Critical Benchmarks for Bioterrorism Preparedness Planning

1. Designate a Senior Public Health Official within the State health department, to serve as Executive Director of the State Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program and a Coordinator for hospital preparedness planning.

2. Establish an advisory committee to include representatives from (included but not limited to):

• State and local health departments and government;

• Emergency Management Agencies; Emergency Medical Services;

• Office of Rural Health;

• Police, fire department and emergency rescue workers and occupational health workers;

• Other health care providers, including university, academic medical and public health;

• Community health centers;

• Red Cross and other voluntary organizations; and

• The hospital community (to include Veterans Affairs and military hospitals).

3. Prepare a time line for the development of a state-wide plan for preparedness and response for a bioterrorist event, infectious disease outbreak, or other public health emergency.

4. Prepare a time line for the development of regional plans for bio-preparedness and response for a bioterrorist event, infectious disease outbreak, or other public health emergency.

5. Prepare a time line for assessment of emergency preparedness and response capabilities related to bioterrorism, other outbreaks of infectious disease and other public health emergencies with a view to facilitating planning and setting implementation priorities.

6. Establish a hospital bio-preparedness planning committee, (affiliated with the state-wide bioterrorism advisory committee) whose composition includes representation from (but not limited to):

• Emergency Medical Services;

• Emergency Management Agencies;

• Office of Rural Health;

• State hospital associations;

• Veterans Affairs and military hospitals;

• Primary care associations.

7. Develop a time line for implementation of regional hospital plans that would accommodate in an emergency at least 500 patients.

8. Assess statutes, regulations, and ordinances within the state that provide for credentialing, licensure, and delegation of authority for executing emergency public health measures.

9. Develop a plan and identify personnel to be trained to receive and distribute critical stockpile items and manage a mass distribution of vaccine and/or antibiotics on a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week basis.

10. Develop a plan to receive and evaluate urgent disease reports from all parts of the jurisdiction on a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week basis.

11. Assess epidemiologic capacity with provision for at least one epidemiologist for each Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population greater than 500,000.

12. Develop a plan to improve working relationships and communication between Level A (clinical) laboratories and Level B/C laboratories, (i.e. Laboratory Response Network laboratories) as well as other public health officials.

13. Develop a plan that ensures that 90 percent of the population are covered by the Health Alert Network.

14. Develop a plan for communication systems that provides for a 24/7 flow of critical health information between hospital emergency departments, State and local health officials, and law enforcement.

15. Develop a plan to enhance risk communication and information dissemination to educate the public regarding exposure risks and effective public response.

16. Assess training needs with special emphasis on emergency department personnel, infectious disease specialists, public health staff, and other health care providers.