August 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to the Vermont Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coalition Newsletter

August 2023

As a valued partner of the Vermont Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coalition (VHEPC), you will receive this quarterly newsletter highlighting coalition business, upcoming events and preparedness resources. As a reminder, we recommend that you bookmark the VHEPC website calendar and check it often. We are continually curating the calendar with meetings, trainings and exercises.

Our Mission

Our coalition is a multi-disciplinary partnership collaborating with our members, stakeholders, and surrounding communities to improve and expand emergency preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. The VHEPC works with healthcare entities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies in the state of Vermont.

**VHEPC Quarter 1 Full Coalition Meeting (Hybrid)**

In-person Registration, **CLICK HERE**
Online Registration, **CLICK HERE**

**2023 National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference**

VHEPC has funding available to register active coalition members to attend the upcoming 2023 National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference.
**If you are interested in attending, please complete the survey,** **HERE**.

**Vermont Severe Weather/Flooding Feedback**

We are hoping to collect your feedback on the recent Severe Weather/Flooding incident that began 7/7/2023. The purpose of this survey is to identify strengths and areas of improvement noted during the State's response.
**Please complete the survey,** **HERE**.

**Vermont EMS for Children: Pediatric Case Review**

Meeting information will be made available on the VHEPC website, HERE.
**The next case review will be in late August.**

**Hospitals & Healthcare: What are you currently planning for?**

We are looking to collect information on the current plans that hospitals and healthcare facilities are working on. We plan to post this on the website for VHEPC members to access and reach out to facilities/organizations for help or guidance, if needed. Please provide current planning efforts within the survey link below.

Add Plans Here

Webinars and Education

Maintaining Patient Access to Care in Rural America

The webinar will focus on the implementation and successes of the AZ Resource Equity and Access Coordination Hub (REACH) program, which serves as a patient transfer system that can be quickly mobilized during a variety of public health events.

Tuesday, August 8

2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

CDC PHEP Connects: The Impact on Public Health Due to Power Outages - Part II

Presenters will discuss how power outages related to emergencies such as wildfires, hurricanes, and winter storms, whether planned or unplanned, create significant challenges for federal, state, and local communities.

Wednesday, August 9
1:00 PM ET

Contextualizing Our Understanding of Mental Health and Substance Use

This webinar will describe a contextual framework for understanding mental and substance use conditions supporting person centered/culturally relevant care.

Thursday, August 10

2:00 PM ET

QIN-QIO LINKS: Supporting Communities with Opioids and Pain Management

Hear from community-based programs in Ohio, Maryland, and Maine who will share their successful approaches to supporting communities with opioids and pain management through harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

Thursday, August 17

3:00PM to 4:00PM ET

Pediatric Emergency Preparedness Seminar

This one-day emergency preparedness seminar will provide a broad overview of potential care needs for the pediatric patient involved in an emergency/disaster situation. The seminar will include information for medical, trauma, and safety response specific to the most vulnerable population in any emergency—children.

Participants must register for either the in-person (face to face) or virtual session. Registration and cancelation can be managed through the NYSDOH Learning Management System at: www.nylearnsph.com.

Wednesday September 20, 2023

9:00AM to 4:00PM (Doors open for registration at 8:30AM)

University at Albany ETEC Building

1220 Washington Ave, Albany, NY, 12226

2023 Vermont Emergency Preparedness Conference

You can now register: 2023 Vermont Emergency Preparedness Conference Registration

September 20th – 21st at Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center

Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS) - Regional Webinars

The RDHRS envisions a coordinated, resilient and seamless system of partners working together to ensure the healthcare needs of the public can be met in times of disaster. At all levels of the RDHRS, activities aim to optimize clinical surge capacity and, provide appropriate clinical and healthcare operational expertise to support healthcare disaster response planning. Within the Regional Webinars, specific topics including Family Reunification, the Ebola Outbreak, Pediatric Respiratory Illness and much more have been recorded for healthcare education!

Access the online webinars, below!

Learn More

2023-24 VHEPC Executive Committee

Please welcome our 2023-24 VHEPC Executive Committee. Over the past year, we have held two special elections to fill the Member At-Large roles. Your Executive Committee is as follows.
Chair: Alissa Fontaine (NVRH)
Co-Chair: Jonathan Scott (VDH)
Member At-Large: Emma Harrigan (VAHHS)
Member At-Large: Charlie Miceli (UVMHN)
Member At-Large: Heather Rigney (VDH)
Member At-Large: Abby Spiegelman (RRMC)

Committee Member Bios

Training Corner

Find the latest trainings and resources here.

Vermont Emergency Management Newsletter

Vermont Emergency Management (VEM)

Vermont Emergency Management sends out a monthly newsletter that informs Emergency Preparedness workers about statewide trainings, exercises, conferences and other activities. To sign up for their monthly newsletter, please click on the link here: https://list.vermont.gov/mailman/listinfo/dps.vemtraining.

To view the most recent VEM Newsletter, please click on the button below.

Newsletter Here

New Hampshire Monthly Training Newsletter

State of New Hampshire

Most of the classes are tuition free and help prepare the responders, citizens, volunteers, and decision makers to prepare, prevent, mitigate, respond and recover from emergencies. You can get the most updated list of training for HSEM at https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=1055.

To view the most recent NH Newsletter, please click on the button below.

Newsletter Here

Region 1 Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS)

The Region 1 Disaster Health Response System (R1 RDHRS) exists to develop innovative mechanisms that link experts in healthcare disaster response with other key healthcare, governmental and community partners and stakeholders to improve coordination of planning and response activities and support optimal patient care during disasters.

For more information on their resources and services, visit the site linked on the button below.

Learn more

IPRO QIN-QIO Upcoming Events

QIN-QIO

The IPRO QIN-QIO works to ensure high-quality, safe health care in New England, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

To become involved with their trainings and resources, enroll with them below

Enroll Here