# Presentation: 767776

## Role of MRC in Hunterdon County’s Home Quarantine/Isolation Planning

- Stephanie Brown, MRC Coordinator
- Hunterdon County
- Department of Health

## Hunterdon County, New Jersey

- Population: 129,746

## Hunterdon County Facts

**10 Wealthiest Counties in 2004**
- 	1. Somerset County, NJ2. Fairfax County, VA3. Fairfield County, CT4. Morris County, NJ5. ***Hunterdon County, NJ***
*** ******3rd highest case rate of Lyme disease of all counties in the United States***

## Weird Facts

**“****Crime of the Century” January 2, 1935**
- Bruno R. Hauptman was tried for fatal kidnapping of Col. Charles Lindberg’s son, found guilty, and electrocuted
**Jayson Williams homicide case**
- February 14, 2002
- NBA basketball player shot and killed his limo driver inside his 65-acre estate in Hunterdon County

## Hunterdon CountyInfluenza Pandemic Workplan

**Mission – **To minimize the loss of life and human suffering resulting from an influenza pandemic while working on maintaining the operation of essential community services

## Response Partners

- Public Health
- Law Enforcement
- Infection Control Practitioners
- Hunterdon Medical Center
- Office of Emergency Management
- Emergency Medical Services

## Planning Challenges

- First Responder Prophylaxis Program
- Medication/Vaccine Distribution
- Entire county population
- Fixed Facility Program
- Home Quarantine/Isolation Support Program

## First Responder Distribution Plan

- Mission:
- 	To get oral medications into the bloodstream of  Hunterdon County first responders and their household members  within 48 hours to assure their protection and continuation of their essential services

## First Responder Groups – Tier 1

- Public health (including MRC volunteers)
- OEM
- Law enforcement
- Paid and volunteer firefighters
- Rescue squad members
- Elected “policy makers”

## Initial Effort

- Worked with each 26 municipalities thru the OEM Coordinators to take lead in obtaining data
- Drugs included on form to be completed by first responders protect against specific agents including anthrax and plague
- They are _not_ protective against avian flu
- However, information gathered on forms _will _support flu pandemic planning (in event we need to distribute antivirals or avian flu vaccine)

## Slide 11

## Responder Agency Responsibilities

- Identify first responders and household members
- Ensure all responders complete and return questionnaire form
- Complete agency summary form (which totals number of responders/household members and medications needed)
- Distribute medications to responders if requested
- Identify operational sites, resources, equipment and personnel needed to execute plan

## Municipal Responsibilities

- Collect summary forms from each agency
- Complete aggregate form for municipality
- County HD only gets **ONE** form per municipality
- Distribute medications to each responder agency if requested
- Identify operational sites, resources, equipment and personnel needed to execute plan

**Health Department**

**New Jersey Department of Health  and Senior Services**** **

**County OEM**

**Prosecutor Office**

**Corrections Office**

**Sheriff Office**

**County Park Ranger**

*Drop off forms &*
*Pick up medications (****D/P****)*

*D/P*

*D/P*

*D/P*

*D/P*

**HUNTERDON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY**
**FIRST RESPONDER DISTRIBUTION FLOW PLAN**

- D/P

## MRC Roles

- Set up distribution site, direct traffic
- Unpack and count medications
- Assist in contacting designated municipal representatives
- Assist in verifying representative
- Sign out medications
- Track medications
- Report medication inventory

## Fixed Facility Plan

- Partnership with businesses who have more than 100 employees
- Autonomous medication/vaccination sites for employees/household members
- Businesses responsible for dispensing meds to employees
- Non-autonomous vaccination sites (facility set-up/MVT administer doses)
- MVT= mobile vaccination team

## Fixed Facilities Flow Plan

**Health Department**

**Company**

**Company**

**Company**

**Company**

**Company**

- Aggregate Facility
- Distribution Form

-  Corporation Contact
- Information Form

- Registration

- Distribution

**Fixed Facilities Flow Plan**

## Mobile Vaccination Teams

- MRC Volunteers divided into regions within the county
- Volunteers sorted by specialty (nurses, physicians, pharmacists, non-medical)
- Deployed to vaccination sites based on location to their homes
- These same zones will be used in home quarantine /isolation support program

## Slide 19

## Public Vaccination Sites (Countywide)

- Drive thru venues
- All banks, fast food places, etc...
- Walk-in clinics
- “POD” scenario
- Private doctors offices
- Working on agreement with offices where HD will give meds directly to offices to give out to their patients

## Home Quarantine/Isolation Support Plan

- Support for families under quarantine or isolation
- 	Quarantine = those exposed but not sick
- 	Isolation = those who are showing symptoms

## Self-Sufficiency is Goal

- During time of widespread disease, federal and state level resources will be stretched
- Local communities will be largely on their own in supporting homebound families
- It will be one important part of controlling the spread of infection

## Home Support

- Things that families or individuals will need
-     in order to remain at home
- Essential goods (food, soap, paper goods, etc.)
- Banking
- Infection control guidance
- Masks, tissues, hand hygiene products, OTC items
- Prescriptions refilled

## Municipal Resources

- Public employees/Board members
- Faith-based organizations
- Food pantries
- Red Cross
- Salvation Army
- Fraternal organizations
- Meals on Wheels
- Others?
-      Letters of understanding can formalize plans

## HUNTERDON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

-  MRC Volunteers
-  Faith-Based Organizations
-  Food Pantries
-  Red Cross
-  Salvation Army
-  Fraternal Organizations
-  Meals-on-Wheels

**HUNTERDON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY**
**HOME QUARANTINE / ISOLATION SUPPORT FLOW PLAN**

**Municipal Home **
**Quarantine/Isolation**** **
**Committee**

**Hunterdon County **
**Health Department**

**Coordinator**

- Volunteers

**Nursing**
**Case Manager**

## MRC Responsibilities

- Report to Health Department staging area to help divide medications, vaccine and other supplies to be distributed out to municipalities
- Operate phone bank
- Municipal contacts will be calling in to acknowledge activation of program and to find out details on medication pick-up

## MRC Assistance

- Act as nursing case manager tracking cases in each municipality
- Assist municipality to coordinate resources
- Assist in central registration in each municipality
- Volunteer in the community to support homebound families with essential supplies (i.e. food, water, prescription refill)

## Education and Information

- Provide educational materials on infection control in the homes and proper respiratory etiquette guidelines
- Distribute education and instruction sheets
- Reinforce medical instructions
- Assist in Question/Answer session at the distribution site

## MRC Responsibilities(non-medical)

- Education in the community on personal family preparedness: pre-event
- Ready Together NJ Guides
- Respiratory Protection Guidelines
- Phone Bank
- Answering calls from public about Avian Influenza or other diseases outbreaks

## MRC Responsibilities(Healthcare Professionals)

- Nurses and physicians will be assigned to one of the 26 municipalities in the county
- Answer questions related to meds or vaccine
- Call-in system of checking on sick residents in the municipality to determine degree of illness and hospitalization need

## Future Challenges

- Allocation of jobs during an emergency within existing HD structure
- One staff member doing many jobs
**Who** will fit into **what** role
- Managing volume of volunteers in MRC
- Segmentation of volunteers
- Countywide exercise to test surge capacity
- Summer/Fall 2006

## Questions??

## Stephanie A. Brown   Hunterdon County Department of HealthDivision of Public Health Preparedness and EpidemiologyRt 12 County Complex, Building #1Flemington, NJ 08822Email: sbrown@co.hunterdon.nj.usOffice phone: (908) 806-5553