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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response

This issue of The Express highlights the following new and updated resources:



• MRC Voices from the Field-Rhode Island Behavioral Health and MN HOSA MRC Camp (New Speaker Series Recordings)
• Alerting and Communication and Information Management (New Chapters in Hospital Readiness and Response: An Online Guidebook)
• The Exchange, Issue 22—Good Connections: Using Telehealth in Emergencies and Beyond and Virtual Medical Care (Updated Topic Collection)
• Medical Leadership in Disaster Preparedness and Response (Virtual Conference Recording)

Many of you are planning for or have already experienced heat waves and severe weather. We invite you to take some time to review our Natural Disasters Topic Collection which includes links to air quality resources, lessons learned, and plans, tools, and templates on extreme heat, fire/wildfire, floods/landslides, and tornadoes. Please reach out to us if you need technical assistance or have a resource to share. 

Two New MRC Voices from the Field Speaker Series Recordings

ASPR TRACIE is pleased to announce that, together with the Office of Medical Reserve Corps (OMRC), we have launched the MRC Voices from the Field Speaker Series! The inaugural recording features Brooke A. Lawrence (Executive Director, Rhode Island MRC & Training, Innovation & Leadership Institute) describing the RI Behavioral Health MRC Trauma Response team, including how it leveraged existing factors and applied lessons learned to strengthen MRC planning, coordination, deployment readiness, and post-incident recovery support. The recording on MN HOSA MRC Camp features Tristen Rothrum (Event Operations Manager) and Summer Hagy (State Director) discussing the three day, in-person, hands-on, intensive camp that takes place at Camp Ripley (Minnesota National Guard) and helps high school MN HOSA members explore careers in the emergency medical field. 

Alerting and Communication and Information Management (New Chapters of Hospital Readiness and Response: An Online Guidebook)

Alerting appropriate personnel is a critical first step to a hospital’s successful response to any emergency. Adequate, accurate information management underpins an effective, efficient incident response. The new Alerting and Communication chapter of the Guidebook addresses the systems used for internal communications and alerting as well as the design of initial notifications, while the focus of the Information Management chapter is on unscripted communications specific to an incident that is developed or directed by leadership to shape situational awareness, enhance trust, and inform staff, patient, and public actions. Check out the rest of the Online Guidebook for other chapters.  

The Exchange, Issue 22—Good Connections: Using Telehealth in Emergencies and Beyond 

This issue highlights the many ways lessons learned during the pandemic have been incorporated into the provision of virtual healthcare in a variety of settings, from New York City and Washington, DC, to rural Georgia and Northern California (with a focus on virtual pediatric care). Access the recently updated Virtual Medical Care Topic Collection for related plans, tools, templates, and promising practices. 

Medical Leadership in Disaster Preparedness and Response (Virtual Conference Recording)  

Access the recording of the Disaster Preparedness and Response Virtual Conference, co-hosted by ASPR TRACIE and the American College of Emergency Physicians in May, and featuring individuals who have a medical direction role during disasters discussing the spectrum of medical leadership responsibilities and some of the specific challenges of the role. Topics included:  

• Navigating downtime 
• Using data for action  
• The new disaster medicine subspecialty 
• Crisis standards of care
• Health care surge tools