Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

ASPR Blog

Category: Hospital Preparedness

Oct30 HHS Provides Guidance to Help Persons with Disabilities Return to the Community after a COVID-19 Diagnosis Author: Cheryl Levine, PhD, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Emmy Nye Program Specialist, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evlaulation (ASPE) Published Date: 10/30/2020 3:13:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery; Care-coordination activities are especially important to reconnect persons with disabilities to their communities when they are discharged after a COVID-19 related hospitalization, isolation, or quarantine. Ensuring that persons with disabilities have meaningful access to community life requires nurses, medical social workers, case managers, and other discharge professionals to overcome additional obstacles presented by the public health emergency including limited staff, support services, and the changing needs of persons with disabilities who are recovering from COVID-19. Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Sep22 Clinical Synergies of New Medical Countermeasures in Burn Care Author: Burn Medical Countermeasures Team, Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Medical Countermeasures, HHS/ASPR Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Published Date: 9/22/2020 12:36:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; Response & Recovery; BARDA-supported Burn Products Could Help Enhance Patient Outcomes in Everyday Burn Care and Improve Preparedness for a Mass Casualty Incident Earlier this summer, a burn patient received a minimally invasive skin graft using two BARDA-supported burn care products in tandem, an enzymatic debridement product and a product that promotes skin regeneration. Together these products helped a patient with second degree burns covering much of his body recover quickly – so quickly that he was back to working in his garden after just a few weeks. Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Aug25 Promoting Better Shelter Safety during Peak Fire Season Author: HHS/ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and CDC National Center for Environmental Health Published Date: 8/25/2020 5:13:00 PM Category: Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery; Hospital Preparedness; Six Ways Emergency Managers and Shelter Providers Can Protect Wildfire Evacuees, Shelter Workers, and Volunteers during the COVID-19 Pandemic From 2009 to 2019, there have been an average of 64,100 wildfires annually, burning an average of 6.8 million acres each year, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. This year, wildfires present a tougher challenge to emergency managers and shelter operators, because shelters need to protect people Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Jun29 The Evolution of Influenza Preparedness during the COVID-19 Pandemic Author: Kristin L DeBord, PhD,Director, Strategy Division, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Published Date: 6/29/2020 1:12:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness; New Federal Strategy Brings Continued Focus to Modernizing the Domestic Development and Manufacturing of Life-Saving Influenza Vaccines On September 19, 2019, President Trump issued an executive order calling on public and private partners to modernize influenza vaccines to strengthen national security and public health. Today, I am proud to announce that the National Influenza Vaccine Modernization Strategy 2020-2030 has been released. This strategy is aimed at building domestic capacity and capability through the use of new technologies to speed up the overall Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Jun22 Why sepsis solutions can help COVID-19 patients Author: Kimberly Sciarretta, Ph.D., BARDA DRIVe Solving Sepsis Program Manager, and Meghan Pennini, Ph.D., Solving Sepsis Project Officer Published Date: 6/22/2020 3:02:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery; Assessing sepsis predictive technologies to aid in the pandemic response In the current pandemic, ICUs worldwide are caring for COVID-19 patients with life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction, in other words, sepsis. This trend provides a stark reminder that sepsis is likely to arise as a secondary confounder of any health security threat, whether in the current coronavirus pandemic or a future public health emergency. BARDA focuses on developing safe, effective medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, trea Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
May20 A Critical Time to be in Public Service: A Perspective from a Pair of Experienced Doctors Caring for COVID-19 Patients Author: Timothy G. Buchman, MD, and Steven Q. Simpson, MD, BARDA/DRIVe Published Date: 5/20/2020 11:44:00 AM Category: Medical Countermeasures; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; As critical care physicians, we can think of no more important time to be in public service than now. Across the country, thousands of healthcare professionals and scientists - not only from the private sector but also in the public sector - are fighting to save lives amid the worst pandemic the world has seen in the last 100 years. We are honored to count ourselves among both groups. As physicians we are treating COVID-19 patients in Intensive Care Units; as professors, we are teaching the next generation of critical care physicians, and while both roles are rewarding, we ar Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Feb15 Sepsis is Skyrocketing in the Medicare Population Author: Rick A. Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Published Date: 2/15/2020 9:19:00 AM Category: Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; New study reveals the shocking frequency, cost, and mortality of sepsis A recent study sponsored by HHS has returned some sobering findings: a 40 percent increase in the rate of sepsis-related hospital admissions among Medicare beneficiaries between 2012 and 2018 and as a result, costs are soaring despite a decreasing inpatient stay cost per patient. These findings, from the largest known sepsis study of Medicare beneficiaries ever recorded in the United States, ring a warning bell for the health of every American and for our healthcare system as a who Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Jan8 The skyrocketting need for speed: partnering to develop rapid diagnostic tests that protect patients from antibiotic resistant infections during disasters and every day Author: Rick Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Published Date: 1/8/2020 1:32:00 PM Category: Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; Innovations; Relatively minor injuries, like a cut that I got while gardening, can quickly become more serious if they become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Today, doctors often don’t have the diagnostic tests needed to inform patient care, and the tests that do exist may take too long to provide results. Without this vital information, doctors don’t have the information they need to ensure patients are getting the right antibiotics, serve as good stewards of antibiotics to prevent resistance, or when Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Dec17 The health security threat in my backyard: how my garden proved that the U.S. needs more, rapid, diagnostics for antimicrobial resistant infections Author: Rick Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Published Date: 12/17/2019 1:53:00 PM Category: National Health Security; Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness; Although a range of health security threats - from bad actors to new infectious diseases - loom and are always emerging, I fell victim to a threat in my own backyard: an antibiotic resistant infection. To complicate matters, I couldn’t get an accurate diagnosis until it was almost too late. But the delayed diagnosis didn’t just threaten my health – it also added to healthcare costs, led to the misguided use of antibiotics, and potentially threatened the health of other patients in a hospital. Last year, I cut my thumb while gardening. At first, I didn’t think much about Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Dec10 Preparing for the Next Pandemic Author: Robert Kadlec, MD, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Published Date: 12/10/2019 3:38:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Observances; Medical Countermeasures; Public Health Preparedness; End-to-end Solutions to Combat Next Influenza Pandemic Last year, many of us paused to recognize the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic that infected approximately one third of the world’s population and killed at least 50 million people. Yet influenza outbreaks and pandemics are not just some footnote of history. In just the last decade, we have faced three serious influenza-related incidents: a severe flu season in 2017 claimed the lives of 79,000 people, Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Nov6 Take a Shot at Decreasing Hospital Acquired Infections and Enhancing National Health Security Author: Domestic Policy Branch, HHS/ASPR Office of Strategy, Policy, Planning and Requirements Published Date: 11/6/2019 10:18:00 AM Category: National Health Security; Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; A Case for Encouraging Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Workers Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed approximately 675,000 people in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although that number is daunting, it doesn't take a pandemic for influenza to seriously threaten patient health. The disease burden for seasonal flu is still stunning 100 Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Aug30 HHS’ efforts better prepared Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands for Dorian Author: Mike Cote, Federal Health Coordinating Official and Regional Administrator Published Date: 8/30/2019 8:01:00 AM Category: Response & Recovery; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; Hurricane Dorian didn’t deliver the damage, destruction, and mass patient caseload to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that many people anticipated the storm would — and that’s a good thing. Nevertheless, Puerto Rico was ready for a hurricane in a way it has never been before thanks to the efforts by HHS’ Division of Recovery team. Over the past two years, federal and territory government agencies and non-government organizations have worked together to prepare Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands healthcare systems for hurricanes and other natural disasters. These Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Aug13 Expanding Your Partnerships to Enhance Medical Surge: Seven Ways to Engage Outpatient Care Settings Author: ASPR TRACIE Published Date: 8/13/2019 11:09:00 AM Category: Medical Countermeasures; Response & Recovery; Hospital Preparedness; Outpatient care settings - including federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), rural health clinics (RHCs), urgent care centers, home health and hospice agencies, and primary care provider practices - have a wide range of capabilities that could be used to save lives in an emergency, but are they integrated into our nation’s emergency healthcare response system? How can healthcare coalitions better engage outpatient healthcare providers to enhance disaster response? These are just some of the questions the experts from ASPR’s Technical Resources, Assistance Cen Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Jun13 Building a Better Network: Four Ways to Make Critical Connections Your Facility Could Rely on During a Medical Supply Shortage Author: Laura Kwinn Wolf, Ph.D., Director, ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Michael Eltringham, Stakeholder Engagement Analyst, ASPR Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Contract Support Published Date: 6/13/2019 8:26:00 AM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Exercises & Trainings; Response & Recovery; Public Health Preparedness; When Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, one unexpected challenge faced by the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector was maintaining production of medical gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon on the island of Puerto Rico. The power needs for such an operation exceeded available generators; so, for the duration of electricity outages in the area, novel plans had to be devised for the challenging transport and distribution of products across the island. Partners from the gas manufacturers, healthcare facilities, and the federal and territorial government closely coordinated Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Jun6 BARDA-supported Zika Virus Test Receives FDA Clearance; Ready for Clinical Laboratory Use Author: Rodney L. Wallace, Director, Detection, Diagnostics, and Devices Infrastructure Division, HHS/ASPR Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Published Date: 6/6/2019 10:36:00 AM Category: Innovations; Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness; The first commercially available Zika virus diagnostic, a product BARDA supported through its advanced research and development program, received authorization for marketing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 23. The test provides results from a blood sample in about four hours. Called the ZIKV Detect 2.0 IgM Capture ELISA, the test exemplifies the progress that is possible with public-private Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
May13 Capacity-Building Toolkit for Including Aging and Disability Networks in Emergency Planning Author: Cheryl Levine, PhD, Senior Advisor for At-Risk Individuals, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Published Date: 5/13/2019 11:03:00 PM Category: Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; Today, older adults and people with disabilities are better able to remain in their homes and live independently, thanks in part to the work of Community Based Organizations (CBOs). But when disasters strike, older adults and people with disabilities are among the hardest hit and they may not be able to effectively respond to, cope with, and recover from a disaster. If you are a part of the aging and disability networks, planning for disasters and emergencies and establishing the partnerships needed to better serve the people who rely on you can be daunting. How Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Mar15 Preparing for a Potential Domestic Ebola Outbreak Author: Robert Kadlec, MD, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Published Date: 3/15/2019 2:11:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Exercises & Trainings; Public Health Preparedness; Enhancing U.S. Healthcare System Preparedness and Public Health Emergency Response Capabilities Blog Series: Battling the Ebola Epidemic An Ebola outbreak that began more than seven months ago continues to claim lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Although international response efforts are underway to contain the outbreak at its source and prevent the spread of the disease to other countries, we must always be prepared for the possibility of an Ebola case in the United States. < Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
Feb19 Exhaustion in the ED and Beyond: Managing Supply Shortages and Staff Fatigue in Healthcare Facilities Author: Laura Kwinn Wolf, Ph.D., Director, ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Michael Eltringham, Stakeholder Engagement Analyst, ASPR Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Contract Support Published Date: 2/19/2019 10:54:00 AM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Blog Series: Anticipating and Managing the Challenges Associated with Supply Shortages The next time you face a supply shortage – from saline to syringes – brace yourself. Another shortage may be on the way: staffing. As we discussed in the first blog in this series, hospitals and healthcare facilities face supply shortages every day, and these shortages require staff to dedicate more time and resources so they can continue providing patient care Read more… Email link (0) Comment(s)
May21 EMS: A Critical Partner in Successful Community Disaster Planning and Response Author: Richard Hunt, MD Senior Medical Advisor, National Health Care Preparedness Programs, ASPR and John Hick, MD, Deputy Chief EMS Medical Director, Hennepin County Medical Center Published Date: 5/21/2018 11:43:00 AM Category: Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; National Health Security; During EMS Week, we want to draw attention to the vital role EMS plays in disaster healthcare and salute our Emergency Medical Services colleagues nationwide. We know that across the country, our EMS colleagues work on the frontlines of health, providing lifesaving services every day, even on the worst days in your communities. EMS is the first point of contact with medical services for millions of Americans, and with every call EMS professionals put years of training and education to use to make a difference. Your care saves lives. All too frequently, EMS must respond not j Read more… Email link (1) Comment(s)
Apr24 Healthcare Response to a No-notice Incident: Lessons Learned from Las Vegas Festival Shooting Author: Melissa Harvey, RN, MSPH, Director of the Division of National Healthcare Preparedness Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Published Date: 4/24/2018 3:48:00 PM Category: Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; National Health Security; On October 1, 2017, during the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, a gunman opened fired from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel on the crowd of concertgoers. He fired more than 1,100 rounds leaving 59 dead and 527 injured. Recently, ASPR staff spoke with responding agencies from the Las Vegas shooting to help identify lessons learned that can help other communities, specifically members of the nation’s 476 health care c Read more… Email link (2) Comment(s)
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Oct30

HHS Provides Guidance to Help Persons with Disabilities Return to the Community after a COVID-19 Diagnosis

Author: Cheryl Levine, PhD, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Emmy Nye Program Specialist, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evlaulation (ASPE)
Published Date: 10/30/2020 3:13:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery;

Care-coordination activities are especially important to reconnect persons with disabilities to their communities when they are discharged after a COVID-19 related hospitalization, isolation, or quarantine. Ensuring that persons with disabilities have meaningful access to community life requires nurses, medical social workers, case managers, and other discharge professionals to overcome additional obstacles presented by the public health emergency including limited staff, support services, and the changing needs of persons with disabilities who are recovering from COVID-19.

Clinical Synergies of New Medical Countermeasures in Burn Care

Author: Burn Medical Countermeasures Team, Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Medical Countermeasures, HHS/ASPR Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
Published Date: 9/22/2020 12:36:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; Response & Recovery;

BARDA-supported Burn Products Could Help Enhance Patient Outcomes in Everyday Burn Care and Improve Preparedness for a Mass Casualty Incident

Earlier this summer, a burn patient received a minimally invasive skin graft using two BARDA-supported burn care products in tandem, an enzymatic debridement product and a product that promotes skin regeneration. Together these products helped a patient with second degree burns covering much of his body recover quickly – so quickly that he was back to working in his garden after just a few weeks. Read more…

Aug25

Promoting Better Shelter Safety during Peak Fire Season

Author: HHS/ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and CDC National Center for Environmental Health
Published Date: 8/25/2020 5:13:00 PM
Category: Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery; Hospital Preparedness;

Six Ways Emergency Managers and Shelter Providers Can Protect Wildfire Evacuees, Shelter Workers, and Volunteers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

From 2009 to 2019, there have been an average of 64,100 wildfires annually, burning an average of 6.8 million acres each year, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. This year, wildfires present a tougher challenge to emergency managers and shelter operators, because shelters need to protect people Read more…

Jun29

The Evolution of Influenza Preparedness during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author: Kristin L DeBord, PhD,Director, Strategy Division, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Published Date: 6/29/2020 1:12:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness;

New Federal Strategy Brings Continued Focus to Modernizing the Domestic Development and Manufacturing of Life-Saving Influenza Vaccines

On September 19, 2019, President Trump issued an executive order calling on public and private partners to modernize influenza vaccines to strengthen national security and public health. Today, I am proud to announce that the National Influenza Vaccine Modernization Strategy 2020-2030 has been released. This strategy is aimed at building domestic capacity and capability through the use of new technologies to speed up the overall Read more…

Jun22

Why sepsis solutions can help COVID-19 patients

Author: Kimberly Sciarretta, Ph.D., BARDA DRIVe Solving Sepsis Program Manager, and Meghan Pennini, Ph.D., Solving Sepsis Project Officer
Published Date: 6/22/2020 3:02:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness; Response & Recovery;

Assessing sepsis predictive technologies to aid in the pandemic response

In the current pandemic, ICUs worldwide are caring for COVID-19 patients with life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction, in other words, sepsis. This trend provides a stark reminder that sepsis is likely to arise as a secondary confounder of any health security threat, whether in the current coronavirus pandemic or a future public health emergency.

BARDA focuses on developing safe, effective medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, trea Read more…

May20

A Critical Time to be in Public Service: A Perspective from a Pair of Experienced Doctors Caring for COVID-19 Patients

Author: Timothy G. Buchman, MD, and Steven Q. Simpson, MD, BARDA/DRIVe
Published Date: 5/20/2020 11:44:00 AM
Category: Medical Countermeasures; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness;

As critical care physicians, we can think of no more important time to be in public service than now. Across the country, thousands of healthcare professionals and scientists - not only from the private sector but also in the public sector - are fighting to save lives amid the worst pandemic the world has seen in the last 100 years. We are honored to count ourselves among both groups.

As physicians we are treating COVID-19 patients in Intensive Care Units; as professors, we are teaching the next generation of critical care physicians, and while both roles are rewarding, we ar Read more…

Feb15

Sepsis is Skyrocketing in the Medicare Population

Author: Rick A. Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Published Date: 2/15/2020 9:19:00 AM
Category: Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness;

New study reveals the shocking frequency, cost, and mortality of sepsis

A recent study sponsored by HHS has returned some sobering findings: a 40 percent increase in the rate of sepsis-related hospital admissions among Medicare beneficiaries between 2012 and 2018 and as a result, costs are soaring despite a decreasing inpatient stay cost per patient.

These findings, from the largest known sepsis study of Medicare beneficiaries ever recorded in the United States, ring a warning bell for the health of every American and for our healthcare system as a who Read more…

Jan8

The skyrocketting need for speed: partnering to develop rapid diagnostic tests that protect patients from antibiotic resistant infections during disasters and every day

Author: Rick Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Published Date: 1/8/2020 1:32:00 PM
Category: Medical Countermeasures; National Health Security; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; Innovations;

Relatively minor injuries, like a cut that I got while gardening, can quickly become more serious if they become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Today, doctors often don’t have the diagnostic tests needed to inform patient care, and the tests that do exist may take too long to provide results. Without this vital information, doctors don’t have the information they need to ensure patients are getting the right antibiotics, serve as good stewards of antibiotics to prevent resistance, or when Read more…

Dec17

The health security threat in my backyard: how my garden proved that the U.S. needs more, rapid, diagnostics for antimicrobial resistant infections

Author: Rick Bright, Ph.D., BARDA Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Published Date: 12/17/2019 1:53:00 PM
Category: National Health Security; Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness;

Although a range of health security threats - from bad actors to new infectious diseases - loom and are always emerging, I fell victim to a threat in my own backyard: an antibiotic resistant infection. To complicate matters, I couldn’t get an accurate diagnosis until it was almost too late. But the delayed diagnosis didn’t just threaten my health – it also added to healthcare costs, led to the misguided use of antibiotics, and potentially threatened the health of other patients in a hospital.

Last year, I cut my thumb while gardening. At first, I didn’t think much about Read more…

Dec10

Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Author: Robert Kadlec, MD, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Published Date: 12/10/2019 3:38:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Observances; Medical Countermeasures; Public Health Preparedness;

End-to-end Solutions to Combat Next Influenza Pandemic

Last year, many of us paused to recognize the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic that infected approximately one third of the world’s population and killed at least 50 million people. Yet influenza outbreaks and pandemics are not just some footnote of history. In just the last decade, we have faced three serious influenza-related incidents: a severe flu season in 2017 claimed the lives of 79,000 people, Read more…

Nov6

Take a Shot at Decreasing Hospital Acquired Infections and Enhancing National Health Security

Author: Domestic Policy Branch, HHS/ASPR Office of Strategy, Policy, Planning and Requirements
Published Date: 11/6/2019 10:18:00 AM
Category: National Health Security; Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness;

A Case for Encouraging Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Workers

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed approximately 675,000 people in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although that number is daunting, it doesn't take a pandemic for influenza to seriously threaten patient health. The disease burden for seasonal flu is still stunning 100 Read more…

Aug30

HHS’ efforts better prepared Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands for Dorian

Author: Mike Cote, Federal Health Coordinating Official and Regional Administrator
Published Date: 8/30/2019 8:01:00 AM
Category: Response & Recovery; Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness;

Hurricane Dorian didn’t deliver the damage, destruction, and mass patient caseload to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that many people anticipated the storm would — and that’s a good thing. Nevertheless, Puerto Rico was ready for a hurricane in a way it has never been before thanks to the efforts by HHS’ Division of Recovery team.

Over the past two years, federal and territory government agencies and non-government organizations have worked together to prepare Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands healthcare systems for hurricanes and other natural disasters. These Read more…

Aug13

Expanding Your Partnerships to Enhance Medical Surge: Seven Ways to Engage Outpatient Care Settings

Author: ASPR TRACIE
Published Date: 8/13/2019 11:09:00 AM
Category: Medical Countermeasures; Response & Recovery; Hospital Preparedness;

Outpatient care settings - including federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), rural health clinics (RHCs), urgent care centers, home health and hospice agencies, and primary care provider practices - have a wide range of capabilities that could be used to save lives in an emergency, but are they integrated into our nation’s emergency healthcare response system? How can healthcare coalitions better engage outpatient healthcare providers to enhance disaster response?

These are just some of the questions the experts from ASPR’s Technical Resources, Assistance Cen Read more…

Jun13

Building a Better Network: Four Ways to Make Critical Connections Your Facility Could Rely on During a Medical Supply Shortage

Author: Laura Kwinn Wolf, Ph.D., Director, ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Michael Eltringham, Stakeholder Engagement Analyst, ASPR Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Contract Support
Published Date: 6/13/2019 8:26:00 AM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Exercises & Trainings; Response & Recovery; Public Health Preparedness;

When Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, one unexpected challenge faced by the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector was maintaining production of medical gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon on the island of Puerto Rico. The power needs for such an operation exceeded available generators; so, for the duration of electricity outages in the area, novel plans had to be devised for the challenging transport and distribution of products across the island.

Partners from the gas manufacturers, healthcare facilities, and the federal and territorial government closely coordinated Read more…

Jun6

BARDA-supported Zika Virus Test Receives FDA Clearance; Ready for Clinical Laboratory Use

Author: Rodney L. Wallace, Director, Detection, Diagnostics, and Devices Infrastructure Division, HHS/ASPR Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
Published Date: 6/6/2019 10:36:00 AM
Category: Innovations; Medical Countermeasures; Hospital Preparedness;

The first commercially available Zika virus diagnostic, a product BARDA supported through its advanced research and development program, received authorization for marketing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 23. The test provides results from a blood sample in about four hours. Called the ZIKV Detect 2.0 IgM Capture ELISA, the test exemplifies the progress that is possible with public-private Read more…

May13

Capacity-Building Toolkit for Including Aging and Disability Networks in Emergency Planning

Author: Cheryl Levine, PhD, Senior Advisor for At-Risk Individuals, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
Published Date: 5/13/2019 11:03:00 PM
Category: Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness;

Today, older adults and people with disabilities are better able to remain in their homes and live independently, thanks in part to the work of Community Based Organizations (CBOs). But when disasters strike, older adults and people with disabilities are among the hardest hit and they may not be able to effectively respond to, cope with, and recover from a disaster. If you are a part of the aging and disability networks, planning for disasters and emergencies and establishing the partnerships needed to better serve the people who rely on you can be daunting. How Read more…

Mar15

Preparing for a Potential Domestic Ebola Outbreak

Author: Robert Kadlec, MD, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Published Date: 3/15/2019 2:11:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Exercises & Trainings; Public Health Preparedness;

Enhancing U.S. Healthcare System Preparedness and Public Health Emergency Response Capabilities

Blog Series: Battling the Ebola Epidemic

An Ebola outbreak that began more than seven months ago continues to claim lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Although international response efforts are underway to contain the outbreak at its source and prevent the spread of the disease to other countries, we must always be prepared for the possibility of an Ebola case in the United States.

< Read more…

Feb19

Exhaustion in the ED and Beyond: Managing Supply Shortages and Staff Fatigue in Healthcare Facilities

Author: Laura Kwinn Wolf, Ph.D., Director, ASPR Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Michael Eltringham, Stakeholder Engagement Analyst, ASPR Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Contract Support
Published Date: 2/19/2019 10:54:00 AM
Category: Hospital Preparedness;

Blog Series: Anticipating and Managing the Challenges Associated with Supply Shortages

The next time you face a supply shortage – from saline to syringes – brace yourself. Another shortage may be on the way: staffing. As we discussed in the first blog in this series, hospitals and healthcare facilities face supply shortages every day, and these shortages require staff to dedicate more time and resources so they can continue providing patient care Read more…

May21

EMS: A Critical Partner in Successful Community Disaster Planning and Response

Author: Richard Hunt, MD Senior Medical Advisor, National Health Care Preparedness Programs, ASPR and John Hick, MD, Deputy Chief EMS Medical Director, Hennepin County Medical Center
Published Date: 5/21/2018 11:43:00 AM
Category: Public Health Preparedness; Hospital Preparedness; National Health Security;

During EMS Week, we want to draw attention to the vital role EMS plays in disaster healthcare and salute our Emergency Medical Services colleagues nationwide. We know that across the country, our EMS colleagues work on the frontlines of health, providing lifesaving services every day, even on the worst days in your communities. EMS is the first point of contact with medical services for millions of Americans, and with every call EMS professionals put years of training and education to use to make a difference. Your care saves lives.

All too frequently, EMS must respond not j Read more…

Apr24

Healthcare Response to a No-notice Incident: Lessons Learned from Las Vegas Festival Shooting

Author: Melissa Harvey, RN, MSPH, Director of the Division of National Healthcare Preparedness Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Published Date: 4/24/2018 3:48:00 PM
Category: Hospital Preparedness; Public Health Preparedness; National Health Security;

On October 1, 2017, during the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, a gunman opened fired from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel on the crowd of concertgoers. He fired more than 1,100 rounds leaving 59 dead and 527 injured.

Recently, ASPR staff spoke with responding agencies from the Las Vegas shooting to help identify lessons learned that can help other communities, specifically members of the nation’s 476 health care c Read more…

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