COULEE REGION PUBLIC HEALTH CONSORTIUM MEETING

February 6, 2008

La Crosse County HHS Bldg, 300 4^th St N., La Crosse WI 54601

9:00 A.M.

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 9:04 a.m. and introductions were made. 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion by Sharon Nelson/Doug Mormann to approve the meeting minutes of January 2, 2008.  MOTION passed unanimously.

TRAINING EDUCATION REPORT

A calendar of events is maintained on the www.publichealthprepare.org website under the Resource tab in the Consortium section.  Brenda provided a handout discussing core competencies for public health professionals.  Emphasis is being placed on competencies.  Brenda will forward each agency their training status Excel work books which will include core and bio-terrorism competencies.  Brenda provided a timeline of meetings for the Mass Clinic/SNS (Strategic National Stockpile) Tabletop Exercise Design Planning Team.  The planning team will use the HSEEP tool kit to design the exercise.  Law enforcement, EMS and perhaps public works representation is needed.  A fact sheet handout was provided of the draft National Response Framework (NRF).  Brenda suggested sharing this information with county board representatives and staff.  Diane provided hard copies of the updated Playbook; a CD will be provided for emergency management and member agencies at the next meeting.  Diane will facilitate POD (Point of Dispensing) site assessments for each county in February and March.  John Ross will pilot a security plan template at the Black River Falls High School site.  Site evaluations will be completed as a team.  Alternate dispensing sites will be identified and assessed at a later date.  The assessments need to be done by mid-April.  Brenda will be working with each agency to complete the identification the 16 ICS (Incident Command System) positions.  Non-Health Department personnel can fill the positions.  Seven additional SNS positions will also need to be filled.  Security plans will also need to be developed for each site.  Brenda suggested that funding may need to be expended to fulfill training requirements and to develop some of the plans.  All go-kit supplies are provided to date.  Only gloves and N95 masks need to be ordered for stockpiled PPE; we are waiting on the state expert panel recommendations.  Brenda suggested replacing the existing battery flashlights in the go-kits of four agencies with crank flashlights.  The old flashlights can be used in the health department offices.  Brenda will also put together data on the go-kits so when specialized items need to be ordered the information will be available.  Bob suggested crank radios with cell phone chargers for the go-kits.  They run approximately $50.  Brenda has two Wisconsin road maps available per agency.  Additional maps can be picked up free of charge at WI visitor centers along he Interstate.  .  Joe Cordova will be attending the April 2^nd Consortium meeting to complete SNS Local Technical Assistance Review with us.  Dave Geske will speak at the March 5^th Consortium meeting.  

EPIDEMIOLOGIST REPORT

Derek presented information on EPI-X.  EPI-X is identified in the Pan Flu three year work plan.  It is a tool intended to help epidemiologists and public health communicate.  Public Health is authorized to have access.  To gain access, contact Derek or the regional office representative.  Once registered on EPI-X, subject specific daily e-mails can be received.  CDC (Centers for Disease Control) archives are available.  Access to the program is computer specific.  It provides global, national, state and local resources.  An Avian Flu training focused on bird flu in birds will be scheduled in the future for our region.

FISCAL AGENT REPORT

Al reviewed the 2008 budget sheet.  It was noted that supplies are being purchased for agency members that are being charged out of the Consortium operating supplies line item.  Some of the unallocated funds may need to be transfer to offset these expenses.  The group discussed the policy on equipment purchases.  The State staff have stressed that the unallocated funds need to be expended.  It would be difficult to bring and vote on every expense.  Al suggested distributing the funds to member agencies.  Several options were discussed.  Al and Doug will put together options using the 80/10/10 State formula for members to vote on at the March meeting.  A summary of potential expenses, such as POD kits, exercise funding and operating supplies will also be provided.

WI HOSPITAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM (WHEPP) REPORT

Bob reported that WHEPP is supplementing funding for an OJA grant for ambulance services to purchase two-headed radios that will cover 95% of the cost.  Contact Bob for Paul Wittkamp if interested.  Additional vents are being shipped to small hospitals.  Every hospital in the state will have at least one vent.  Medical PAPRs are ordered.  Many hospitals are purchasing PAPRs instead of N95 masks.  The PAPRs eliminate the need to conduct fit testing.  Small issues are being addressed with WITRAC before a total roll out.  Funding for burn training and supplies are being offered.  The training will enable hospitals to hold a burn patient for a day or two if there are no burn center beds available.  Resource requests from other states or regions are being looked at.  Marge McFarland has been contracted to be the HSEEP Coordinator.  A final draft will be available soon for the countermeasures for anti-viral.  Anti-viral will be distributed through treatment centers and not mass clinics.  Melissa Moore of Fort Mc Coy has been reassigned.  The late February exercise at Ft. Mc Coy has been cancelled.

SWRTAC REPORT

Greg was unable to attend the meeting and sent this report.  Pediatric backboards are in and will be distributed at the February 21^st SWRTAC meeting.  Child Seat Technician training is scheduled at the La Crosse Center for March 10-12 and SWRTAC can fund up to 20 people.  Contact Karen Everman at

715/346-0055 or at www.wcpsa.com.  The next SWRTAC meeting is February 21^st at Franciscan Skemp at 9:00 a.m.

ROUNDTABLE

Brenda surveyed each emergency manager/agency regarding the WEM exercise and public health information campaign.  Chris discussed the differences in dealing with the SNS, mass clinic, and Pan Flu.  Doug will have Diane forward information on the upcoming legislative gathering.  Jen reviewed all the three year plans and developed a month by month plan to address particular topics.  She is also utilizing the form that Diane provided that keeps track of the objectives that have been worked on for that month.  Sharon reported meeting with Derek, Tom and Pam regarding the Monroe County Pandemic Flu Tabletop scheduled for April 17^th.  Red Dragon tabletop takes place tomorrow.  Tom, Pam and Sharon are attending the EOC training on Wednesday and ICS400 on the 14^th-15^th.  Sharon will forward information on the EOC training to the other members.  Derek reported participating on a NACHHO webcast yesterday.  The webcast discussed a Pan Flu exercise that follows HSEEP.  He will review and bring to the Pan Flu groups.  Heather reported that information on their mass dispensing sites is due to the State on February 15 – they have received very little guidance.  Heather discussed Take 5 which is a forum to bring people together that had been affected by the flood.  The SNS Technical Assistance Review document was discussed.  It will be utilized during Joe Cordova’s visit in April.  Diane will e-mail the assessment that was completed by member agencies.  Brenda demonstrated that following the Review document along with the 3 year SNS plan is helpful.  Additional staff members are encouraged to attend the April meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

Next meeting date is March 5, 2008.  Motion by Chris Hovell/Jennifer Rombalski for adjournment.  MOTION passed unanimously.  Meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

The above minutes may be approved, amended, or corrected at the next Committee meeting.

Diane Panzer, Recorder