The Preparedness Policy Advisory Group held its monthly call on May 14. The workgroup welcomed the following new members to the group:
- Charlette Solis, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Mobile County Health Department in Mobile, AL;
- Alyce Wagner, Public Health Preparedness Finance/HPP Section Chief, Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock, AR;
- Dee Ann Bagwell, Director of Policy and Planning, Los Angeles County Public Health Department in Los Angeles, CA;
- Karri Hobaica, Public Health Planner, Denver Public Health District in Denver, CO;
- Amanda Bogard, Branch Manager for Disaster Preparedness, Barren River District Health Department in Bowling Green, KY;
- Thomas Carbone, Director of Public Health, Andover Health Department in Andover, MA;
- Jim Craig, Director of Health Protection, Mississippi Department of Health in Jackson, MS;
- Garret Simonsen, Public Health Network Coordinator, Derry Health Department in Derry, NH;
- Karen Hutto, Midlands Region Public Health Preparedness Director, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in Columbia, SC; and
- Sandy Frentz, Public Health Manager, Sioux Falls City Health Department in Sioux Falls, SD.
During the May call, the group had an informational update on the Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Operational Readiness Review (ORR) tool. The intent of the ORR tool is to measure state and local ability to successfully implement MCM plans in response to any large-scale event requiring distribution and dispensing of MCM. The group also held a brief discussion on concurrence, as well as a discussion on the public health preparedness capabilities factsheets 6 & 13. The next call will be on June 11.
