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A group of people in a classroom attending the metro tabletop exercise.
Minnesota Prepared (MN Prepared) is a collaborative initiative involving the University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Public Health (SPH), the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), local public health (LPH) and tribal health (TH) departments across the state. This work is funded through the CDC’s COVID-19 Crisis Workforce Grant. In a recent effort to enhance preparedness capabilities, staff from MDH EPR and UMN SPH facilitated a tabletop exercise (TTX) for LPH and TH departments focusing on a climate change excessive heat event.
Exercise participants discussed the role of public health during extreme heat conditions and the actions they would take. As the scenario progressed, participants faced increasingly challenging situations such as extended days of high heat and humidity, power grid instability, and air quality degradation due to wildfire smoke. Participants had to identify the public health activities, steps they would take, partners they would engage, and communication priorities and strategies. In all three TTX events, participants emphasized the importance of collaborating with other organizations to mitigate heat-related risks within their jurisdiction and help residents stay safe and healthy.
MN Prepared has several initiatives aimed at supporting capacity building in the current public health workforce as well as nurturing the idea of working in governmental public health with students (undergraduate and graduate). Projects include public health emergency preparedness focused internships at MDH and local public health, undergraduate seminar series of current professionals discussing their preparedness work, re-invigoration of the academic Preparedness certificate, online continuing education course revisions and new course development, and supporting courses at the UMN SPH's Public Health Summer Institute. A bimonthly advisory group consisting of LPH, TH, MDH, and UMN members discuss direction and priorities.
The Regional Behavioral Health Coordinators (RBHC) are excited to announce the launch of a newly developed training opportunity, Minnesota Trauma-Informed Emergency Recovery (MnTIER) starting Jan. 9, 2024. MnTIER is a six-month training program created by the RBHC’s that provides an overarching framework to guide the planning and operations of disaster response and recovery that is specific to communities throughout Minnesota.
This training is grounded in an awareness of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. Physical, psychological, and emotional safety is highlighted throughout the training, in order to foster a sense of control and empowerment among responders and survivors following a disaster. MnTIER was created for individuals, teams, and organizations that strive to:
- Realize the widespread impact of trauma and need to integrate awareness in to disaster recovery.
- Recognize trauma signs and symptoms in survivors.
- Respond by fully integrating trauma awareness into planning, policies, procedures, and practices in an effort to resist re-traumatization of our communities.
Throughout this training, participants will receive information, tools, resources, and opportunities for discussion. The RBHC’s will also provide support to assist departments and organizations in becoming trauma-informed.
From January 2024 to June 2024, trainings sessions will be offered anywhere from two to three Tuesdays each month. The sessions will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST. Each month will focus on one of six principles from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC). Supplementary trainings and engagement opportunities will also be offered each month.
Participants interested in earning continuing education units (CEU) must attend the required monthly sessions to receive a certificate and/or CEUs. Register online through MN.TRAIN, using Course ID 1114193. For more information or questions regarding MnTIER, please contact Nancy Carlson at Nancy.j.carlson@state.mn.us.
The Emergency Preparedness and Response division houses the Public Health Preparedness Consultants (PHPCs) team which serves eight geographic regions across the state. The PHPCs specialize in public health management, program planning and evaluation, and have a strong knowledge of emergency preparedness and response. The team provides consultation, planning and technical assistance to staff within local public health departments, tribal health departments and health care systems. To find out more about the PHPCs, or to find your consultant, visit the Public Health Preparedness Consultants website.
To learn more about the PHPC team, each staff member provided two truths and a lie. Answers can be found at the end of this newsletter.
Julia Whitcomb has been the South Central (SC) Region Public Health Preparedness Consultant since October 2022.
Julia holds a Master of Arts degree in Community Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. Previously in public health at the local level, she worked for Watonwan County, MN as the Community Health Services Manager and Administrator for 5 years. She has a broad public health background which includes WIC, infectious disease, maternal and child health, grant management, policy development, and community education. Julia's interests include spending time with her family, baking, and gardening.
Julia's two truths and a lie:
- I have been featured on a billboard on highway 169.
- I have never been on a snowmobile.
- I have traveled to Spain and watched Lionel Messi Play soccer.
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Katie Triebold is the Central Region PHPC and has been with MDH since 2018. Katie lives in Alexandria with husband Isaac; their four children Throck (17), Ainsleigh (16), Maddie (14), and Donald (13); and their Golden Retriever, Eddy (2.5). With four active teenagers, Katie and her family spend a lot of time cheering at cross country races, dance competitions, and track meets, and they love it! Katie also enjoys spending time with family, boating, long walks with Eddy, and warm vacations.
Katie's two truths and a lie:
- I am running the Boston Marathon next spring.
- I’ve swam across Lake Geneva in Alexandria.
- I enjoy painting the interior of houses (walls, trim).
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Kayla Scrivner is the PHPC for the Northeast Region and is new to MDH. Kayla grew up in Northern Itasca County and is thrilled to serve Northeast Minnesota in this role. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree with a focus on policy and systems change. Her background is in public health and community healthcare, and she has served in an Incident Command System (ICS) leadership roles for a variety of public health incidents over the last 10 years. Kayla loves being outside – fishing, lake swimming, cross country skiing as well as being home with her family.
Kayla's two truths and a lie:
- I have been skydiving in three different states.
- I served two years with AmeriCorps in Atlanta.
- I spent a month whitewater canoeing in Yukon Territory wilderness.
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Julie Johnson has worked out of the Marshall District office as the Southwest Region PHPC for 10 years. As a PHPC, she provides technical assistance and support to local partners and LPH/TH to ensure preparedness grant duties are completed. Some of her hobbies include spending time with family, enjoying the outdoors, gardening, harvesting wild fruits and gathering native plants.
Julie's two truths and a lie:
- I live on a farm which raises beef, sheep, chickens, soybeans, and corn.
- I am a trumpet player. Doc Serverinsen, who is a jazz trumpeter, and I met prior to a performance in Fargo, North Dakota.
- When I grow up, I want to open a bakery.
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Michelle Moritz is the West Central PHPC with 22 years of public health experience. She has been with EPR since April 2022 and prior in 2008-2014 as the State Medical Countermeasures Planner. Other experience includes serving in a variety of roles as a Public Health Nurse, PHEP Coordinator, and supervisor at local public health. She is grateful for the support of husband John and three children, Kyle, Ethan, and Grace for supporting her throughout many challenging years of responding to COVID and other responses. When not working, Michelle and family spend time camping or in Canada. Best times are always at the lake – soaking up the sun or pulling in walleyes.
Michelle's two truths and a lie:
- I collect table and chairs.
- My favorite fruit is cantaloupe.
- I clean and renovate rental houses.
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Cassidy Watson is the PHPC for the Metro Region. She also works with Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and volunteer unit coordinators statewide as the MRC/MN Responds State Administrator.
In her free time, Cassidy enjoys exploring the Twin Cities food scene with her husband, hiking at Wisconsin state parks, and spending time with her (almost) 2-year-old niece.
Cassidy's two truths and a lie:
- I was born in Upstate New York.
- I can play the ukulele.
- As a teen, I read the first four Harry Potter books in one day.
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Sue Grafstrom is the PHPC for the Northwest Region. She serves 12 counties and three tribal nations and has been with MDH for 5 years. Sue grew up in Roseau, where she raised her three children, and still resides today with her husband. In her free time, she loves traveling to other countries, and she's recently rediscovered tennis after a 30-year break. Sue also enjoys golfing and pickle ball.
Sue's two truths and a lie:
- I’ve swam from the U.S. to Canada.
- I was the medalist at the 1985 MN State High School Golf Tournament.
- My daughter also works at the Minnesota Department of Health.
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Peter Ekadu is the PHPC for the Southeast Region. He holds a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration and a graduate degree in Human Resources Administration from Central Michigan University. Peter started his career at MDH in September 2020. He also serves as a liaison between MDH and local public health and diverse communities as part of the agency's COVID-19 response work. Prior to joining MDH, Peter worked at Nobles County local public health in the Southwest region as a Public Health Specialist and worked in a variety of areas, including serving as a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
Peter's two truths and a lie:
- I have been to 28 states in the United States.
- I love drinking bubble tea.
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I have one pet and he is a Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise mix dog called Case.
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John Bowen, an all hazards planner, within EPR, has recently been honored with the President's Award by the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers (AMEM). This recognition celebrates his extensive experience in the field of preparedness and response, as well as his outstanding contributions. Congratulations, John! |
Test-to-Treat
The Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with Cue Health is offering a telehealth test-to-treat (T2T) program to ensure anyone in Minnesota has access to care and treatments for COVID-19. Consultations are free to all and do not require insurance. This service is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CST), seven days a week. Medications for COVID-19 may have a cost, but patient assistance programs are available to help cover additional expenses. Most patients will be able to obtain medications for free or at a low cost. Anyone in Minnesota can access the program, regardless of their citizenship or residency. A state ID is not required. To find more information on accessing the program, please visit COVID-19 treatment in MN - Cue Health.
Coordinating communications during an emergency: Joint information centers (JIC)
Coordinating the flow of information internally and externally during an emergency response is vital. Getting the right information to the right people at the right time helps them make well-informed decisions that maximize safety and health. Sharing information with the public during an emergency can become complicated when many partners are involved in the public information response. This is why joint information centers were created.
A joint information center – also called a JIC – is an information management structure that provides a centralized place to collaborate on and share emergency public information. A JIC can be virtual or in a physical location. It gets information for the public from command operations and other aspects of the response; JIC members are not part of the command planning process. A new JIC is opened for every incident, which means more than one JIC can be operational at a time.
Access to a JIC is by invitation, and invitations are based on the emergency. Only people who are designated during a response by their agency incident command to fill the public information officer or public affairs role for an emergency are members of a response JIC (virtual or in person). These PIOs can work together in a JIC to establish unified messaging, share and edit documents, monitor the situation, and participate in discussions to ensure that public messaging is consistent statewide. Information shared or developed in a JIC may be used to share with media, local stakeholders, and other response staff.
During the COVID-19 response, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) activated a virtual JIC for key partners in local public health and tribal health. In this virtual space, MDH was able to post resources, such as talking points, print materials, news releases, and other information updates. People serving in a PIO role at the local level could use information and resources posted in the JIC in their communities to help share vital health information about COVID-19 that was also consistent with other messaging coming out from the statewide response.
For more information about JICs and incident command (links below require having or registering for an account with MNTrain):
IS-702.a – National Incident Management System (NIMS) Public Information Systems
IS-100.C: Introduction to the Incident Command System, ICS 100
Joint Information Center for COVID-19 Preparedness
For more information about risk communication: Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)
Two Truths and a Lie Answers
Julia's lie: I have never been on a snowmobile.
Katie's lie: I’ve swam across Lake Geneva in Alexandria.
Julie's lie: trumpet player and Doc Serverinsen, jazz trumpeter met prior to a performance in Fargo, ND.
Kayla's lie: I have been skydiving in three different states.
Michelle's lie: My favorite fruit is cantaloupe.
Cassidy's lie: I can play the ukulele.
Sue's lie: I was the medalist at the 1985 MN State High School Golf Tournament.
Peter's lie: I love drinking bubble tea.
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