The Express: February 2021

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Emergency

This issue of The Express highlights the following new resources:

We are thinking of our stakeholders in states hard hit by winter storms. Please refer to the recently updated HHS emPOWER Program for guidance on protecting the health of individuals who live independently and rely on electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment and devices, and/or essential healthcare services. The article Going with No Flow: Coping with Hospital Water Supply Issues and resources in the Lessons Learned: Extreme Cold and Plans, Tools, and Templates: Extreme Cold sections of our Natural Disasters Topic Collection may also be helpful.

Please continue to access our Novel Coronavirus Resources Page, the National Institutes of Health Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines, and CDC’s Coronavirus webpage, and reach out if you need technical assistance.

New: Planning Considerations for Monoclonal Antibody Administration

This tip sheet describes monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19 patients and highlights considerations for providers and for planning and allocation. The ASPR TRACIE presentation on Michigan’s Approach to Administration of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment and the ASPR NDMS Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Information Material (available on TRAIN.org) contain related information.

New: Identifying and Overcoming Healthcare Communications Vulnerabilities: Nashville, TN

While the Christmas morning recreational vehicle blast outside the AT&T transmission facility in Nashville did not cause a mass fatality incident, it significantly impacted healthcare communications throughout the region. This article describes the impacts, lessons learned, strengths, and challenges faced by two professionals with different perspectives of the Nashville healthcare system.

New: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Environmental Health and Safety for COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Hotels (Webinar)

The speakers in this webinar highlight how they prepared for, selected, and maintained operations and safety at hotels set aside to treat clients in COVID-19 quarantine and isolation (this document contains more information). Access the rest of the Healthcare Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic speaker series for related recordings.

Southeast Michigan 2020 COVID-19 Lessons Learned

This document describes the role of two Michigan trauma regions during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It can also be found on ASPR TRACIE’s COVID-19 Regional Support Resources pages.

This webinar (March 18, 1:30-2:45 PM ET) will feature presenters discussing their experiences and lessons learned from recent cybersecurity incidents. It builds upon our recently released Healthcare System Cybersecurity: Readiness and Response Considerations document and accompanying overview presentation that walks readers through the resource. Register today!

Save the Date: Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP) Annual Virtual Conference

Check out the agenda for this year’s AHEPP conference and join ASPR TRACIE on March 2, at 1:10 PM ET for our panel on Patient Distribution Issues and Strategies During COVID-19.

Subscribe to the Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection’s Bulletins

ASPR’s Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) offers a variety of bulletins to keep stakeholders informed during emergency response and steady state. These bulletins inform stakeholders about the most significant issues facing the Healthcare and Public Health Sector including cybersecurity, medical supply chains, COVID-19, and more. If you are interested in receiving CIP bulletins, visit the CIP bulletins subscription webpage.

COVID-19 Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice are a collaborative effort between ASPR, the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), and Project ECHO. These interactive virtual learning sessions aim to create a peer-to-peer learning network where clinicians from the U.S. and abroad who have experience treating patients with COVID-19 share their challenges and successes; a generous amount of time for participant Q & A is also provided. Access previous webinars and special topic sessions and sign up today to receive information on upcoming events.