The planning, execution, and evaluation of a mass prophylaxis full-scale exercise in cook county, IL.
Increasing threats of bioterrorism and the emergence of novel disease agents, including the recent international outbreaks of H7N9 influenza and MERS-CoV, have stressed the importance and highlighted the need for public health preparedness at local, regional, and national levels. To test plans that were developed for mass prophylaxis scenarios, in April 2013 the Cook Country Department of Public Health (CCDPH) and the Triple Community (TripCom) Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) executed a full-scale mass prophylaxis exercise in response to a simulated anthrax bioterrorism attack. The exercise took place over 2 days and included the TripCom Point-of-Dispensing (POD) Management Team, volunteers from the TripCom MRC, and neighboring public health departments and MRCs. Individuals from the community volunteered as actors during the exercise, while local municipal, police, and fire personnel coordinated their responses to create the most realistic simulation possible. The exercise was designed to test the capacity of TripCom and CCDPH to implement plans for organizing municipal staff and volunteers to efficiently distribute prophylaxis to the community. Based on results from POD clinic flow, accuracy of prophylaxis distribution, and observations from evaluators, the exercise was successful in demonstrating areas that were operationally efficient as well as identifying areas that can be improved on. These include improvements to the just-in-time training for POD staff, the health screening and consent forms handed out to patients, the physical setup of the POD, and the command structure and communication for the management of POD operations. This article demonstrates the need for full-scale exercises and identifies gaps in POD planning that can be integrated into future plans, exercises, and emergency response.
Andy Kilianski, PhD, is National Research Council Fellow, BioSciences Division, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center , Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, Maryland. Amy T. O'Rourke, MPH, MEP, is Emergency Response Coordinator; Crystal L. Carlson, MPH, MEP, is Emergency Response Coordinator and Interim MRC Coordinator; and Frankie Shipman-Amuwo, MPH, is Interim Director; all in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, Cook County Department of Public Health, Oak Forest, Illinois. Shannon M. Parikh, JD, MPH, is Manager of Regulatory and Safety Compliance, Department of Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance, Sinai Health System, Chicago, Illinois.
Andy
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Kilianski
Amy T
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O'Rourke
Crystal L
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Carlson
Shannon M
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Parikh
Frankie
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Shipman-Amuwo
D023482:Bioterrorism; D004189:Disaster Planning; D060731:Emergency Responders / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D009111:Local Government; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation