Region IV Public Health Training Center

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on July 21, 2020. Training Overview This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Fire College Workplace Safety Training Program and the Deep South Biosafety Worker Training Program. The COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous challenges for EMS including out-of-hospital management of patients and PPE use by EMS personnel. Dr. Lekshmi Kumar will discuss the operational changes that have been adapted by Grady EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic including changes to personnel and PPE for patient and personal safety, airway management, resuscitation, and cessation when responding to a cardiac arrest patient. Dr. Isakov will discuss best practices in protecting EMS healthcare personnel and strategies for overcoming PPE resource challenges and complacency in the use of PPE by EMS personnel. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainers Lekshmi Kumar, MD is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and an emergency medicine physician for Emory Healthcare. Dr. Kumar currently serves as the medical director for 911 EMS systems serving the metro Atlanta region, providing guidance, leadership and contributing to quality improvement. She also serves as medical director for the Peachtree Road Race and the Publix Atlanta Marathon. Her focus is on clinical operations, care and education in the pre-hospital arena.  Alexander P. Isakov, MD, MPH is a professor of emergency medicine and the director of Emory's Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and of the Academy of Emergency Medical Services. He is also the Executive Director of Emory's Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR). Dr. Isakov is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on September 23, 2019. Training Overview The current opioid epidemic exists in the context of unique drivers and circumstances including pharmaceutical marketing, business decisions of illicit drug distributors, stigma, inadequate medical and behavioral health systems, social determinants of health, among other factors. Response to this public health crisis has mobilized release of new guidance materials, legislation, funding, and policy change to address prevention, treatment, and recovery. Response to opioid use as a public health concern, however, is not new. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the history of opioid crisis and response, and the policy and programmatic response to the current crisis, including how the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act) is guiding current federal response.  A systems mapping framework will be used to describe how specific policy actions fit into the overall response effort, and the populations affected.  The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Brigitte Manteuffel, PhD, a senior fellow at Mathematica, has more than 30 years of experience in research, evaluation, and behavioral health. She is a national expert in the evaluation of behavioral health systems of care and has special expertise in the opioid epidemic and youth substance use disorders. Her work focuses on Mathematica’s state and federal behavioral health portfolio with a special interest in improving the infrastructure to address substance use problems, particularly the opioid epidemic. Prior to joining Mathematica in 2019, she has led studies on state opioid response needs, best practices for integrating mental health and substance use services in Ireland, evidence-based guidelines for juvenile drug courts, and implementing an evidence-based intervention to reduce fetal alcohol exposure in sexually transmitted disease clinics; and worked closely with Georgia’s Department of Public Health to develop and launch Georgia’s opioid strategic plan.  This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on January 29, 2018. Training Overview In order to address the opioid misuse crisis, public health needs examples of prevention strategies at multiple levels from opioid tapering to bio-psycho-social-spiritual approaches to manage chronic pain. This webinar will describe ways to assist in determining if an opioid taper is appropriate for a given patient, in performing the taper, and in incorporating whole health strategies into a new care plan. Additionally, we will discuss the creation process and outcomes of the Empower Veterans Program developed at the Atlanta VA which engages an interdisciplinary team to deliver an integrated, intensive, self-care training program for restoration from chronic pain. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainers Dr. Cantrell graduated from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 Residency at the Atlanta VA. In 2003, Heidi began working as an ambulatory care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pain Management. Heidi started her current position in Academic Detailing in March 2016. Dr. Saenger is a clinician, teacher and system re-designer. He has taught evidence-based primary care, major depression care, and chronic pain management. For the last seven years, Dr. Saenger has led inter-professional teams for health system opioid safety at Grady Health System and the Atlanta VA. He is a national speaker regarding improved chronic pain management safety and care. In 2014, Dr. Saenger completed an advanced fellowship in quality improvement and system redesign with the VA National Quality Scholars Program. For the Southeastern VHA Region, Dr. Saenger is the Physician Lead for Pain Management and faculty for IHI/Samueli Institute’s Chronic Pain Breakthrough Collaborative. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on April 28, 2021. Training Overview The epidemic of opioid use and related harms has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mitigation strategies for COVID-19 have led to disruption in the delivery of healthcare, increased social isolation, and rapid release of individuals from jails and prisons- all of which may increase the risk of overdose. Gaps in the continuum of care including access to mortality-reducing medication treatment for opioid use disorder have become more evident. In response, the federal government has made significant changes intended to provide more flexibility in how and where care is delivered for both methadone and buprenorphine treatment. Providers have welcomed these changes, and we will discuss several of these practice changes including how to utilize telemedicine and new long-acting injectable formulations to initiate and help retain patients in care.   The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Michelle Lofwall, MD, DFAPA, DFASAM, is a Professor of Behavioral Science and Psychiatry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research. She is the Bell Alcohol and Addictions Endowed Chair and medical director of the First Bridge clinic, which provides comprehensive outpatient opioid use disorder treatment to patients discharging from emergency rooms and inpatient medical/surgical services.  Her research has been funded by NIH and industry and has recently focused on evaluation of long-acting buprenorphine formulations, including CAM2038/Brixadi.  She was an expert panel member on SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 63) for Medication Treatment of OUD, a past board member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and President of the KY Chapter of ASAM, an invited speaker to the National Academy of Medicine, and recipient of several medical student teaching and mentorship awards.   This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on February 2, 2016. Training Overview "Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases" Richard Hamburg, Interim President and CEO of Trust for America's Health (TFAH) will present “Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases” lecture, which is focused on the TFAH's December 2015 Report of the same name.  The report provides state-by-state infectious disease prevention and control indicators as well as national issues and recommendations for improving our nation's efforts to fight infectious disease.  The lecture will share examples of key emerging disease, infections and emergency threats; highlight key report findings; and provide recommendations for strengthening disease prevention and control efforts.  The Models of Excellence lecture series highlights current public health issues or topics. The goal of the series is to explore the connection between innovation and public health practice as well as identify ways in which public health practitioners and health science faculty can facilitate the translation of innovation into practice. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Richard Hamburg has helped lead TFAH's efforts to ensure disease prevention is a centerpiece of health reform, and has been instrumental in TFAH's work on obesity prevention, building national pandemic flu and public health emergency response capabilities, and increasing support for public health programs. Prior to TFAH, Mr. Hamburg served in a number of roles with the American Heart Association (AHA), including as its national Director of Government Relations. At AHA, Mr. Hamburg managed health topics ranging from healthcare reform to tobacco control, to public access to defibrillation. He is also a past Director of Government Affairs at AHA's New York City affiliate. A native New Yorker, Mr. Hamburg is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, from which he received a B.A. in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration.  This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Training Overview: This video provides an overview of Emergency Support Function #8 (Public Health and Medical Services) in mass care. Mass care includes sheltering, feeding and distribution of emergency supplies. This training is intended for preparedness and response professionals in Georgia. This is a just-in-time training, and there are no prerequisites.   This training addresses Capability 7, Functions 1-4 of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities: National Standards for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Public Health: determine public health role in mass care operations determine mass health care needs of the impacted population coordinate public health, health care, and mental/behavioral health services monitor mass care population health The course contains one 6-minute video. Participants will need a broadband internet connection and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. For more information about hurricane response and recovery, visit the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub.   About the Course Developers: This course was developed by the Georgia Hurricane Response Hub at the Emory University Rollins Schools of Public Health in consultation with the Georgia Department of Public Health.   Funding for this project has been provided to the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) through a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC – NU1ROT000004-01-00). NNPHI is collaborating with Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health on this project.  Read more