**Pandemic Influenza Preparedness & Response**

Building on the Government's Response

FOH is Ready -- Let Us Help!

**The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza**

In November 2005, the President released the National Strategy for
Pandemic Influenza
(<http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab1.html#national>). This strategy
identified the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the lead
department for the nation's medical response. HHS is working with
various organizations at international, federal, state, and local levels
to plan and implement the following pandemic influenza activities:

-   Surveillance and detection

-   Vaccine development and production

-   Stockpiling antiviral medications

-   Research

-   Risk communications

**Agency Responsibilities**

As part of the National Strategy, the President has directed each
federal department and agency to ensure that their preparedness and
response plans address the potential impact a pandemic will have on the
federal workforce. Many agencies are in the process of revising
Continuation of Operations Plans (COOP) to ensure that they include
steps to accomplish critical mission activities with limited personnel
or resources during a pandemic scenario. This represents an additional
administrative burden to some already over-extended agencies.

**FOH Can Help**

Federal Occupational Health, an HHS division and a component of the U.S.
Public Health Service, offers a continuum of pandemic influenza
preparedness and response services. These services can be tailored to
meet each agency's unique needs.

**Preparedness Services**

-   **Consultation:** FOH will review existing response plans and
    partner with agencies to help them create plans that achieve the
    goals of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza.

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-   **Employee Health:** FOH's Occupational Health Center staff keeps
    the workforce informed on two levels. Staff will speak with agency
    managers regarding health issues that impact the entire organization
    as well as provide one-on-one advice to employees with individual
    health concerns. In addition, staff provides educational services
    about disease transmission and prevention strategies that can sort
    fact from fiction and calm fears.

-   **Employee Assistance:** FOH provides traumatic incident
    preparedness consultation (crisis management), stress management,
    and psychological support services.

-   **Medical Clearance:** FOH conducts required medical evaluations for
    employees who must wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

-   **Environmental Health Planning:** FOH will perform a worksite
    analysis and report on exposure risk, provide industrial hygiene
    monitoring services, training on hand-hygiene practices, and provide

> guidance on PPE such as respirators, eye protection, and protective
> clothing.

-   **Training:** FOH provides training in pandemic awareness and
    preparation, self protection strategies, risk reduction, stress
    reduction, crisis management, and the use of PPE.

**Response Services**

-   **Expert Occupational Health Consultation:** During a medical
    crisis, FOH acts as a surrogate medical director by providing
    immediate access to the expertise of medical and occupational health
    specialists who will provide the latest information on signs and
    symptoms, disease containment, risk reduction, sanitation and
    hygiene considerations, use of PPE, and Occupational Safety and
    Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. By partnering with FOH,
    agencies can increase their ability to quickly respond within the
    constantly changing environment of a pandemic or other emergency.

-   **Health Services:** Where needed, FOH can provide disease
    surveillance, case tracking reporting, vaccination consistent with
    national priorities and available supplies.

-   **Counseling, Support, and Crisis Management:** FOH provides 24/7
    telephonic access to trained counselors for counseling, crisis
    management consultation, and critical incident stress management
    (CISM) services.

-   **Dedicated Website:** Employee's can download the latest
    information and receive on-line training from FOH's Pandemic
    Influenza website.

-   **Environmental Health Response Management:** FOH will perform
    industrial hygiene risk evaluations and exposure assessments, help
    agencies select appropriate protective measures during an outbreak,
    offer respiratory protection management, training and fit testing,
    and provide information about OSHA regulations.

**For More Information**

To learn more, please visit
[[www.PandemicFlu.gov]{.underline}](http://www.PandemicFlu.gov/) for
one-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information.
You may also visit FOH's website at
[[www.foh.dhhs.gov]{.underline}](http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/) to learn more
about programs and services that support Federal employees and managers.

F**or over half a century,** FOH has delivered high quality occupational
health services to Federal managers. FOH's knowledge of the Federal
workplace, combined with strategic partnerships with professional
health, environmental and safety organizations, enables FOH to help
other Federal organizations maintain a safe and healthy workplace. FOH
has created a team of professionals that is unparalleled in its ability
to work within the Federal structure, yet remains as flexible and
innovative as any private sector provider.

Through convenient interagency agreements, FOH's Clinical Services,
Wellness/Fitness Programs, Environmental Health Services, and Employee
Assistance and Work/Life Programs can provide your agency with a
comprehensive occupational health program that saves you time and money.
Our ability to customize services enables you to integrate components of
our services with existing programs, enhancing their impact and ensuring
that your agency meets its obligation to provide a safe and healthy
workplace.

Make Federal Occupational Health your partner in building a healthier,
more productive work force. For more information, please visit us at
**http://www.foh.dhhs.gov** or call us today at **1-800-457-9808**.

Because you need a healthy work force. And we can help you build one.