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ARF- 3113

Regular Agenda Item 2. C.

Regular BOS Meeting

Meeting Date:	04/21/2015
Submitted For:	Michael O'Driscoll
Submitted By:	Josh Beck, PHEP Manager, Health & Emergency Services Division
Department:	Health & Emergency Management	Division:	Health Services
Fiscal Year:	FY 15-16	Budgeted?:	No
Contract Dates Begin & End:	April 2015 to September 30 2016	Grant?:	Yes
Matching Requirement?:	No	Fund?:	New

Information

Request/Subject

Arizona Department of Health Services Ebola Phase 2 Funding Application

Background Information

The 2014 Ebola outbreak is the largest Ebola outbreak in history and the first Ebola outbreak in West Africa. This outbreak is the first Ebola epidemic the world has ever known affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Although the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and partners are taking precautions to prevent this from happening.

The CDC qualified Arizona for new funding to support accelerated infectious disease preparedness planning and response focused on Ebola Preparedness. The total award for Arizona is about $2.5M, which enhances our total Preparedness grant award by about 10%. The new funding is scheduled to arrive in April and is on an 18 month funding cycle.

We’ll be able to use the funding to improve our overall ability to prepare for and respond to emerging infectious diseases like Ebloa. The starting place for our work will be the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Preliminary Report of which Michael O'Driscoll, Gila County Health and Emergency Services Division Director, is a board member.

The grant activities can include: 1) accelerated public health preparedness planning; 2) improving operational readiness; and 3) supporting state, local, and tribal public health response efforts; and 4) coordination with healthcare systems to develop a tiered system for patient care related to illnesses like Ebola.

Evaluation

Gila County Public Health Emergency Preparedness has chosen to :

1. Collaborate with state and local partners to evaluate and clarify elements from the state Ebola response plan.

2. Develop an Ebola specific AAR/IP that addresses the Sub-awardee’s respective jurisdiction.

3. Create and/or update surveillance and investigation protocols to include Ebola and other emerging/exotic disease monitoring and surveillance that will be reviewed with ADHS.

4. Monitor updates to the state’s Contact/Exposed Persons tracking database found on the ADHS Health Services Portal (HSP).

5. Identify personnel who are capable of conducting health surveillance and epidemiological investigations for Ebola and other emerging/exotic diseases.

6. Attend ADHS sponsored “How To” trainings and an Infectious Disease Training and Exercise that addresses epidemiology, disease surveillance, investigation and control measures and emerging public health issues.

7. Support the engagement of local EMS communities to accomplish training that will increase the safety of first responders and strengthen the state Ebola Response and All Hazards Plan.

8. Utilize mobile technology allowing access to disease information and the ability to receive alert messaging on hand held devices.

9. Contribute to the collaboration among hospital, ambulatory facilities, county and tribal public health, schools, public safety agencies, non-profit organizations, community based special events and the community at large to respond to infectious disease threats.

10. Put into practice the statewide communication plan developed by ADHS to increase Ebola messaging effectiveness.

11. Implement a process to utilize the ADHS messaging map for collaboration and coordination of responses to ensure the health and safety of Arizona residents in the event of an infectious disease threat of public significance.

Conclusion

Approval of this grant application will allow the Gila County Division of Health and Emergency Services to improve its public health preparedness planning for novel diseases, accelerate our operational readiness, and improve our coordination with healthcare systems to improve our preparedness capabilities for illnesses like Ebola.

Recommendation

It is the recommendation of the Health and Emergency Services Division Director that the Board of Supervisors approve our application for the Arizona Department of Health Services Ebola Phase 2 Funding Application for the amount of $28,193.25 for the period of April 2015, to September 2016.

Suggested Motion

Information/Discussion/Action to authorize the electronic submittal of the Arizona Department of Health Services Ebola Phase 2 Funding Application in the amount of $28,193.25 for the period of April 2015 to September 2016 which, if approved, will enable the Health and Emergency Services Division improve its public health planning and preparedness for novel diseases like Ebola. (Michael O'Driscoll)

Attachments
Ebola Phase 2 Workplan
Ebola Phase 2 Budget