February 2023 Newsletter
WELCOME TO THE HEALTHCARE COALITION OF MAINE NEWSLETTER
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Healthcare Coalition of Maine (HCCME) is to develop and sustain a powerful coalition of health care organizations, first responders, and other key partners united to save lives and improve health outcomes during disasters through preparedness, planning, response, and recovery efforts.
Upcoming Coalition Events
HCCME’s february Joint Chapter Meeting
February 8th,9-11am
Agenda to include:
* Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop
* Volunteer Request Training
* Radiation Surge Annex Training
* FQHC 101
February: Workshop
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT PRE-REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY TO RECEIVE DOCUMENTS
IN ADVANCE AND FOR HCC TO TRACK PARTICIPATION OF THIS EXERCISE
How a Medical Reserve Corps Unit Addresses the Needs of Vulnerable Populations During an Evacuation
Vulnerable populations, including older adults, children, and those with a disability, face unique challenges during an emergency. For the Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), this became particularly apparent three years ago when a local assisted living facility experienced a fire and needed to evacuate residents.
The result is the unit’s newest initiative: VIPER (Vulnerable Identified Population Evacuation Response). Expected to be deployable by April of this year, VIPER includes supplies and equipment; procedures and deployment processes; training; and response capabilities for the unit’s volunteers to assist vulnerable populations during an emergency.
Read more in a recent profile from NACCHO.
CDC Announces New Office of Readiness and Response
CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky announced January 24 that as part of the CDC Moving Forward initiative CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) will be renamed the Office of Readiness and Response. This will create a centralized office to promote accountability and excellence for all of the agency’s readiness and response efforts. The Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics will report to the director of this new office.
SAMSA: The Dialogue
In September of 2021 a collection of more than 200 medical journals asserted that climate change represents the greatest threat to human health in this century. While a great deal of attention has been given to the impact climate change has on physical health, both through catastrophic events and chronic disease, associated mental health and behavioral health risks are also very significant, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The salience of mental health was recognized in the 2016United States Global Change Research Program Climate and Health Assessment, not only among those experiencing life threatening climate disasters, but those who anguish over damage to natural environments from perspectives of cultural heritage and connections between human, animal, and environmental wellbeing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently established an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) with a primary mission to protect the health of all people in the United States from the impacts of climate change, especially the most vulnerable. This will require a focus on the behavioral and mental health threats associated with climate change, not only from a treatment perspective, but important also from a resilience or preventive health perspective. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and OCCHE will be strong partners in addressing the mental health impacts from climate change and helping those who need help the most.
This issue of The Dialogue discusses how communities can address vulnerabilities due to climate change. It includes an article on building resilience to the impacts of climate change and an overview of recent technical assistance requests fielded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Technical Assistance Center.
Annual Password update Reminder
Friendly reminder that as we enter a new calendar year it is time to change the HCCME Member Portal password to HCCMEMember23!
Partner Trainings and Webinars
SCEMA
CCEMA
CISA
united way
maine responds
big cities
ADCARE
ALL Clear
Androscoggin County Emergency Management Agency Training Announcement - Infrastructure Disaster Management Certificate Program
Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency Training Bulletin January, 2023
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Region I’s upcoming “Active Shooter Preparedness Webinar, on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 1:00pm ET
This flyer provides an overview of the free, virtual 2-hour training and the steps for registration (link here for convenience).
Upcoming Mental Health First Aid trainings with UWSM
United Way of Southern Maine is partnering with NAMI ME to provide free Mental Health First Aid trainings to community members. As rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and overdose deaths increase in our community, these training opportunities are more necessary than ever. Together, we can take action to help more people live longer, better lives.
Mental Health First Aid teaches individuals how to identify if someone is experiencing increased symptoms of mental illness and substance use and if they are at risk of or in crisis. Participants learn a 5-step action plan to respond and provide initial help to the individual in crisis. Research shows that individuals who are trained in Mental Health First Aid:
· Grow their knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental illnesses and addictions.
· Can identify multiple types of professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental health or substance use challenge.
· Increase their confidence in and likelihood to help an individual in distress.
· Show increased mental wellness themselves.
Upcoming training sessions will be held February 16, March 23, April 13, and May 18. The training is approximately 6 hours over Zoom. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form or email me directly at nmisra@uwsme.org.
Facilitated Incident Command System (ICS) Courses Open to Maine Responds Volunteers
Title: Combination IS-100 / IS-200 Training
Date / Time: Wednesday, March 1, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Maine CDC, 286 Water St., Augusta
Cities: the Future of Health Webinar Series- Big Cities Health Coalition
Session 3: February 7th @ 2:00 PM ET- Determinants of Health – features a discussion with Maricopa County Public Health about their COVID-19 Stories Dashboard and how they are using community feedback to share future programs and services.
Designed for public health professionals, this webinar series will explore the Urban Health Agenda, a vision for centering health and equity in policymaking. In each webinar, get an introduction to this vision, then hear from big city health departments who are making this vision come to life. All webinar sessions are free to attend.
Register for all sessions HERE.
Empowering Resiliency Training on Thursday, February 16, 2023
The impact of chronic stress is a growing public health problem. According to studies from the Harvard Mind-Body Medical Institute, 60 – 90% of doctor visits are for stress related issues. Other studies show that when incorporating self-care in daily living, the utilization of medical services, health risks and out of pocket costs decrease.
Imagine, four hours to reflect on personal resiliency and develop a plan for change. Yes, that is just what Empowering Resiliency will do for you as well as leave you with a professional tool for your own use.
Join presenter Jerri Stevens, PhD, LCPC, CCS for a live-webinar on February 16th from 8:30am-12:30pm. Click HERE for more information and to register.
All Clear Emergency Management Group has the following upcoming free webinars:
NACCHO
ASPR TRACIE
NASEM
ASTHO
FEMA
Partner Resources
NACCHO Now Accepting 2023 Vector Control Collaborative Mentorship Program Applications
NACCHO, with the support of the CDC, is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Vector Control Collaborative (VCC) mentorship program. Newly selected programs to the VCC will be awarded up to $10,000 in grant funding. Completed applications must be submitted to vectorcontrol@naccho.org by 11:59 PM PT on Monday, February 27. For questions on the VCC or the program application, please contact aroy@naccho.org or cphan@naccho.org .
National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Releases Report on Wastewater-Based Disease Surveillance
NASEM released a consensus study report, Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action, on January 19, 2023. At the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a committee of experts was assembled by NASEM to review the current utility of community-level wastewater surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential for the control and prevention of other infectious diseases. This first report summarizes the findings from Phase 1 of the committee’s review on how wastewater surveillance has been a helpful tool to understand COVID-19 in communities and to inform local public health decision-making. The committee concluded that wastewater surveillance has been, and will continue to be, a valuable component of the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovation in wastewater surveillance systems spurred by the pandemic provides a look into a future where such systems can be used for infectious diseases beyond COVID-19. The Phase 2 report of this study, estimated to be released in 2024, will provide a detailed technical evaluation and needs assessment for the national wastewater surveillance program.
FEMA is accepting applications for the Youth Preparedness Council, a program that brings teens together from across the nation who are interested and engaged in community preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities, and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for emergency preparedness. Students in grades eight through 11 are eligible to apply.
During this one-year term, council members will collaborate virtually with each other to develop projects that promote preparedness on a local and a national scale. Members will also attend the council summit in July and engage with top leaders within FEMA, the federal government, and national nonprofit organizations.
Youths interested in applying to the council must complete and submit application forms and provide two letters of recommendation. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted by 11:59 PM PT on March 6. New council members will be announced in June.
Three POSITIONS AVAILABLE!
All Clear Emergency Management Group is searching for TWO detail oriented, highly skilled and motivated Healthcare Coalition Coordinators to join our growing team! These positions will provide coverage to the Northern and Southern Chapters by planning, implementing, and evaluating activities associated with the Coalition. Additionally, this position will recruit and maintain a diverse coalition membership with hospital, public health, emergency management, emergency medical services and other healthcare partners.
For more information, see the full job description located here. Cover letters and resumes should be submitted by email to jobs_HCCME@AllClearEMG.com.
We also continue to search for a detail oriented, highly skilled and motivated Contract Clinical Advisor to join our team! This position will serve the HCCME, by providing clinical leadership and serving as a liaison between the Coalition and medical directors/medical leadership at health care facilities, supporting entities (e.g., blood banks), and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies.
For more information, see the full job description located here. Cover letters and resumes should be submitted by email to jobs+clinical@AllClearEMG.com.
CONTACT US
Email your coalition coordinators at HCCME@AllClearEMG.com to assist you with any of your preparedness needs.
As a reminder, we recommend that you bookmark our website MaineHCCs.com and check in often as we are continually updating the calendar with meetings, trainings, and exercises!