Contents
  • PHEP Notes
  • Healthcare Coalition Notes
  • PHEP Deliverables Due
  • Progress Report Extensions
  • Upcoming WebEx Schedule
  • Flu Vaccine Resources
  • Communications Trailer
  • Deliverables Due This Quarter
PHEP Notes
We recently hosted a visit by our preparedness partners from the CDC's Office of Public Health and Response (OPHR). Ije Obunse is our project officer who assists us with our PHEP funding and Mark Davis, the branch manager overseeing all project officers and their duties, visited September 11 - 13. Our staff welcomed the opportunity to have conversations with Mark and Ije about our programs and how we utilize our PHEP funds to build our preparedness and response capacities in public health.

Even better, we had the pleasure of showing them another piece of Montana. The road to Havre impressed them with the expanse of land that lay between towns and homes. They also took in the smokey views above Ft. Benton. In Havre, they were also impressed with the hard working people in public health emergency preparedness.

Our CDC partners met with 9 counties and 4 tribes to discuss their experiences with PHEP. When planning the trip, they had specifically asked to visit with local jurisdictions and tribal nations. They were interested in how they worked together in Montana to compare with other states. Because they were in Montana for such a short time, the Hi-Line seemed the best choice.

They asked a few questions and listened a lot. Their comments following the four hour session seemed to indicate a singular appreciation of frontier public health. Ije and Mark heard about both the frustration and the gratefulness they have with PHEP. In all, we were assured that PHEP funding was important to getting their health departments to where they are today.

The PHEP staff that attended the meeting in Havre realized that we don't properly celebrate our achievements. As a result, we would like you, our local and tribal partners, to tell us your success stories in PHEP. How has PHEP made your health department better? What can you do now that wasn't possible without PHEP funding? Has your place in the emergency management community changed? Please let us know. Send Kevin an email with your story, include as many details as you can, and don't be afraid to brag. This will help us demonstrate to others how important public health emergency preparedness is to communities.
Healthcare Coalition Notes
Montana’s three Regional Healthcare Coalitions (RHCC), and their corresponding Executive Committees have been busy. Bylaws are close to becoming finalized, regional hazard vulnerability assessments and preparedness plans are in the works, and grant applications are out to facilities.

The RHCCs are offering preparedness grants to healthcare facilities and emergency medical services (EMS) in their respective Coalitions. Grant awardees must meet certain deliverables, which are outlined in the application. Any grants received must be used to benefit your region as a whole. Some good examples of this are training or exercise opportunities that are offered to the entire region.

The Montana Healthcare Preparedness Program (HPP) has also been hard at work helping facilitate the success of the Coalitions. The HPP office, along with the RHCC Executive Committees, will hold Regional Meetings throughout the state in October. If you have further questions regarding the RHCCs, Regional Meetings, the grant application, or anything healthcare preparedness related, please contact Don McGiboney at dmcgiboney@mt.gov or Bryan Tavary at bryan.tavary@mt.gov.
 

PHEP Deliverables Resources (PDR)
Web Page
Many of you have already visited the web page (PDR)containing many of the items you need for completing your quarterly PHEP requirements. For those you haven't, you can click the link at the right to find it. Be sure book mark the page in your browser to easily find it again.

The purpose of this page is to make it easier for access materials. With SharePoint so secure behind the Citrix portal, several local and tribal jurisdictions have trouble accessing it. Nothing on SharePoint is going away.  All the documents you have stored are there along with all the other materials you can vind on the PDR. 
Extensions for Progress Reports
All work on deliverables must be completed within the quarter it is due. The 15 days between the end of a quarter and the report due date is reserved for gathering information and completing the report. If you have problems getting the information together before the report is due, you can request an extension. A jurisdiction must make an extension request before the end of the quarter.

Extensions are limited to 30 days from the end of the quarter unless unusual circumstances exist. All requests for extensions must be submitted using the web form and be approved by Kevin. Click the icon above or follow the following link to complete the request form:  https://phep.formstack.com/forms/phep_extension. The link is also found on the PDR website and the SharePoint site.
 
COOP Position Open
DPHHS PHEP has an opening for a Continuity of Operations Program Coordinator. This Emergency Management Specialist position is responsible for continuity of operations plans for the department among other planning and exercise preparedness activities. To see the full description, click this link or copy and paste in into your web browser.

Communicable Disease Bureau WebEx Training Opportunities

10/10 @ 9:00 am and 10/12 @2:00 pm
Helen McCaffrey
“HIV Reporting, Testing, and Lab Interpretation”

10/17 @9:00am and 10/19 @2:00 pm
“An overview of pool chemicals and their proper storage, along with common problems seen with chemical storage.”

Watch for the individual flyers from Margaret Souza with the join links. For more information, call 444-3011 Margaret Souza
Resources for Influenza Vaccines
Preparing for your POD exercises for off-site flu clinics and will mean gathering information about this season's influenza vaccine.  A summary of the 2017-2018 influenza vaccine recommendations are available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/2017-18summary.htm. Influenza resources, including patient education, vaccine benefits, and information about how the flu spreads, can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm

Additionally, Susan Reeser, RN, BSN Nurse Consultant from the Montana Immunization Program will present on Influenza Vaccine Update 2017-2018 on Thursday, October 12th at 12:00 pm. To login to the meeting, use the information below:

Access code: 807 837 823
Audio: Use the “Call Me” feature after you login to WebEx.

Consider sharing these flu resources with your health partners as you plan your flu messaging, influenza POD exercise and off-site clinics!
PHEP Supports Montana Fire Fighting Efforts 
With wildfires popping up everywhere in Montana, DPHHS was called on to provide communications for a fire at Lolo Peak. Short of resources and shackled with limited communications capabilities, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) was looking for options to support their fire-fighting operations. Having heard about the PHEP DPHHS communications trailer, they made the request and it was deployed in July to support communications at the Heli-base at the Lolo Peak Fire Complex. 

The communications trailer is equipped with a self-pointing satellite dish, phone system, satellite phone, a VHF radio, and Internet capabilities. The trailer can even provide “Wireless and Wired” networks that connect to the Internet. A portable Yamaha generator provides electrical power for the trailer communications.

The fire crews at Lolo Peak are impressed with the performance of the trailer and are very appreciative of DPHHS and the PHEP section for letting them use such a valuable resource in their time of need. 

The trailer was deployed for two months with no problems. In fact, it has worked so flawlessly and simple, one of the operating crew described it as simply “babysitting.” It just works. It is now back in Helena and being cleaned up for it's next adventure.

If you are interested in using the communications trailer for an emergency response, exercise, or training, please contact Kevin O'Loughlin at koloughlin@mt.gov or 406-444-1611.
Required Deliverables Due 2nd Quarter
Administration
A1 - Maintain the Montana Public Health Directory

Budget & Miscellaneous
B2 - In-Kind and Direct Estimates

Epidemiology
E1 - Identify Key Surveillance Partners (KSP)
E2 - Conduct Active Surveillance with KSP
E3 - Routinely Disseminate Information
E5 - Reconcile Cases with DPHHS Staff
E6 - Evaluation of Local Disease Surveillance Data
E7 - Maintain 24/7 Communication System

Food & Water Safety
F3 - After-Hours Contact Information for Sanitarians Integrated into 24/7 System

Health Alert Network
H1 - HAN Distribution
H2 - HAN Plans & Protocols
H3 - Local HAN Contacts
H5 - Redundant Tactical Communications to Local Facilities
H6 - Redundant Tactical Communications to State DOC

Immunization
IZ1 - Immunization Off-Site Influenza Clinics
IZ2 - Influenza Partners & Communication

Laboratory
L1 - Complete CBAT Kit Checklist

Planning
P2 - Community Preparedness
Your PHEP Team
Kevin O'Loughlin       PHEP Section Supervisor                          
                                  444-1611     koloughlin@mt.gov
 
Rita Karnopp             Admin Assistant                    
                                  444-0919     rkarnopp@mt.gov
 
Dan Synness              Fiscal Specialist           
                                  444-6927     dsynness@mt.gov
 
Matt Matich               EMC/SNS Coordinator                      
                                  444-6072     mmatich@mt.gov
 
Gary Zimmerman       Exercise Coordinator              
                                  444-3045    gzimmerman@mt.gov

Gerry Wheat              HAN Coordinator
                                  444-6736     gwheat@mt.gov
 
Luke Fortune             Planning & Training Lead                 
                                  444-1281     lfortune@mt.gov
 
Ian Thigpen               Risk Communications Coordinator
                                  Surge Plan Coordinator                    
                                  444-0931     ithigpen@mt.gov
 
Margaret Souza         Distance Learning Coordinator           
                                  444-3011     msouza@mt.gov
 
 
Hospital Preparedness/Healthcare Coalitions
 
Don McGiboney          HPP Supervisor          
                                  444-5942     dmcgiboney @mt.gov
 
Bryan Tavary              Asst. HPP Coordinator       
                                  444-3898     bryan.tavary @mt.gov

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DPHHS PHEP| 406-444-0919 | MTPHEP@mt.gov