Training requirements for international responder readiness: Recommendations for the Commissioned Co

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Training requirements for international responder
readiness Recommendations for the Commissioned
Corps of the 21st century

• LCDR Maria D. Benke, MPH, CHES
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for
  Preparedness and Response
• International Response Coordination and Policy
  Team
• June 3, 2009

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Presentation Overview

• Background
• HHS International Responder Readiness (IRR) Work
  Group
• IRR Work Group Recommendations
• Personal Readiness
• Medical Readiness
• Training
• Specific recommendations for the Corps

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Disclaimer

• This is an information sharing session.
• The content of this presentation is
  pre-decisional and does not reflect the official
  policy or position of the Department of Health
  and Human Services, or the Office of the
  Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and
  Response.

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Background

• National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD)
  44 Reconstruction and Stabilization
• Department of Defense Directive 3000.05
  Stability, Security, Transition and
  Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations
• Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)

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HHS International Emergency Response Framework

• Purpose
• Outline the roles, responsibilities and
  guidelines for a coordinated Departmental
  response to international public health and
  medical emergency, to all hazards.

• Authority
• The Assistant Secretary for
  Preparedness and Response shall
• Provide leadership for international programs,
  initiatives, and policies that deal with public
  health and medical emergency preparedness and
  response.
• - PAHPA, 2006

RADM W. CRAIG VANDERWAGEN, M.D. Assistant
Secretary for Preparedness and Response
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Framework HHS in support of

• Department of State
• International PI response
• Reconstruction and Stabilization (RS)
• International CBRN
• Refugee assistance
• US Agency for International Development
• Natural disasters
• Humanitarian assistance
• Complex emergencies

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Framework HHS in support of (cont.)

• Department of Defense
• Stability, security, transition and
  reconstruction (SSTR) operations
• Civil-military and foreign humanitarian
  assistance operations
• United Nations/World Health Organization
• Potentially all-hazards

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Proposed HHS International Response Support
Capabilities

• Public health assessment and disease control
• Emergency environmental health services
• Surveillance, prevention, and control
• Mass disaster response
• Direct care
• Disaster mental health
• Patient evacuation support
• Mass fatality management
• Decontamination of remains
• All-hazards consultation, technical assistance,
  and support
• Health and medical equipment and supplies
• Medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, blood
  products, and biologics

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HHS Resources for Intl Response

• Potential response resources span the breadth of
  HHS
• Subject matter experts
• US Public Health Commissioned Corps personnel and
  teams
• National Disaster Medical System personnel and
  teams
• Strategic National Stockpile and other sources of
  materiel support

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Framework Development

• Steering Committee (SC)
• Task Force (TF)
• International Responder Readiness (IRR) Work
  Group
• Examine international responder issues and
  recommend readiness standards to the TF

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AcknowledgementsIRR Work Group Members

• CDC
• Dave Kennedy (COTPER/EOC)
• Gray Smithson (COTPER/EOC)
• Dr. Casey Chosewood (OHS)
• HRSA
• CAPT Nita Sood

• ASPR
• Craig Carlson (OMSPH)
• LCDR Maria Benke, Chair (OMSPH)
• LCDR Todd Lennon (OABC)
• CDR Michael Bourg (OPEO)
•  
• OFRD
• CAPT Dan Beck
•  
• ACF
• LT Mivoyel Jean Paul

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IRR Work Group

• No HHS-wide standards to prepare personnel for
  international deployment
• Reviewed facets of current programs within the US
  government
• Individual readiness
• Medical readiness
• Training

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IRR Review Information Sources

• DOS requirements
• USAID OFDA requirements
• DOD Force health protection programs
• HHS USPHS Policy
• HHS Office of Force Readiness and Deployment
• HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  requirements

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Individual Readiness

• Professional
• Personal
• Financial
• Family
• RECOMMENDATION
• Provide a tool (e.g. checklist) to potential
  international responders

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Medical Readiness Issues

• Pre-deployment medical evaluation
• Standard medical criteria is lacking
• Mental health considerations
• Post-deployment assessment
• Currently not conducted unless there is a known
  exposure

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Medical Readiness Recommendations

• Establish a program to conduct pre- and
  post-deployment evaluations
• Maintain medical records centrally
• Develop a standard form for evaluation
• Standardize immunization requirements
• Provide physicians guidance for how to medically
  assess medical readiness
• Program interventions prior to deployment

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Training Recommendations

• Basic curriculum grounded in the fundamentals of
  US government response
• Interactive training
• Competency-based training in the responders
  respective deployment role.

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Proposed IRR Curriculum

• Computer-based training
• FEMA EMI ICS 100, 200, 700, 800
• Interactive training, including but not limited
  to
• Personal and family preparedness
• Safety and security awareness
• Cultural awareness
• Mental health issues and deployment resiliency

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Framework Documents

• Core HHS International Emergency Response
  Framework
• 10 supporting annexes to the Framework developed
  to date
• Response partner organization
• DOS, USAID, DOD, UN, NGO and humanitarian
  principles
• Elements to support Framework response
• IRCT-I, information management, responder
  readiness requirements
• Types of response activities
• Pandemic influenza, CBRN, reconstruction and
  stabilization

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International Incident Response Coordination Team
(IRCT-I)

• Cadre of 3-5 officers
• Deploy 1-2 at a time
• Function
• Coordination with host nation, other US
  government departments/agencies, international
  organizations, and non-governmental
  organizations
• Provides operational/tactical direction for HHS
  response in-country
• Supports deployed personnel and teams

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Proposed IRCT-I Training

• DOS Reconstruction and Stabilization
• USAID DART Course
• USAID JHOC
• DOD CHART
• Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP)
• UN CMCoord IMPACT
• http//ocha.unog.ch/uncmcoord/
• USIP Courses in Conflict Analysis
• http//www.usip.org/training/online/index.html
• SPHERE Project
• http//www.sphereproject.org

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Relevance for the Corps

• HHS is increasingly being looked upon to support
  whole of government efforts
• USPHS is well suited for international deployment
• We can act now to ready ourselves to respond to
  the emergency response missions of the 21st
  century!

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Thank you for your attention.

• LCDR Maria Benke, MPH, CHES
• Acting Team Leader
• International Response Coordination and Policy
  Team
• Office of Medicine, Science and Public Health
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for
  Preparedness and Response
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Office Phone [phone]
• Email MariaLourdes.Benke_at_hhs.gov