Assessing Hospital and HealthSystem Preparedness and

Response

Robert G. Harmon, MD, MPHVice-President and National Medical Director for Optum/United Health Group

Chair of the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) Subcommittee on Prevention & Public Health

The Role of Health Plans in Addressing Bioterrorism

Early Detection & Surveillance

Response to Events

Outreach to Community Stakeholders

Early Detection & Surveillance

Unique capacity to identify sentinel events & illness clusters Automated outpatient systems and nurse call

lines for early identification of symptom patterns

Real-time ambulatory & patient diagnosis/chief-complaint data identifying unusual illness clusters

Electronic dissemination to public health authorities

Response to Events

Unique capacity for accurate & timely information to providers and consumers Two-way communication via nurse call lines,

behavioral health call centers and case managers

E-mail, faxes, newsletters and mailings to employer groups, providers and consumers

Alerts to providers for CME training opportunities

Outreach to Community Stakeholders

Collaboration with local public health, police, fire and EMS officials

Direct communication with Governors and State emergency planning offices

Development of emergency preparedness planning templates and checklists with scenario training

Efforts to Develop Health Plan Bioterrorism

Readiness Individual plans engaged with local public health officials Understanding public health resources and needs Communicating health plan resources and capacities

National Engagement AAHP Board of Directors task force Coordination with Federal government agencies Developed a health plan readiness checklist Flow of information to health plans and physicians

Lessons Learned From 9/11 and the October Anthrax

Exposures Back-up operations to support health plan members

Employee assistance programs

Behavioral support-critical incident stress

management

Health plan physicians, nurses, social workers,

mental health specialists mobilized

Communications and IT support