2010 National Immunization Conference Thinking Outside the Org Chart: Working Across Program Lines to Improve H1N1 Communications 2010 National Immunization Conference April 22, 2010 Jacqueline Valenzuela, MPH CHES Kim Harrison Eowan, MPH CHES Julia Heinzerling, MPH

Learning Objectives By the end of this presentation, participants should be able to: Describe the organizational context of ICS and COMM Branch activation during Los Angeles County’s H1N1 response Discuss the skills, programmatic capacities, and collaborative efforts that enabled COMM Branch staff to meet goals List two (2) lessons learned from COMM Branch deployment

Organizational Context

Organizational Context

H1N1 Response: April–June 2009 H1N1 is identified as a threat to public health LAC declares state of emergency DPH moves into ICS ICS created & staffed 3 phases of federal funding released WHO declares H1N1 to be a pandemic

Incident Command Structure (ICS) Incident Commander Planning Operations Logistics Finance Public Information Officer Board Liaison Safety Officer

DPH Vaccine Planning Groups Push Pull Communications Schools Physicians Workforce Finance

H1N1 Response: Oct - Dec 2009 Department Operations Centers activated DPH Continuity of Operations Plans activated Points of Dispensing & other activities conducted H1N1 vaccine available to priority groups only DPH praised and reprimanded

Incident Command Structure (ICS) Incident Commander Planning Operations Logistics Finance Public Information Officer Board Liaison Safety Officer

ICS Operations Section Surveillance Intervention Vaccine Communications Schools

ICS Communications Branch Responsibilities Health Education Materials Inquiry Management Clinical Messaging

ICS Communications Branch 28 Staff Available to COMM from throughout DPH Acute Communicable Disease Control Community Health Services Emergency Preparedness and Response External Relations and Communications Health Education Administration Immunization Program Information Technology Program Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Office of the Medical Director Tuberculosis Control Program

ICS Communications Branch Communications Branch Director Health Education Materials Development & Approval Production Dissemination & Storage Inquiry Management 2-1-1 Speakers’ Bureau Clinical Messaging Guidance & Advisories CA Health Alert Network Liaison with Professional Organizations

Skills, Capacities, Collaborations Subject matter expertise Existing resources and networks Ability to apply health education principles Health behavior theory Cultural & linguistic competency Plain language Risk communication

Skills, Capacities, Collaborations New Infrastructure Improved capacity to efficiently… Communicate amongst staff housed at different locations Develop and approve branded print materials Fulfill speaking requests Disseminate information to key partners Developed mechanisms for… Translation and translation review Training of internal & external staff to discuss H1N1

Ongoing Efforts Continuing guidance to 2-1-1

Ongoing Efforts Tailored campaign targeting African Americans

Challenges Silos, silos, silos! Unfamiliar job duties and skill sets Lack of fluency in certain administrative processes Lack of redundancy Burnout

Triumphs Over 40 print materials, web content, PSAs, and training materials in 12 threshold languages were created New internal collaborations were forged Existing relationships with community partners were strengthened DPH staff were challenged to learn new skills

The Bottom Line[s] Health education principles must stay at the forefront of message development despite tight timelines and diverse stakeholder interests New infrastructure can be created in large bureaucratic systems by mobilizing in nontraditional ways

Acknowledgements Fred Dominguez, MD MPH Sylvia Estafan, MPH Milan Hill, MPH Susan Lesser, MPH Susan Srabian, MPH Erika Siever, MPH CHES

Questions?

Thank You! For More Information: Jacqueline Valenzuela, MPH CHES Director, Health Education Administration County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health 600 S. Commonwealth Ave., Ste 700 Los Angeles, CA 90005 jvalenzuela@ph.lacounty.gov