SCWIHERC General Membership Meeting November 4, 2020 Notes
Meeting recording (expires May 4, 2021): https://transcripts.gotomeeting.com/#/s/d6b15298f36934f6312486e2957d822d8628f6199003b08f25da175c27eea927
Doug Hill gave an update on COVID-19 Crisis Standards of Care, including the work being done by the State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC). The state is expected to release guidance that mimic’s that of the National Academy of Medicine for COVID-19 vaccination priority groups. Refer to the following documents:
Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine from the National Academy of Medicine:
https://www.nap.edu/read/25917/chapter/1
This figure is on page 30 of the PDF. Wisconsin’s guidance is likely to mirror this approach:
(Share Ethical standards document here)
Kevin Wernet gave an update on Mortuary Affairs and mass fatality planning. Key points:
Reach out early to your local EM if you have needs (body bags, cold trailers)
Observe practices that respect the decedent.
Move decedents out of their unit bed. If there is no room in your morgue, consider meeting the funeral home director at an entrance rather than bringing them into your facility and onto the patient care units. Leaving the decedent on the unit and having the funeral home pick up from the unit directly increases their exposure and PPE burn rate.
Kevin also gave an update from the PPE task force.
Key message: every N95 mask that is discarded instead of decontaminated is one less mask we have during this pandemic and for flu season. If internal resources are not available for decon, everyone is eligible to use the Battelle System.
See Respirator Reuse Guidance: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p02699.pdf
Email Kevin with any questions on these topics: kevin.wernet@wisconsin.gov
Updates
Hospitals- please fill out the Match survey to capture hospital involvement in real events and exercises. It takes about 10-15 minutes if you have your AAR handy. We use this information to capture your in-kind efforts to meet our required 10% match of our federal grant. Link: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3321278/WHEPP-Exercise-and-Real-Event-Report-F-02007-01-2017
SCWIHERC COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Functional Exercise is rescheduled for December 9, deadline to register is November 25. To be determined if we will have a spring exercise. Healthcare Recovery TTX that was originally scheduled for spring 2020 may be postponed to fall 2021 depending on vaccination efforts.
We are offering a virtual condensed public information officer 4 hour course soon. This course does not replace the G290 PIO curriculum (a 16 hour course), but offers a training for partners in PIO roles that have not been able to take formal training. The goal is to balance current demands due to COVID surge with the need to deliver this course in time to use the skills learned when communicating with the public regarding COVID-19 vaccination efforts. We conducted a poll during the meeting to determine when to schedule the course. Update: January was the top choice, we are looking at scheduling in early-mid January.
There are also many virtual training offerings available to keep up on your skills and knowledge since we cannot offer in-person trainings at this time. Refer to
Center for Domestic Preparedness Virtual Instructor-Led Training: https://cdp.dhs.gov/vilt
Wisconsin Emergency Management virtual offerings (in purple): https://www.trainingwisconsin.org/Schedule.aspx
The list produced by Svea Erlandson and Mariel Torres, our WI DHS Training and Exercise Coordinator and Specialist.
HERC Virtual Training Resources
We resumed our weekly SCWIHERC COVID-19 discussion and gave organizational updates.
Meeting attendance:
Brad Armstrong, UPH Meriter
Diana Quinn, SSM Health
Jodi Moyer, Beloit Health Systems
Nathan Bubenzer, UPH Meriter
Sharon Warden, Mile Bluff Medical Center
Alice Salli, Mendota Mental Health Institute
Alison Chouinard, Rock Co Health Dept
Angie Cohen, Grant Regional Health Ctr
Ben Eithun, UW Health/AFCH/SCWIHERC
Bill Ritzer, Reedsburg Area Medical Center
Brian Allen, Southwest Health
Carrie Meier, Dane County EM/EMS
Dave Larson, Madison VA
Deanna Wright, Memorial Hospital of Lafayette Co
Debbie Siegenthaler, Iowa County Health Dept
Diana Arneson, Rock County
Donna Haugom, Jefferson County EM
Gail Scott, Jefferson Co Health Dept
Steve Haskell, UW Health
Jane Gervais, Adams Co EM
Jodie Molitor, Sauk Co Health Dept
Jon Erdmann, Divine Savior
Josh Kowalke, Reedsburg Area Ambulance
Julie Leibfried, Lafayette Co Health Dept
Kacey Kronenfeld, Madison Emergency Physicians
Kate Stauffacher, Recover Health
Ken Kaiser, Grant Regional Health Ctr
Brenda Koehler-Borchardt, Watertown Regional Medical Ctr
Kristin Osterday
Laura Kane, UW Health
Leslie Cody, Allay Home and Hospice
Lisa Herritz, Ho Chunk Nation Health Dept
Patrick Monckton, Southwest Health
John Pettey, St. Mary’s Madison
Bob Swenarski, St. Mary’s Janesville
Sally Blackbourn, Memorial Hospital of Lafayette Co
Sam LaMuro, Fort Health Care
Sharon Foley, Divine Savior
Stephanie Novak, Marquette Co Health Dept
Tina Strandlie, Stoughton Hospital
Anna Taylor, Monroe Clinic
Carmen Luther, Reedsburg Area Medical Center
Lyle Kratochwill, Richland Hospital
Ashley Vickers, Mercy Walworth
Mary Crowley, Juneau County Health Dept
Guests: Doug Hill, WI DHS Crisis Standards of Care; Kevin Wernet, Wisconsin Emergency Management
Facilitated by Jennifer Behnke