Full Text
(cont’d on page 2) (cont’d on page 2) THREE’S COMPANY – THREE CITIES, THREE SITES, AND A THIRD YEAR FOR ONE The Orange County Health Care Agency’s (HCA) sixth annual Point of Dispensing (POD) exercise was conducted on Friday, October 21, 2011. Planning for the exercise began in February 2011 as HCA worked with the cities of Anaheim, Dana Point, and Placentia to identify and develop POD sites within their cities. These plans were tested by providing free seasonal influenza vaccinations to the public. With over 25 city and volunteer response organizations participating in this event, 1,248 residents received their seasonal influenza vaccination amongst the three sites, which were: Sunkist Community Church in Anaheim, the Capistrano Unified School District Bus Depot in Dana Point, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Placenta. Operated and managed by local city response staff, along with site staff and key volunteer response groups, each location was able to effectively maintain and manage operations during the two hour operational period. Sunkist Community Church – City of Anaheim A Committed Response Group in Anaheim This year marked the third year the City of Anaheim has hosted a POD exercise. Sunkist Community Church served as the ideal location in hosting this exercise as both the site staff and the site itself, proved to be the cornerstone to the success of the POD operation in Anaheim. The staff was comprised of 112 representatives from the City of A n a h e i m ’ s E m e rg e n c y Preparedness Department, the Anaheim Fire and Police Departments, and volunteers from Sunkist Community Church, November 2011 Page 1 of 3 Health Care Agency The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) - City of Placentia Providing Services to Others in Placentia Serving the community is a core value of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). Not to be outdone by their counterparts in the City of Anaheim, the LDS Church in the City of Placentia served as host to the 2011 POD exercise. POD planning in Placentia began in February 2011 and resulted in planners from the City of Placentia, the Placentia Police Department, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and the LDS Church Staff coming together in order to meet the needs of the community. Also there to lend a hand during the exercise were representatives from the Health Care Agency along with Placentia CERT and RACES volunteers. RACES volunteers conducted a stellar radio check/call down prior to the exercise, DTP 505 David L. Riley Agency Director Eric G. Handler, MD, MPH Public Health Officer Command Staff and Section Chiefs conduct an Operations Briefing Patients check in at the walk through area Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Bus Depot – City of Dana Point Ensuring a Safe and Healthy Environment in Dana Point With a commitment to ensuring the safety and health of their residents, the city of Dana Point hosted the 2011 POD exercise at the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Bus Depot. Led by city of Dana Point staff, 96 representatives from the Orange County Sherriff’s Department (OCSD), the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), and HCA, along with the city of Dana Point began working in March of 2011 to organize and manage the POD exercise. Utilizing a large queuing area within the Bus Exercise evaluators look on as the POD staff conduct operations POD signage informs the patients of the POD process Contact Information Terre Duensing Division Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Erik Lowman Preparedness/Grants Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Deborah Morton, RN, BSN, MPH Planning Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Keith Olenslager, MPH Pandemic Preparedness Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Prity Thanki, MPH Bioterrorism Program Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Dorothy Hendrickson Hospital Preparedness Program Manager [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Elizabeth Daoust, MPH, MEP SNS Coordinator [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Raul Sobero, Dr.PH, MPH Grants Coordinator [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Alison Kellman-Lewis, MSc. CRI Coordinator [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Amy Ashland HEOC Coordinator [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Health Care Agency Copyright© 2011 All Rights Reserved Recapping the 2011 POD Exercise (cont’d on page 2) Logistics provides a much needed vaccine resupply Unified Command staff discuss management tactics ---PAGE BREAK--- Depot Parking lot, the Dana Point POD planning team established three vaccination lanes staffed with nursing staff volunteers from Saddleback College Nursing program, Concordia University School of Nursing, and the MRC. A small walk through area was also established for those who walked, took the bus, or for those staff supporting the operations. Designed solely as a drive through POD, the Dana Point POD management staff were able to quickly assess and modify the site plan prior to and during operations. Utilizing the resources available to them, the Dana Point POD management staff quickly realized that all nurses and student nurses on site could provide vaccinations to any visitor in the family line or adult line. Thus, all lanes were able to process any car that entered the site, eliminating the need to screen vehicles based on the demographics of those within the car. As a result of this modification, the Dana Point POD site had an average throughput time of 8 minutes per car in the drive through. The nursing staff within these two dispensing areas provided 317 residents from the city of Dana Point and surrounding areas their seasonal influenza vaccination. alerting all staff that the exercise would begin soon. Providing the vaccinations were student nurses from Stanbridge College School of Nursing and nurses from the MRC. In total, 104 POD exercise staff worked collaboratively to support site operations during the two and a half hour operational period. With a majority of the response activity focused on patient movement, traffic control, staff safety, and the ability to get vehicles into the parking lot quickly, the Unified Command, which consisted of OCFA, Placentia Police Department, and HCA staff, worked together to quickly assess site needs and make modifications to the site plan throughout the event. A walk through area located inside the church was established to provide services to both site staff and residents walking onto the site. The Placentia POD staff was able to vaccinate 439 visitors and had an average throughput time of 10 minutes per car in the drive through and 7 minutes per patient in the walk through. DTP 505 Page 2 of 3 LDS - City of Placentia (continued) Sunkist Community Church - City of Anaheim (cont) Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Bus Depot – City of Dana Point (continued) November 2011 the Anaheim Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) groups, Cypress Community College Nursing Students, and the Orange County Health Care Agency and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Operating within a unified command structure, the response staff was able to manage the POD site and ensure adequate patient movement throughout the operation. Planned mainly as a drive through POD site, the plan called for visitors to enter the site off of E. South Street and drive through a designated entry point where they would complete their form, get screened for any allergies or prior reactions, and then be directed to one of five dispensing lanes providing vaccinations. Lines for both adults and families to receive their vaccinations were provided in the drive through, with a walk through option available for those who lived near the site. Cypress Community College Nursing Students along with MRC volunteer nurses worked in unity to vaccinate 492 people while the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim CERT volunteers provided security and maintained patient movement. This coordination resulted in an average patient throughput time of 7 minutes per car in the drive through area and 6 minutes per patient in the walk through area. The HCA Unified Command representative provides an overview of POD operations Vaccination staff prepare to vaccinate the next visitor in the drive through Security Branch staff assess traffic flow patterns Vaccinators work together to manage the vaccine and supplies Patient forms are completed and reviewed for allergies and contraindications Seasonal Influenza vaccine is stored and monitored to ensure cold chain is maintained A walk through area is established for patients and POD staff A walk through area is established for patients and POD staff Drive through patients line up for their flu vaccination ---PAGE BREAK--- A Very Special Thanks To 2011 POD Exercise - By The Numbers • Anaheim Fire Department • Anaheim Police Department • Anaheim RACES • California State University, Fullerton School of Nursing • Capistrano Unified School District • CARE Ambulance Service • Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) • City of Anaheim • City of Dana Point • City of Placentia • Concordia University School of Nursing • Cypress College School of Nursing • Dana Point RACES • Doctor’s Ambulance Service • Emergency Ambulance Service • Orange County Fire Authority • Orange County Health Care Agency • Orange County Medical Reserve Corps • Orange County Sherriff’s Department • North Orange County Community College • Placentia RACES • Placentia Police Department • Saddleback College Nursing Program • South Orange County Community College District • Stanbridge College School of Nursing • Sunkist Community Church • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Placentia Number of POD sites exercised Number of response organizations involved Total number of staff Vaccines dispensed at CUSD Bus Depot Vaccines dispensed at Sunkist Community Church Vaccines dispensed at The Church of Latter Day Saints Page 3 of 3 November 2011