1. Pandemic H1N1 Emergency Preparedness Tabletop Exercise
HCA Education and Research
July 23, 2009
9/19/2018

2. What is a tabletop exercise?
People come together to review and discuss a hypothetical emergency situation
Designed to allow participants to talk through plans and problems
NOT designed to measure anyone’s performance
Serves as a springboard for further planning and more comprehensive exercises
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3. Exercise format The scenario has several sections
Discussion questions follow each section
At the end of the scenario, everyone will participate in a debriefing or “hotwash”
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4. Exercise roles Facilitator Participants Evaluators
Provide instructions, tell the story, introduce the questions, guide the discussion
Participants
Immerse yourself as if the scenario were truly occurring in your jurisdiction, using resources that are available to you (Emergency Operations Plan, policies, procedures, references)
Participate in the group discussions
Evaluators
Observe the exercise to evaluate the process
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5. Ground rules Respond as if the scenario is real
Play the role of your department, agency or community throughout the exercise
Operate within current resource constraints and realities
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6. Objectives By the end of this exercise, you should be able to:
Describe your individual and your agency’s roles in the response
Identify at least one gap in your agency’s existing Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
Contact the appropriate partnering agencies during business hours as well as after hours
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7. This fall in Albany...
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8. Swine Flu Reports Trending down Reporting/testing ended
Cases mild, not in the news
Is crisis over?
Has planning stopped?
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9. Hmmm - do we remember the 1918 Pandemic came in three waves?…
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10. 1918 Waves
The first wave of the 1918 flu occurred in the spring of that year. That flu was very severe by usual standards but the second wave beginning 6 months later in September was the most fatal.
During the 1918 pandemic, the deadly second wave was responsible for more than 90% of the deaths for the entire pandemic.
The third wave occurred more than a year later, during the following winter/spring, and was the mildest of all.
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11. Other Background
1957 the Asian Flu, occurred between September 1957 and March 1958
The Hong Kong Flu infiltrated the globe December 1968-January 1969, with those older than 65 most likely to die. The same virus returned in waves in 1970 and 1972
In 1976 there was a Swine Flu threat (minor)
Russian Flu (children and young adults)
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12. How do you plan for a moving target?
Conclusions????
How do you plan for a moving target?
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13. 1. Discussion
Based on our historical knowledge of pandemic influenzas, what do you think the best balance of preparedness strategies are?
What concrete steps will you take to prepare for a possible, more severe form of pandemic influenza
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14. The beginning…
A 47-year-old man from Albany arrives at the emergency department (ED) at Albany Med with fever, chills, malaise, cough and shortness of breath
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DAY 1, 9:00 a.m.

15. Across the State
In a matter of a few days, more and more cases of severe ILI illnesses are appearing in EDs and MD’s offices
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16. 2. Questions
In normal circumstances, how much education do you provide to your staff and patients regarding influenza avoidance and management?
What ongoing education have you been offering to your staff regarding surveillance for a new strain of influenza?
Would you be paying attention to this series of events?
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17. The Unfolding
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18. Related cases?
Three of the new patients work with the index patient and live in the surrounding area
Many went to a school banquet he attended with his wife
More patients arrive at Albany Med with severe flu-like illness
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DAY 2, 2:00 p.m.

19. You hear about it and read up on current status of virus
Antiviral resistance has emerged - inhaled zanamivir remains an option
Shanghai mutation renders virus more fit for human replication & transmission - E627K mutation in the PB2 gene, which renders the virus more fit to replicate at 33°C, the temperature of the human nose during winter months.
Previous infection with swine flu appears to offer some immunity
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DAY 2, 3:30 p.m.

20. Confirmation of H1N1 influenza
State reference lab reports to public health that sample is positive for Pandemic H1N1
Specimen sent to CDC for confirmatory testing
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DAY 3, 12:00 p.m.

21. No recommendations yet on PPE
CDC communication
4:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m. A conference call is arranged; public health determines risk factors and revises hospital screening questionnaire to gather data
6:30 p.m.
CDC sends out the questionnaire via alerts on the Health Alert Network (HAN) and Epi-X
No recommendations yet on PPE
Albany County confers with NYSDOH, which updates CDC
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DAY 3

22. 3. Questions
Without guidance, what infection control measures need to be taken? By whom?
What sources of PPE do you have contracts with?
What factors do you need to consider?
Transmission, exposure to index case, seasonality
Public health needs to court the media (to make sure they report correct information.)
Media has a moral responsibility.
Do you have any record of staff or patients that were affected by the Spring 2009 illness? Is this information of any value?
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23. Detection…
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24. Epidemiology investigation
10:30 a.m.
A request for SNS materiel is relayed to CDC
1:00 p.m. Epidemiologic contact tracing begins to identify banquet attendees and neighborhood contacts
3:30 p.m.
NYSDOH receives confirmation of positive H5N1 influenza from CDC
At the request of NYSDOH, CDC details Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers to New York to help with case investigations
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DAY 4

25. The illness spreads
People who also attended the awards banquet begin to seek hospital care
In addition to the index case, two more patients with suspected pandemic flu have died
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DAY 5, 10:00 a.m.

26. Albany Med
Albany Med admits several more patients with suspected avian influenza, including two of their own healthcare workers
Other hospitals in New York are seeing patients with similar symptoms
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DAY 5, 1:00 p.m.

27. Case count
Statewide: eight confirmed and many more suspect cases of flu
Nationwide: 120 confirmed and hundreds more suspect cases
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DAY 6, 3:00 p.m.

28. Severe Influenza Worldwide
Sporadic cases of severe influenza are reported in East Asia, Eastern Europe and, most recently, in Africa
Mortality of patients exceeds 50%
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DAY 6, 3:00 p.m.

29. Hospitals forced to ration resources
Overwhelmed hospitals triage patients as they arrive, admitting only the most ill
Albany-area hospitals report shortage of ventilators, ED beds and ICU beds
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DAY 5, 4:00 p.m.

30. SURGE DISCHARGE
Hospitals begin discharging patients to make room for influx
NY activates its ventilator allocation plan
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31. 4. Questions
What procedures do you have in place to track swine flu within your patient population?
Describe your agency’s surge plan and your role in it.
Do you know what is in the ventilator plan? How might the allocation plan affect home care patients?
Schools, public safety, long-term care agencies need to be contacted.
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32. Questions - Communication
At times of crisis, it’s important for messages to be consistent and credible. What messages would you be giving to your staff, your patients, emergency managers, local health department and the community at this time?
Who would be giving those messages?
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33. Crisis…
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34. Absenteeism Crisis
Local healthcare facilities report increase in employees calling in sick; many simply unwilling to risk coming to work
Absenteeism is on the rise in essential services such as refuse collection, utilities repair and public safety
Many businesses encourage workers to telecommute or work flexible hours
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DAY 8

35. 5. Questions
Discuss your occupational health plans for an infectious disease event
If schools and day care close, what plans has your agency made for child (and elder?) care (or you if your agency has none)
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36. ALLOCATION
As public health officials struggle to determine most effective control measures, you are faced with a number of crises:
You have multiple agencies that you contract with for aides.
What agreements are in place for aide allocation during an emergency?
Do you have an agreement regarding pandemic specific infection control training for aides?
The appropriate antivirals are available in limited quantities. You receive enough for 50% of your staff for seven days.
How do you allocate them when almost all direct care staff is the same high priority according to the guidance you’re given?
What is the most important goal of antiviral use at this time?
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DAY 6, 4:30 p.m.

37. Vaccine Arrives
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38. Update
CDC further classifies outbreak as a second wave of the novel strain of swine influenza H1N1 with genetic components of avian, swine and human influenza
Person-to-person transmission
Almost 1,000 suspected cases statewide
75 have died, including numerous healthcare workers and first responders
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DAY 14

39. CDC Recommends Vaccinations
Local Health Departments are asked to hold flu clinics and go into homes to vaccinate the home bound and vulnerable populations
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40. If you are a LHD…describe your outreach/collaboration/planning efforts for assistance from home care
If you are a home care provider, depending on your type and affiliations, describe:
Efforts made to reach out to you
Efforts you have made to plan collaboratively
Additional ways you could assist in these efforts
Resources that might assist you in your efforts
Barriers
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41. Alternate Care Site
Your agency is asked to assist in jointly managing and staffing an alternate care site. You are told to review joint command and assign job action sheets to agency staff who will be working at the ACS.
How will you do this? What resources will you use? Will your staff be able to function in this environment?
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42. End of Pandemic Flu Scenario
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43. “Hot Wash” Where is your knowledge lacking?
What (realistic) resources do you need to improve your response capability?
Based on your knowledge of your agency’s plan, what gaps still exist in response to this type of situation?
What is the most significant lesson learned from this exercise?
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44. Home Care Association of NYS
Contact Information
Alexis Silver
Home Care Association of NYS
(518)
9/19/2018