Meeting Summary

Date
June 11, 2007

Communicable Disease Preparedness Committee
June 11, 2007 Meeting Summary

Members Absent:  Joe Palmer, Benjamin Diven, William Platz, Darrell Smith, Ruben Torrez, Leigh DeRoos, Mary Benanti, Karl Hill,  Stephen Lopez, Teresa Bergin, Gladys DeNecochea, Augustin Diaz, Jeff Witte, David Pearse, Nellie Quezada-Aragon, Susan Grotevant, Larry Olsen, Esperanza Villanueva Joyce, Larry Creider, Hugo Vilchis, Dario Silva,  

The meeting began at 9:05 AM.

1. Connie Stout noted that training workgroup should include Teresa Brobeck.
2. L. McKee asked everyone to submit an electronic copy of their COOP to K. Doolittle. CoOP submitted include plans from:
   1. Mike O’Larey for Intercollegiate Athletics
   2. Nancy Baptiste and Stephanie Roybal for Myrna’s Children’s Village
   3. Rich MacRorie and Jose Gamon for OFS
   4. Lori McKee for Student and University Health Centers
   5. Katrina Doolittle for Environmental Health & Safety
3. She further stated that a hard copy of the plan is to be on file locally, and made available to personnel

The following notes summarize the UHC plan components as presented by L. McKee along with selected comments from the membership.

4. L. McKee read the Student and University Health Centers (S&UHC) COOP and asked those attending to compare mitigation strategies with their own.  She advised that including phone numbers for persons identified in the plan is very helpful.  Also, personnel and contact information should be updated as necessary, at least annually.
5. L. McKee has identified EH&S for back-up medical waste removal. OFS custodial personnel clean and sanitize the health centers but Health Center staff will be cross trained for back up.
6. Modes of emergency contact are website, email, paper and internal phone tree.
7. K. Doolittle stated that the radio receiver system used by Police Dept in past was discontinued due to issues related to stationing, keeping batteries charged, and keeping the unit in good repair. The University Crisis Communication Group are working to add  text messaging for emergency communications. 
8. L. McKee reminded everyone to establish a phone tree, distribute copies to personnel and conduct tests of their phone tree. Katrina distributed phone tree messaging procedure via email and it is also found on the Safety web under emergency action plans.
   1. A. Throneberry stated that Corbett Center has established a safety committee and will conduct emergency notification and evacuation drills.
   2. Connie Staut asked how will persons scheduled to visit the campus be alerted to stay away?  It is up to their host to notify of cancelled appointments.  Maintaining a list of clients contact information was suggested.
9. S&UHC computer files are backed-up nightly, and ICT is the back-up location. 
10. Essential functions: S&UHC will appropriate licensed Allied Health faculty (primarily Nursing) to assist in a communicable disease emergency.   If called upon, S&UHC will act as Point of Distribution for drugs from the strategic national stockpile.
11. Human Resources have not yet defined the designation of “essential”.  This will be a key point of the personnel policy relating to management of a long term crisis.
12. J. Gamon stated that custodial and skilled trade supervisors are essential personnel.  OFS shops already practice 24 hour on cal.  Transportation Services is not yet included in the OFS CoOP but will be added.
13.  L. McKee and K. Doolittle stated that everyone should have a written SOP for cleaning work surfaces.
14. J. Webber asked if quarantine was discussed.  L. McKee said the state is the authority and quarantine may not be effective against aerosol transmitted disease.
15. L. McKee indicated that medical waste removal may be problematic since SteriCycleâ is NMSU’s lone vendor, and is likely to give priority service to community healthcare entities before NMSU.  SteriCycleâ may not be able to continue to provide routine service to NMSU during a crisis.  K. Doolittle said EH&S will be able to handle the anticipated volume of medical waste, having adequate storage containers will be the issue.
16. A. Arvizo stated that administrative strategies differ from other services strategies.  Office of Dean of Students uses “ADAPT”, a public emergency communication system staffed by volunteers – they hope to staff 70 phones within an hour of activation.  Students must update their contact information for this system to work effectively.
17.  In closing, K. Doolittle asked about policy development on essential personnel designation and L. McKee reminded everyone to add phone numbers to their COOP and forward electronic copy to K. Doolittle.
18. K. Doolittle will email mitigation strategies for use as a template. Because many are applicable to other areas.

19. Work Group update:
    1. No work groups have met yet
    2. L. McKee stated that the Finance Working group needs everyone to submit projected quantities of consumables in order to establish cost estimates for funding consideration.  S&UHC plans to change N-95 masks every 2 hours.  You may want to use this as a way to estimate needed quantity.

20. Submit CoOP by July 10^th. 
21. Next meeting is July 10 at 3:00PM.

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