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On June 6 and 7, the MDH Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response hosted a two-day workshop at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. Over 125 participants from public health agencies across the state converged to sharpen their public health emergency preparedness skills. The format featured large group discussions and breakout sessions.
There were a variety of breakout sessions, tackling topics from Community Engagement to IMATS Training. The topics were well-balanced, ranging from evergreen content like Functional Exercise design, to more timely topics, such as Medical Countermeasures (MCM) planning and administration. The MCM sessions were designed to help attendees get ready for the MCM full-scale exercise next June. The most highly rated and attended session was the Promising Practices session. This session featured a handful of individuals from local public health agencies highlighting tried and true practices in their jurisdictions. Many of these practices stemmed from real responses in their communities.
Overall, attendees walked away with many valuable skills and resources. Based on feedback from attendees, the greatest benefit was getting to interact with their peers in emergency preparedness. MDH is looking into making this workshop a reoccurring event.
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), also known as community mitigation, can be an important public health tool for the control of pandemic flu and other infectious disease responses. NPIs are steps other than vaccination and medication that people and communities can take to slow the spread of infectious disease and reduce the impact on communities. NPIs can be as simple as good handwashing and as complex as school closures and other major social distancing measures.
The MDH IQ (Isolation and Quarantine) SharePoint site has been updated with MDH NPI resources including slides from the NPI presentation given at the PHEP Workshop held at Earle Brown Heritage Center in June. External public health partners should contact Ellen Laine at ellen.laine@state.mn.us if you need help accessing the SharePoint Site.
CDC’s NPI website (https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/index.html) is another resource for public health preparedness planning and includes a wealth of information including:
- CDC’s publication Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza – United States, 2017.
- Pre-pandemic NPI planning guides and checklists including checklists specific to schools, childcare, workplaces, and public gatherings.
- Educational materials including printable NPI factsheets and posters.
- Link for NPI 101, an online training for public health professionals.
Marti Benson is the new Office and Administrative Principal in the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response. Marti comes from MN Department of Labor and Industry where she worked in Workers Compensation and Construction Codes and Licensing. Previous to that she worked many customer service positions and was a teacher in South Korea. Marti is excited about learning and helping out in MDH – Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response.
 Planning for Mass Anthrax Treatment
Emily Ward, MS CEM (left) and Rajal Mody, MD, MPH (right) presented their poster on anthrax treatment at the 2019 U.S. Public Health Service Symposium in Minneapolis, MN in May of 2019. The content focused on planning that was done for Superbowl LII in effort with the Metro Health and Medical Coalition and the Minnesota Department of Health.
The Medical Countermeasures Updates
MN.TRAIN Course ID 1069979
This webinar will provide an overview and training on MDH's new Mass Dispensing guidelines. The intended audience is local and tribal health departments.
Trainings will be held on August 19, 2019 11 am and September 20, 2019 at 2 pm.
IMATS Training and Exercises
MN.TRAIN Course ID 1085222
This training and subsequent exercise is fulfilling Local and Tribal Public Health BP1 Grant Duty 8.4 B. The training will familiarize, or refresh, the learner with IMATS and the newly update IMATS user guide. The intended audience is local and tribal public health.
The training will be held on October 29, 2019 at 1 pm. It will also be offered again in Nov 2019, March 2020, and April 2020.
2019 Community Health Conference: Examining Roots to Build a Healthy Future
October 2, 3, 4, 2019
Cragun's Conference Center, Brainerd, MN
#2019MNCHC | www.health.state.mn.us/chc
MDH Booth at the MN State Fair
Each year, MDH hosts an agency booth at the Minnesota State Fair. The goals of the booth are to highlight the MDH mission, show MDH staff as people who live in the communities we serve, connect with a diverse public audience, and give visitors information they can use to improve their health and health in their communities.
This year’s booth topic is Healthy Kids, Healthy School Year. Healthy kids spend more time learning, get better grades, and are better prepared for the future. The MDH booth will help kids get a healthy start this school year. Activities for kids (and adults!) include a Plinko-style game where healthy choices give players a better chance to do well in school, and an opportunity to pack up a backpack with the things needed for a healthy school year. The booth features information on back-to-school topics for preschoolers to high schoolers and a back-to-school checklist for parents and caregivers.
September is National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month, recognized each September, reminds us that we all must prepare ourselves and our families, now and throughout the year, for emergencies. This year's theme is Prepared, Not Scared. Be Ready for Disasters.
Visit the ready.gov website to learn more about National Preparedness Month, and follow along on the MDH social media channels throughout the month for useful public health preparedness information.
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