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The quarterly PIHOA E-Newsletter features news, upcoming events, and resources for the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands health community.
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Pacific Island Health Officers Association
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A message from the PIHOA Executive Director
Dear Pacific Colleagues, Partners and Friends,
2016 was a time of great transition for PIHOA. In early 2016, we relocated the PIHOA Guam office to a new location (414 West Soledad Avenue, GCIC Building Suite 800, Haganta) after many years of being graciously hosted by the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services. A heartfelt thank you to Director Jim Gillan and the Guam DPHSS team for hosting the PIHOA Guam team! PIHOA’s relocation of the Guam office enabled expanded support to the region, and would not have been possible without Guam DPHSS’ continued support and commitment to PIHOA and to the region. Thank you, Director Gillan! 2016 also marked PIHOA’s first full year at its new downtown Honolulu office location (737 Bishop Street, Pacific Guardian Center, Suite 2075).
We also welcomed new PIHOA staff members Andrea Whitt, Office and Program Support Officer (Guam), and Elisa Dunlap, Accountant (Honolulu), in February and July, respectively. We also welcomed to the PIHOA Guam Office, Kelsey Pistotnik, of CDC’s Immunization Program, joining Peter Judicpa, also of CDC Immunization; Dr. Thane Hancock, CDC Office of Public Health Preparedness and Readiness’s Regional Career Epidemiology Field Officer, and Dr. Haley Cash, CDC NCD Epidemiology Contractor from CDC Chronic Disease Program. PIHOA’s partnership with CDC continues to grow in strength to ensure strong technical support for the Pacific, and culminated in a momentous umbrella partnership cooperative agreement established in July 2016 between PIHOA and CDC, hosted by the CDC’s Office of State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support Office. This new umbrella partnership cooperative agreement will pave the way for expanded and improved CDC support to the region’s health priorities, and stronger ties between CDC and PIHOA leadership.
PIHOA also celebrated its 30th anniversary with a tremendous turn-out of HHS, WHO, SPC, DoD, ASTHO, UH, APHL, Hawaii DOH, regional professional association, and other regional partner organization leadership at the August PIHOA Executive Board Meeting and 30th Anniversary Celebration Dinner – a time of reflecting back over the last 30 years of work and achievements, and setting the course for health priorities for the next 30 years. For the first time in many years, there was nearly a 100% participation of all the PIHOA executive and associate members! What an achievement! Also, at the August meeting, a historic MOU was signed between PIHOA and APHL, sealing over 10 years of a critically vital partnership to strengthen laboratory services in the Pacific, and continuing to pave the way for improved support for laboratory services. A most sincere thank you to all of you who supported and participated in our August 2016 meeting and 30th anniversary celebrations!
Last but not least, the dedication and unflagging commitment of the PIHOA staff continued its exponential growth in 2016. With nearly 150 years of combined professional experience in the field, PIHOA staff implemented the following in 2016: 1) Health Careers Training Opportunities/Doctors and Dentists for Tomorrow Program at the College of Micronesia – National Campus ; 2) Nurse Practitioner Training Program at the RMI MOH; 3) HR Management Training, Coaching and Mentorship Program; 3) Electronic Health Records/Open EMR Project; 4) Lab Quality Management Systems, Microbiology Skill-up, and Strengthening Medical Labs Towards Accreditation Training Programs; 5) administration of the USAPI Lab Specimen Referral Mechanism and Lab Revolving Fund; 6) Data for Decision-Making/Field Epidemiology Training Program; 6) Public Health Professionals Continuing Education Program at the College of Micronesia national and state campuses; 7) TB Lab Quality Assessments; 8) Lab Shippers and Packers Training and Re-Certification Program; 9) HRSA Primary Health Care Shortage Provider Needs Assessments, including updates to USAPI HRSA HPSA/MUA/P scores and primary care provider site certifications; 10) NHSC recruitment; 11) Regional Zika Surge Response and Preparedness Project; 12) strategic engagement with lead technical partners and funders in the region; as well as provision of on-going, on-site technical support in the following areas: 1) health information and performance management systems for departments of public health and community health centers; 2) health policy development and mapping; 3) grants management and administration; 4) chronic and communicable disease epidemiology and surveillance; 5) HR strategic planning and workforce development; and 6) regional leadership development. What a packed 2016, and this list is not even exhaustive!
The PIHOA team and I look forward to a fruitful 2017, continued strong partnerships, open conversations, and meaningful collaborations to enhance the health and well-being of our Pacific people, and to find ways to strengthen our health systems.
Many Blessings to all of you for a great 2017, and thank you all so much for your continued support!
-Emi Chutaro, PIHOA Executive Director
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Regional Zika Surge Response Project Team Update
The Regional Zika Surge Response team currently has 11 field staff embedded in American Samoa, Kosrae, FSM and Majuro, RMI working as subject matter experts within the fields of: epidemiology, administrative support, lab support, IT and nursing. The team is expected to grow in staff and additional support.
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Mr. Ken Williams (on the far right) discussing larvacide in Kosrae with staff (Issac and Wilson) and Mr. Kinsey McFadden, PIHOA's Zika Response and Emergency Preparedness Administrative Specialist
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The Regional team has aided support to American Samoa, RMI and FSM national with Zika 101 messaging, providing presentations/ trainings, technical support for staff in the field. The regional team also liaisons with outside organization’s to help provide jurisdictions with additional support. Most recently the team has brought on a vector control specialist, Mr. Ken Williams.
Mr. Williams and the team recently visited Kosrae where he trained the department of health’s vector control staff on mosquito larvaciding and adulticiding methods. PIHOA provided Kosrae with two (2) foggers and ample treatment supplies, created a routine schedule for spraying and proper ways to document release of chemicals in an area. Continue reading for the article on the Vector Control spray and clean up in Kosrae.
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Palau Medical Internship Training Program Underway!
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On Friday, December 16, 2016, the Palau Medical Education Workshop was concluded at the Professional Development Center (PDC) Office. The training was conducted by skill building experts from Fiji National University (FNU). Among the esteemed trainers were Dr. Sinead Kado, Dr. Janet Louise Young, and Dr. Linda Phyllis Sweet. Between December 12-16, nine (9) medical doctors of different specialties and eleven (11) nursing supervisors were trained on teaching skills, competency development in students, the models of learning, how to establish learning needs, action learning cycles, basics of facilitation, feedback model, teaching procedural skills, teaching with patients, microskills teaching, communication skill building, and more.
The overall objectives of the training were to describe contemporary theories of learning, identify learning needs and develop relevant learning objectives, plan appropriate learning activities for different learners at various stages of learning, demonstrate effective teaching by using principles of active learning, apply principles of giving effective feed-back, and to use reflection to evaluate teaching and enhance learning. The Palau Ministry of Health is now a step closer toward the implementation of the Internship Program for 2017! A big thank you to the Palau MOH Pulse Newsletter for its contribution to this article. For more articles from the Palau MOH Pulse Newsletter, please visit the Palau MOH Website Here.
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Human Resources Management (HRM) 2.0 Workshop
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The Human Resources Management (HRM) 2.0 Workshop was held on November 8-10, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The workshop allowed HR managers to review what progress had been made over the past three (3) years in developing and progressing Human Resources in Health Departments in the Jurisdictions that are affiliated with PIHOA. Workshop participants reviewed the key principles contained in the HRM Rapid Assessment Tool as a guide for HRM Development. This gave workshop participants the opportunity to collaborate on an HRM Plan that has regional relevance and can be used by the jurisdictions for their own plans. The workshop also assisted each jurisdiction in the development of a Draft HRM Plan which outlines the key objectives for the next 4 years through 2020 and the strategies that will help in delivering on the goals. The HRM 2.0 workshop wouldn't have been possible without
the great efforts and assistance from the following consultants; Dr. Ian Rouse, Mr. Vimal Vikash, and Ms. Mindy Sugiyama.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
is quite clear on the significance of an appropriate HR workforce as one of the key pillars of a strong Health System. A dynamic Human Resource Management system is a fundamental building block to ensure that the Human Resources needed for Health are recruited, trained and retained.
The purpose of the PIHOA-ASTHO Human Resources Management (HRM) for Health Project, which formally ended on June 30, 2016, has been to strengthen health agency human resource (HR) units in American Samoa, the FSM and the Marshall Islands. The objectives of the Project are to work with health agencies to 1) strengthen/develop their respective HR manuals, 2) develop strategies to roll out and implement HR policies, procedures and forms, 3) strengthen/develop a strategic HR Plan that complements the agency’s overall Strategic Health Plan and 4) work with the agency how human resource information systems (HRIS) facilitate the gathering and managing of HR information. The grant process has been facilitated through select mentoring, in-country HRM coaching and HRIS training.
Since the 59th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting in the RMI (March 2016), PIHOA has conducted HRM Coaching consultancies at health agencies in the FSM States of Kosrae (2), Pohnpei (3), and Yap State (2) and in Majuro, RMI (3).
Through the new PIHOA-CDC Cooperative Agreement (OSTILTS), the HRM Project will continue working with select USAPI jurisdictions with view to strengthening overall Human Resources for Health planning.
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Thank You to All of the HRM 2.0 Workshop Participants for Improving the HR Workforce in the USAPIS!
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Vector Control Spray & Cleanup in Kosrae, FSM
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The purpose of the vector control spray and cleanup in Kosrae, FSM was for PIHOA to follow-up and coordinate with the ongoing efforts by CDC. This visit makes the second visit by PIHOA since the Zika cleanup project began after first visiting to assess the situation and meet with the FSM health departments and policy makers. Sites visited in Kosrae for the vector control cleanup include, c
entral dump, s
andpits, i
llegal dumps (11), v
ector breading grounds, c
ommunity cleanup, the
PHEP program, the l
ab and the clinic.
The PIHOA team involved in the vector control cleanup consists of Mr. Kinsey McFadden, Zika Response and Emergency Preparedness Administrative Specialist, Ms. Jada Walton, Zika Response and Health Education Coordinator, and Mr. Ken Williams, Vector Control Specialist.
Working through, by and with all of Kosrae, the Zika project continues. Massive cleanup efforts have begun through the leadership of the national and local government, by the people of the Kosraen communities and with the support of CDC, PIHOA and other partners. Key activities underway in Kosrae include, subject matter experts trainining local pest sprayers, EPI team conducting surveillance, local community leaders leading the cleanup efforts, conducting sandpit cleanups, and door-to-door public health education.
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Sand pit found in Lelu gets treated with larvacide
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One of the many illegal dump sites found in and around Kosrae
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Tires still a nuisance found throughout the islands
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Local community do their part by cutting and cleaning road sides
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CNMI NCD Hybrid Survey is Completed and an NCD Data Dissemination Workshop is Held for Data-Driven Planning!
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Community members from CNMI use their new NCD baseline data to identify priorities and plan for action.
CNMI successfully completed its first ever NCD adult population-based survey this year, and now has baseline data. On October 24-25, an NCD Data Dissemination Workshop was held in CNMI.
The purpose of this workshop was to introduce community members and stakeholders to the new data available in CNMI, and work with these individuals to use these data to identify key priorities and plan for action. The final report on the survey findings will soon be available publicly.
This was the first pilot “hybrid” survey conducted in the USAPIs. Multiple agencies within CNMI, as well as external domestic and international partners worked together to develop a hybrid survey tool that met CNMI’s chronic disease and risk factor data reporting needs.
This project was led by Becky Robles (NCD Bureau Administrator) and Amber Mendiola (Diabetes Coordinator) from the CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation. Technical Assistance was provided by Dr. Haley Cash, PIHOA’s NCD Regional Epidemiologist.
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Data for Decision Making Program Update
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Epi-Tech candidates work hard on their data-sets during the most recent DDM modules in Kosrae (left) and Yap (right).
A lot of progress has been made in delivering the Data for Decision Making (DDM) program this past year. This is a program that is accredited by Fiji National University in which participants can earn an Epidemiology Technician Certificate.
The program is made up of 4 one-week modules delivered in-country, as well as an independent epidemiology project that must be completed and passed in order to receive a certificate. Here is the progress:
- Delivery in Pohnpei complete: 3 from National and 5 from Pohnpei completed and passed the program
- Modules 1-4 have been delivered in Yap and Kosrae; the independent projects will be completed in February 2017 during a one-week in-country workshop
- Modules 1 and 2 have been delivered in American Samoa; the remaining modules and independent projects will be completed in 2017
- Requests to PIHOA for DDM Program delivery have been received from Chuuk and Marshall Islands; delivery will begin in these jurisdictions in 2017
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DDM-804 and DDM-805 Courses Successful in Pohnpei, FSM
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Data for Decision Making Courses for DDM-804, Independent Applied Epidemiology Project and DDM-805, Epidemiology and Computers were conducted from June through October 2016 in Pohnpei, FSM. The completion of these courses in Pohnpei mark several milestones. This is the first time that DDM has been delivered in its entirety, on-site within a single jurisdiction. It is the first time DDM has been delivered following a formal planning workshop and an MOU with senior leaders from the hosting health agencies and to a “critical mass” of participants within the two participating agencies. This is also the first time that the full program was delivered in a concentrated fashion over one year.
Following completion of DDM delivery in the other FSM States, the success of the program in terms of meeting senior leaders’ expectations, affordability, generating projects that are actually put to use, and producing epi technicians who are more adept at their data-related functions will be formally evaluated. Out of the original cohort of 17 candidates, 8 (47%) completed all of the five courses successfully completing the entire program, while several more are just one course or one project submission away from completion. PIHOA would like to thank the following DDM instructors, Afeke Kambui (FSM DHSA), Monica Huang (ASTHO), Marcus Rennick (ASTHO), Delpihn Abraham (PDHS) and PIHOA’s own Dr. Mark Durand.
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Regional Zika Surge Response Project Team Attend the 5th FSM NCD Summit in Pohnpei!
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The Regional Zika Surge Response Project Team attended the 5th FSM NCD Summit in Pohnpei, FSM. The Zika Project Team who attended consisted of Ms. Alison Amoroso, Zika Response Project Manager, Mr. Kinsey McFadden, Zika Response and Emergency Preparedness Administrative Specialist, Ms. Jada Walton, Zika Response and Health Education Coordinator, and Ms. Andrea Whitt, PIHOA's Guam Office and Program Support Officer. PIHOA was recognized several times throughout the summit for all of the organizations work with FSM. The Zika Project Team was asked by FSM’s Secretary of Health, Magdalena Walter to present an update on Zika in the islands during the conference. Ms. Walton gave a presentation to FSM health professionals and organization stakeholders regarding the most updated information on the Zika Virus, preventative measures, modes of transmission and potential outcome.
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The Regional Zika Surge Response Project Team met with FSM Secretary of Health, Magdalena Walter and Mr. Marcus Samoa, FSM Assistant Secretary of Health during the summit in Pohnpei, FSM.
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During the summit in Pohnpei, the Regional Zika Surge Response Project Team also had the opportunity to meet with WHO's Dr. Ko Eunyoung.
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DDM Fun in American Samoa
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We have a fun-filled DDM themed photo from left to right of Mr. Scott Anesi, American Samoa
Epidemiologist, Ms. Leiema Hunt, American Samoa DDM participant and Dr. Mark Durand, PIHOA's Regional PM/QA/QI and Health Information Management Systems Coordinator. Ms. Hunt received her Certificate of Completion of the second DDM course, Outbreak Detection & Response in September 2016. Congratulations to all of the American Samoa DDM participants!
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The Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands (CCPI) held their bi-annual meeting on December 10-15, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Among the CCPI meeting participants were PIHOA Board Members, Magdalena Walters, Secretary of Health for the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs, Livinson Taulung, Director of Health for Kosrae State Department of Health Services, and Martina Reichhardt, Director of Health for Yap State Department of Health Services. Also in attendance were Emi Chutaro, PIHOA's Executive Director and Dr. Haley Cash, PIHOA's NCD Regional Epidemiologist for the USAPIs.
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Photos from the 7th Annual Bilateral Health Summit in American Samoa
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Local & National Events
February 6-7, 2017
Pacific Islands Infectious Disease Conference
Location: Tumon, Guam
February 7-9, 2017
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
March 4-7, 2017
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
March 15-17, 2017
March 27-31, 2017
61st PIHOA Executive Board Meeting
Location: Saipan, CNMI
March 30-April 1, 2017
April 3-5, 2017
April 24-26, 2017
April 25-28, 2017
Location: Atlanta, GA
June 4-8, 2017
Location:
Boise, Idaho
June 11-14, 2017
Location:
Providence, Rhode Island
September 20-21, 2017
Location:
Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.
November 4-8, 2017
Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
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If your agency or organization would like to contribute to
the Quarterly PIHOA newsletter, please
contact us
. Content should be of interest to public health professionals in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, and should concern the public health and healthcare system field and related activities.
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