaign encouraged 22 million Americans to complete their primary COVID-19 vaccine series, preventing nearly 2.6 million infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Data Tracking and Resources
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?INFECTIOUS DISEASES
H5N1 Avian Flu
CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update , CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to respond to the public health challenge posed by a multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or “A(H5N1) virus,” in dairy cows and other animals in the United States. CDC is working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state public health and animal health officials, and other partners using a One Health approach. As of CDC's latest update, May 3, one human case has been confirmed in a person with exposure to presumably infected dairy cows reported by Texas on April 1, 2024.
USDA reports more H5N1 detections in poultry, wild birds , CIDRAP: Also, another outbreak was reported in Idaho's backyard poultry.
Studies yield more clues about H5N1 avian flu susceptibility, spread in dairy cows , CIDRAP: Researchers who examined cow mammary gland tissue found wide expression of avian and human influenza A receptors, which could explain high virus loads in milk of infected cows.
Analysis of cow, cat H5N1 avian flu samples raises concerns about spread to other animals , CIDRAP: The cats started showing symptoms a day after clinical disease was noted in the cows, and about half of the cats died.
FDA finds no live H5N1 avian flu virus in sour cream or cottage cheese, will assess raw milk , CIDRAP: The FDA will test pooled raw milk to give the agency a better picture of the viral load before pasteurization.
Colorado officials probe source of H5N1 in cows as USDA confirms more infected mammals , CIDRAP: Monitoring of about 70 farm workers found no symptoms, and the state's wastewater sampling pilot has found no flu rise.
Emerging Disease
Substantial rise in mpox cases prompts NYC health alert , CIDRAP: Officials also urged health providers to watch for possible clade 1 cases in people with travel history or epidemiological connections to African outbreak locations.
Xofluza may lower secondary flu attack rate better than Tamiflu , CIDRAP: Almost all index patients (98%) had influenza A infection.
WHO describes MERS cluster in Saudi Arabia , CIDRAP: The index case-patient, who died from his infection, shared a hospital room with the second patient identified.
New Tool Identifies Aedes Mosquito Exposure in People , NIH: Not all mosquitoes are the same. Some carry pathogens that cause diseases in the people they bite. Scientists at NIAID developed a new tool to help identify geographic hot spots for Aedes mosquitoes, a type of mosquito that can spread diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The tool uses a marker from blood serum to identify people bitten by Aedes mosquitoes. Monitoring for this marker in blood samples could help find sites where disease-carrying mosquitoes live, allowing for targeted interventions against dengue and other diseases.
领英推荐
SUPPLY CHAIN
Resiliency Road Map Advocates to Support Domestic Manufacturing and Maintain Robust Stockpile , HIDA: The Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) released the Road Map, created in consultation with industry supply chain leaders to share learnings from past public health events and provide a foundation for future public health responses. “When it comes to health care preparedness, neither the private sector nor the public sector can do it alone,” said HIDA President and CEO Matthew J. Rowan. “A resilient supply chain is bolstered by collaborative strategies and policies. This Road Map charts a course for long-term, sustainable solutions that are consistently funded to ensure future readiness.”
The Road Map has five pillars to support a resilient supply chain:
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CYBERSECURITY AND PHYSICAL SECURITY
Cybersecurity
The latest CISA Vulnerability Bulletin provides a summary of new vulnerabilities that have been recorded by the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) in the past week. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the bulletin may not yet have been assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.
Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools : As part of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) continuing mission to reduce cybersecurity risk across U.S. critical infrastructure partners and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, CISA has compiled a list of free cybersecurity tools and services to help organizations further advance their security capabilities. This living repository includes cybersecurity services provided by CISA, widely used open-source tools, and free tools and services offered by private and public sector organizations across the cybersecurity community. Any reference to specific commercial products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by CISA.
Health Industry Cybersecurity Tactical Crisis Response Guide : This document is constructed by industry and government experts to help guide response activities.
Cybersecurity updates: Subscribe to the weekly Healthcare and Public Health Sector Cybersecurity Bulletin .
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HEALTH SYSTEM PREPAREDNESS
So much healthcare data, so many missed opportunities , AI in Healthcare: Four of five hospital leaders trust the accuracy of their institution’s data. Yet almost half of useable data gets underutilized if not completely untapped for guiding business and clinical decisions. The market researchers who uncovered these findings suggest that, sure, AI has proliferated across health care—but it has barely begun doing what it might to enhance patient outcomes, improve productivity, and reduce costs. The study was conducted by the health care data platform supplier Arcadia in partnership with HIMSS. For the project, they surveyed 100 hospital professionals at the director level and higher, focusing on those who have a hand in data analytics activities.
?The resulting report offers a number of takeaways. Here are five as highlighted in press materials.
Is Industry Influence Driving LVAD Use by Cardiologists , Medpage Today: “As physicians, our patients, and their caregivers expect that we base clinical decisions about disease management and treatment on the best available evidence, following guidelines and recommendations based on randomized clinical trials (RCT) and literature reviews. But there is not always evidence to guide every decision, opening the door to other influences: local practice patterns, professional culture, past experience, as well as industry marketing. Our research , published in JAMA, illustrates the potential influence that payments from the medical device industry have on physician decision-making, specifically payments to interventional cardiologists and use of intravascular microaxial left ventricular assist devices (LVAD).
Education
ASPR TRACIE Webinar
Healthcare Facility Extreme Weather Resilience and Mitigation
June 5, 2024, at 1:30–2:30 pm ET
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) invite you to join this webinar on health care facility resilience and mitigation.
Speakers from New York University Langone Health and Mass General Brigham—who have used resilient and sustainable building designs to ensure their facilities can effectively withstand unexpected and severe weather events—will share their experiences and OCCHE staff will highlight related efforts and priorities in building climate-resilient health care facilities.
In-person conference
Joint Commission Resources Emergency Management Conference
Orlando, Florida, June 19–20, 2024
This Emergency Management Conference showcases responses to real life disasters and threats, features Joint Commission experts as well as expert external presenters to help you break down related accreditation standards, and offers the opportunity to network with the best in your field. This two-day intensive event focuses on how compliance with Joint Commission standards will help prepare your organization for emergencies and disasters. Featuring nationally recognized experts and presentations, you will be able to augment your current strategies with demonstrated practices. You’ll also receive a comprehensive overview of the latest research in the field of emergency management through presentations.
Don't forget to also register for the Emergency Management Standards Base Camp the day prior to the conference on June 18, 2024.
In-person or virtual
FEMA National Response Coordination Center Response Readiness Day
June 25, 2024, at 9:30 – 4 pm ET
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Response Coordination Center will be hosting a readiness day focused on Hurricane Preparedness, with presentations and interactive experiences from FEMA components and other federal agencies.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit is an objective, data-driven all-hazards risk assessment that can be used by public and private organizations within the Healthcare and Public Health Sector to inform emergency preparedness planning, risk management activities, and resource investments. The RISC Toolkit provides owners/operators in the HPH Sector with nationally recognized standards-based evaluation criteria in an easy-to-follow, guided format. It can be utilized by a wide variety of HPH stakeholders including but not limited to hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health centers, health care coalitions, and public health agencies. The RISC Toolkit contains three self-assessment modules. These allow users to identify external threats and internal hazards specific to their site by using objective national-level data; assess the vulnerability of their site based on industry standards and guidance; and evaluate the criticality of and consequences to their site in the event of an incident. The RISC Toolkit compares multiple facilities across systems, coalitions, and regions to identify dependencies and interdependencies in a consistent and repeatable method to help create a more resilient healthcare system.
New/Updated Resources from ASPR TRACIE
Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) Resources Page: The new Crisis Standards of Care Resources Page houses the new Template for Hospital CSC Resource Allocation Annex , CSC Briefs , Medical Operations Coordination Centers materials , and other related resources.
Blood and Blood Products Topic Collection (Updated): The updated Blood and Blood Products Topic Collection provides links to guidance; lessons learned (from disasters, no-notice incidents, and specific to transfusions); plans, tools, and templates; general research; and research specific to the disaster blood supply chain.
Partnering with the Healthcare Supply Chain to Improve Disaster Response and Healthcare Coalition Supply Chain Integrity Self-Assessment Checklist : The health care supply chain is complex, supporting patient care on a daily basis by producing and delivering medications as well as products ranging from gloves and gowns, to diagnostics, to pharmaceuticals and biomedical equipment, to surgical supplies. During disasters or catastrophic events, the health care supply chain can experience distinct strains depending on the nature of the event and the impact on surrounding infrastructure. These resources provide an overview of the emergency planning and response considerations of health care supply chain owners, operators, and end users, as well as insights for health care coalitions working with health care supply chain partners on preparedness, response, and recovery. Checklist
EMTALA and Disasters: This fact sheet addresses several frequently asked questions regarding the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) and disasters, and provides links to more resources. Note: This document is not intended to be used as regulatory guidance or in place of communications with or guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) who oversees EMTALA compliance. Fact sheet
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HHS emPOWER Map NEW GIS REST Service Link—Partners must connect to the newly named REST service to consume the layer in their GIS System: Connect to the new link and GIS end points . In doing so, partners will be able to continue to gain population-level situational awareness of electricity-dependent populations in their own GIS applications. Please send any questions you may have to [email protected] and [email protected] .
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