February 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to the Vermont Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coalition Newsletter

February 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 Announcements and Upcoming Events

Photo Credit: AbsolutVision via Unsplash

**VHEPC Quarter 3 Full Coalition Meeting**

Click on the flyer to register
**February 9, 2023**
**10:00AM EST to 12:00PM EST**

**VDH Presents: Candida Auris Resistant Organisms Hai Webinar**

Click on the flyer to register
**February 2, 2023**
**12:00PM EST**

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

Click on the flyer for the Zoom link
**February 23, 2023**
**7:00PM EST**

**Vermont’s Project Firstline: Ask the Expert**

Click on the flyer for the Zoom link
**March 2, 2023**
**12:00PM EST**

Webinars and Education

CDC Response Update Call for STLT Jurisdictions

During the call, CDC response leadership will provide emergency response updates and respond to participant questions. The STLT Task Force will not be sending a calendar invitation for this call.

Monday February 6, 2023 from 2:00PM to 2:45PM EST

Connect Here

PHEP Connects Legal Preparedness Series, Part I: the Past, Present, and Future of Legal and Administrative Preparedness

Presenters will provide an overview of legal and administrative preparedness principles for public health emergencies and explore the tools and training resources currently available to health departments. Speakers will also discuss how recent emergencies and developments in the legal landscape may change how preparedness planners address these challenges in future responses. In preparation for an administrative preparedness town hall session at the 2023 NACCHO Preparedness Summit, the presenters will invite webinar participants to share innovative strategies they have deployed to overcome legal and administrative barriers to response over the past three years.

Wednesday February 8, 2022 from 1:00PM to 2:00PM

Connect Here

Interventions to Address Particle Pollution and Heart Disease (Part B)

OASH is hosting a session that will cover how the reduction of fossil fuel combustion aligns with cardiovascular disease prevention. The speakers will provide examples of community infrastructure that can mitigate the effects of particle pollution on cardiovascular health and identify resources to advance systemic solutions.

Thursday February 9, 2023 from 12:00PM to 1:00PM

FDA Drug Topics: An Overview of Color Additives in Drug Products - Regulation and Enforcement

This webinar will give an overview of FDA's regulation and enforcement of color additives in drugs, including certified and certification exempt color additives, and how the certification process works. In addition, you will learn about why color is added to drug products, the different types of color additives, the color additive petition process, and how a color additive is listed for use in drugs. Finally, they will discuss labeling requirements for color additives in drug products and how FDA enforces these regulations.

Tuesday February 28, 2023 From 3:00PM to 3:45PM

VHEPC Executive Committee Announcement

We wanted to thank Art Groux for his work and support with the VHEPC Executive Committee, Members and Partners. He will be stepping away from his role as a Member At-Large. Thank you for everything!
We will need to fill the Member At-Large role for the remainder of the Executive Committee term (to June 2024). We will begin collecting nominations today (February 2nd) through Thursday February 16th. Please provide nominations in the survey listed below. Reach out to vhepc@allclearemg.com with any additional questions or special election information.

Nominate Here

Training Corner

Find the latest trainings and resources here.

Rural Health Information Hub and Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Launch Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit

The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub), in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, is announcing the release of the Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit. This new toolkit was developed to help rural and tribal communities, healthcare facilities, and other organizations serving rural populations access evidence-based and promising models and resources to support emergency planning, response, and recovery efforts. With National Rural Health Day approaching later this week, the partners look forward to supporting rural areas with this new tool.

Learn more

Vermont’s Project Firstline: Special Pathogen Network PPE Master Training

Train the Trainer Donning & Doffing

April 17, 2023 from 11:00AM to 2:00PM

L0146 Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program (HSEEP)

St Michael’s College

Prerequisite: IS-120

Registration required via the State Learning Management System: https://vermont.csod.com/

If someone does not have a Learning Management System (LMS) account please have them register for an account at the following link: https://vermont.csod.com/selfreg/register.aspx?c=%255e%255e%255eQGm2wxcSUvINsXvXjRYs1A%253d%253d

Once the account request is accepted they will need to send their prerequisite certificate of completion of IS-120 to the following email address: DPS.EMHSTraining@vermont.gov

April 1-2, 2023 from 8:00AM to 4:30PM EST

The American Hospital Association has released a cross-sector field guide on disaster and emergency preparedness

The Convening Leaders for Emergency and Response (CLEAR) Field Guide for Emergency Preparedness seeks to align and unite the collective first responder system. It provides a set of aligned priorities, tangible strategies, real-world examples, resources and action steps that health care and public health can implement — together — to strengthen the nation’s emergency management systems.

Learn more about the CLEAR Field Guide today: https://www.aha.org/aha-clear/field-guide-for-emergency-preparedness.

Download Here

Vermont Department of Health: Project Firstline On-Demand Training

The trainings are specifically designed for:

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Providers
Environmental Service (EVS) workers
Nursing (RN, CNA, LPN, etc.)
Advanced practitioners (MD, DO, PA, etc.)

Developed for healthcare workers by healthcare workers, these trainings are meant to provide engaging and practical infection prevention and control education. Many of the trainings will be eligible for continuing education credit.

All trainings are free and action oriented. They are designed to help you become a change agent for your organization to improve infection prevention and control practices.

Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN) Training Materials

Visit the webpage below to view free online trainings on radiological and chemical events

Learn more