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The Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) division has contracted with All Clear Emergency Management Group to assess Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) Incident Command System (ICS) response structure. Part of the project will include a comparison of the MDH response structure, through independent research, to the response structures used by other state health departments across the country, industry standards, and published literature. The end results of the project will include recommendations on how MDH could scale and modify their ICS response structure for an efficient, effective, and scalable public health response that will best meet the needs of MDH in future responses.
Minnesota Department of Health's ICS response structure was based on planning that occurred before the COVID-19 response. The COVID-19 response was different than any previous response planning in several aspects including the number of staff assigned to response roles, the length of time staff spent in those response roles, the inability to rotate staff out of response roles, and a remote working environment.
The University of Minnesota – School of Public Health and the Minnesota Department of Health Emergency Preparedness & Response Division have collaborated and updated the course, NIMS and ICS: A Primer for Staff and Volunteers. This training provides an initial orientation to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) for individuals who plan to volunteer during an emergency or disaster. The course is designed to help volunteers understand the standardized organizational structure and communication system they are likely to encounter while responding to a crisis.
You can now locate the updated course in MN.TRAIN using course ID 1011933. Upon registering for the course, you will be taken to the U of MN Continuing Education webpage to complete the training in their learning management system where the course is hosted.
 L to R: Wendy Christensen, EPR MDH, Kinsey Mannebach, UMN School of Public Health, Megan Cirio, UMN School of Public Health, Meghan Taylor, UMN School of Public Health, Dr. Sara Hurley, UMN School of Public Health
“In the depths of COVID, we saw this mass exodus in public health positions. People were on the cusp of retiring. It was a stressful and challenging time,” says Wendy Christensen, “that is when the idea for my role came about.” Wendy started with the Minnesota Department of Health in Emergency Preparedness and Response in October 2022 as an Institute of Higher Education Workforce Planner. She works to expand relationships with higher education to incorporate more emergency preparedness and response instruction into curricula, increase awareness of professional development opportunities in higher education for the public health workforce, and increase practical experiences for students in public health emergency preparedness and response. “We want to break down barriers for students who want to come in and do internships, who want learning experiences, so we have been developing strategies for that.”
Within these past six months, she has been joining forces with institutes of higher education to grow the public health workforce. Most recently, Wendy sent out a survey to gather feedback from educational institutes on what they offer within their curriculum. Her objective is to find what is available in higher education for students, from internships to guest speakers and conventional courses. This survey will assist in paving the way towards what is next.
Wendy’s vision for the future is to connect with higher education, apply their ideas while making a positive impact, and strengthen the field of emergency preparedness and response practice. “We want to grow our public health workforce collaboratively and build bridges rather than working in silos. Learning from each other is the goal.”
Additional grant funding will be allocated next fiscal year to help build our public health emergency preparedness and response workforce through a partnership with Minnesota's public and private institutes of higher education."We're collaborating on creating work plans with both the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MN State) as well as the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) systems. Their proposals will strategically address one or more objectives which may include: increase awareness of public health emergency preparedness and response careers, increase integration of emergency preparedness and response education into curricula and programs, increase availability of student worker opportunities and internships, and increase professional development opportunities for our public health emergency preparedness and response incumbent workforce." The goal is to expand awareness of governmental public health emergency preparedness and response as a discipline and career path.
Wendy also attended the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health Conference (ASPPH) in February to gain insight and strategies from experts in public health practice, education, and research. This was the first year the conference has been back in-person due to the pandemic. Wendy notes there were close to 800 people in attendance, with faculty, students, and community members from as far as Hong Kong and the Netherlands. It was broadcast worldwide and had a little something for everyone. Everything from skill building workshops, plenary speakers, and exhibitors.
At the conference, she had the opportunity to network with others and hopes to bring a new lens to her position. She states she is still in the assessment phase with higher education but plans to continue the conversation and apply best practices for the future. “There hasn’t been a great opportunity to collaborate but now is the time. Let’s see what local public health is doing, let’s see what is being taught at universities and see how we can come together in joint effort and expand on that.” Wendy believes there is a promising future ahead and is excited to see what comes forth for the public health workforce.
In emergencies such as terrorist attacks or pandemics, large numbers of people may be exposed to disease-causing germs. Medical countermeasures (MCMs) are medicines (i.e. antibiotics, antivirals, antitoxins, etc.) that may be given to these exposed people to prevent them from becoming ill. Lives may depend on dispensing MCMs to a large number of people in a short amount of time.
In such an emergency, MDH can request large quantities of MCMs from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR maintains a large cache of MCMs called the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which can be quickly mobilized for emergency distribution. MDH then works with local health departments (LHDs) to dispense the MCMs to the public at points of dispensing (POD) sites.
With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was reconfirmed that holding a cache of assets, particularly PPE, at a state-run warehouse is a necessity. This Critical Supplies Warehouse falls under the responsibility of the MCM team as well. Receiving, storing, and staging these assets are daily functions of the warehouse.
Additional areas of focus for the MCM team include oversight of the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) funding, Responder Safety & Health planning and Receive, Store and Stage (RSS) sites.
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Chad Ostlund, MPA, is the Medical Countermeasures Supervisor in the Emergency Preparedness & Response Division. Some of Chad’s responsibilities include leading the team with a focus on the Operational Readiness Review, Cities Readiness Initiative program, Minnesota’s Receive, Store and Stage sites, and the Critical Supplies Warehouse, which holds our state PPE cache. Prior to this role, Chad was the Business Continuity Planner and Fatality Management Planning Lead at MDH. Chad can be reached by email. |
To learn more about the MCM team, each staff member provided two truths and a lie. Answers are at the end of this newsletter.
Chad's two truths and a lie:
- Chad has run 3 marathons
- Chad attends punk rock music festivals
- Chad is a licensed airline pilot
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JaLeah Strehl, SPS, is a Planner on the MCM team within the Emergency Preparedness & Response Division. Some of JaLeah’s responsibilities include being a liaison between the MCM team and those working at the Critical Supplies Warehouse, assisting with the Minnesota’s Receive, Store, and Stage sites, and helping with daily operations at the warehouse. In tandem with her current position with the state, she is a Technical Sergeant in the Air National Guard as a search and extraction medic in the Chemical Nuclear Biological and Radiological Response Force Package.
JaLeah's two truths and a lie:
- JaLeah has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and off an 829ft building.
- JaLeah swam with sharks.
- JaLeah had an African Serval as a pet and swam with hundreds of stingrays.
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Jen Plum, MPH, is the Cities Readiness Initiative Coordinator working with local jurisdictions that receive Federal grant money to bolster their emergency preparedness plans. Prior to this role Jen was the Supervisor for COVID Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Unit. Jen can be reached by email.
Jen's two truths and a lie:
- Jen filmed a music video with Lizzo.
- Jen has hiked the Superior Trail.
- Jen has traveled outside of the country to play roller derby.
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Whitney Hultstrand, MPH, is a Medical Countermeasures Planner in Emergency Preparedness & Response. She works on the CHEMPACK program, responder safety and health planning, and the state’s operational readiness review (ORR). During the COVID-19 response she worked at the state’s PPE warehouse and filled in as the Public Health Preparedness Consultant (PHPC) for the South Central region. Whitney can be reached by email.
Whitney's two truths and a lie:
- Whitney lived in Brazil for a year.
- Whitney loves horror movies.
- Whitney has been involved with eight different choirs.
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Andre Hanhvichith, or Han for short, supports warehouse operations by assisting with receiving, storing, and shipping personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to meet the medical needs of health care facilities and other identified agencies. He also arranges shipping and helps design floor plans to meet changing needs.
Han's two truths and a lie:
- Han has been in another country.
- Han is in the United States Air Force.
- Han is left-handed.
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Michelle Jones, RN BSN, is the Medical Countermeasures Cross Agency Planner in the Emergency Preparedness & Response Division. Michelle previously worked as a nurse in both the intensive care unit and in emergency rooms. She also has experience in healthcare risk management and in quality/compliance in the medical device field. One of the big pieces of her MCM work includes connecting the different departments and branches at MDH to collaborate on emergency planning and preparedness--especially as relates to medical countermeasures and the Strategic National Stockpile materials. Michelle can be reached by email.
Michelle's two truths and a lie:
- Michelle has never been to Canada.
- Michelle has 9 tattoos.
- Michelle has never been a patient in a hospital.
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Sam Raguse focuses on several safety aspects at the warehouse and facilities maintenance of equipment. He also supports warehouse operations by assisting with receiving, storing, and shipping personal protective equipment and assisting with inventory. He also arranges shipping and helps design floor plans to meet changing needs.
Sam's two truths and a lie:
- Sam has served in the Army for 18 years.
- Sam deployed to France.
- Sam lives on a farm.
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Brandon Petersen, Central Services Administrative Specialist, leads the Critical Supplies Warehouse operations by providing work direction to warehouse workers, ensuring safety requirements are followed. He also oversees receiving, storing, and shipping personal protective equipment and other medical supplies by arranging appropriate shipping and moving inventory to meet changing needs and create efficiencies. Prior to his work at the warehouse, Brandon was the Agency Asset Coordinator for MDH Facilities and has been with MDH for 16 years.
Brandon's two truths and a lie:
- Cooked BBQ professionally
- Played paintball professionally
- Professional fisherman
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See answers here:
Chad is not licensed pilot, JaLeah hasn't swam with sharks, Jen did not hike the Superior Trail, Whitney doesn't like horror movies, Han is not the United States Air Force, Michelle has been to Canada, Sam did not deploy to France, Brandon is not a professional fisherman.
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