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The Arizona Surge Line is a 24/7 toll-free call line that expedites the transfers of patients with COVID-19 across the state of Arizona, load-leveling, and protecting hospitals. The Arizona Surge Line was created and protocolized by the collaboration between Chief Medical Officers and Hospital Transfer Centers across the state and continues to shift and expand over time. The first strategy focused on transfers to higher levels of care and later expanded to lower levels of care to increase the availability of hospital beds. There are now real-time clinical consultations offered, backup transportation provided, a dashboard of all available beds in post-acute care facilities offered, and a novel surge staffing initiative is currently being implemented. The Arizona Surge Line has been referenced extensively in the press by the hospitals themselves and has been partially credited for the sheer amount of collaboration between systems, counties, county, and federal facilities. 

Learning Objectives:

Target Audience:  Public Health Professionals

Duration:  ~ 25 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/ Updated: 8/2020

Presenter: Lisa Villarroel, MD, MPH

Dr. Lisa Villarroel serves as the Medical Director for the Division of Public Health Preparedness at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She received her Bachelors in Biology at Princeton University and her Doctor of Medicine at Northwestern University before getting her Master’s in Public Health and becoming board certified in Family Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. At the Department, she has served as the Medical Director for the Arizona emergency response to Ebola, Zika, Opioid and COVID-19 Crises. She was a lead for the Arizona Opioid Prescribing Guidelines(2018), the Arizona Pain and Addiction Curriculum(2018), the Arizona Surge Line, and the Arizona Surge Staffing Initiative. In addition to her work at the health department, she is an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and a practicing locum tenens.

This presentation will provide insights on the need for the continual evolution of public health practices in light of COVID-19 and the current social movements that highlight how social determinants effect health disparities.  A focus on what trainings are needed to strengthen the current and future public health workforce will be discussed to respond to the necessity that public health services must be redefined and redesigned.  Examples of current and novel steps that are starting to be taken by health departments and public health education programs to meet this challenge will be presented.  We will conclude our presentation by proposing what new knowledge and skills are needed by the public health workforce so our current communal approach to infectious disease prevention can be leveraged to reduce a variety of health disparities including maternal and child health, and chronic disease outcomes. 

Learning Objectives

Target Audience:  Public Health Professionals

Duration:  ~ 35 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/ Updated: 8/2020

Presenters: Douglas Taren, Ph.D., MS; and Betty Bekemeier, Ph.D., MPH, RN, FAAN

Douglas Taren is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. He has more than 30 years of experience conducting research and training students in international health. His research and teaching activities have included projects in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, China, Nepal, Kenya, Senegal, and the US Associated Pacific Islands, and more.Dr. Taren currently directs the Western Region Public Health Training Center (WRPHTC)for HRSA Region 9 (Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii, and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands). The WRPHTC works to strengthen the public health workforce through interactive, skill-based training.

Betty Bekemeier is a professor at the University of Washington (UW) School of Nursing and Director of the UW School of Public Health’s Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. She is a distinguished public health systems researcher focused on improving the effectiveness of our prevention systems and related workforce. She has led numerous studies regarding local health department services and their impact on health outcomes and equity. She emphasizes the inclusion of rural public health jurisdictions to generate evidence that will improve the reach and distribution of services to underserved communities and meet the needs of the rural workforce. Dr. Bekemeier is also PI of the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking (PHAST) Study, initiated in 2010 through the RWJF. PHAST is a highly regarded, growing database of uniquely detailed and linked data regarding LHD services and financing, including the PHAST Uniform Chart of Accounts which is helping local health departments have better access to meaningful financial data for decision-making. Dr. Bekemeier’s projects and studies are carried out in close partnership with public health practice leaders and have been immediately relevant to addressing current policy issues. She has also held many leadership positions, including those in the Washington State Public Health Association, the American Public Health Association, NACCHO’s Profile Workgroup.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health professionals across the U.S. and globally have used video conference technology to exchange vital information, build knowledge, provide peer support, and work collaboratively. As we transition into recovery, we have an opportunity to leverage these shifts in the way public health professionals work and learn together to create more permanent systems for connecting professionals and developing workforce capacity. In this session, we will explore two learning/capacity building models that are based in human connection, mutual interest, and adult learning theory that build long-lasting public health capacity. Specifically, we will focus on communities of practice (aka learning communities, learning collaboratives, peer networks, etc.) and Project ECHO. ®  

Learning Objectives

The future of the public health field is uncertain, and that will continue to be true. Workforce development will play a critical role in preparing in an uncertain and constantly evolving environment. Cuts to budget health and turnover are likely to continue. It’s more important than ever that staff have strategic skills, many of which were identified several years ago by the National Consortium for Workforce Development. In particular, skills in change management and persuasive communication have grown in importance. The de Beaumont Foundation is partnering with other public health leaders and practitioners to develop several tools to equip the workforce, including a project to identify the appropriate ratio of public health staff for communities and new tools for effective communication with community partners the public. Health agencies should carefully consider how they’re using their training dollars to ensure that they are building resilient and sustainable skills.

Learning Objectives

• Gain insights about the current and future needs of the public health workforce.
• Learn which strategic skills are particularly valuable in an environment where change is the norm.
• Get access to practical tools that can help build skills.

Target Audience:  Public Health Professionals

Duration:  ~ 30 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/ Updated: 8/2020

Presenter: Brian Castrucci

Brian Castrucci is a disruptor, instigator, and fierce advocate for public health. Inside Philanthropy once described him as a “fount of knowledge and passion when it comes to health” who speaks with “sound-bite-perfect urgency” on the social determinants of health. Over the past eight years, Brian has helped build the de Beaumont Foundation into a national powerhouse in public health philanthropy and advocacy. He now serves as the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer. An award-winning epidemiologist with 10 years of experience in state and local health departments, Brian brings a unique background that allows him to shape and implement visionary and practical initiatives and partnerships that bring together research and practice to improve public health. Under his leadership, the de Beaumont Foundation is driving change to improve population health, foster collaboration between public health and other sectors, and strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure. CityHealth, the BUILD Health Challenge, and the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey are among the national projects he has helped create while at the Foundation.

COVID-19 has dramatically changed the delivery of healthcare. Providers and patients have experienced in a very short amount of time some of the greatest changes to the healthcare system ever seen. Those who were reluctant to embrace telehealth prior to COVID found themselves obliged to implement it often just to stay in business. The rapid utilization of telemedicine was enabled by equally rapid changes in regulations and waivers for billing. This talk will summarize where we might be going with telemedicine post-COVID, especially in the public health arena. In particular, the focus will be on how to transition from a rapidly implemented program using readily available platforms to more sustainable long-term use of telemedicine integrated in usual practice. Resources available to help with this transition will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the key aspects of the status of COVID-related telehealth regulations and waivers.
• Appreciate the broader role of mHealth, apps, sensors, and remote monitoring post COVID.
• Learn about ways to transition the use of telehealth into traditional practice models
• Know where to look for resources and technical assistance with telemedicine questions.

Target Audience:  Public Health Professionals

Duration: ~ 35 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/ Updated: 8/2020

Presenter: Elizabeth A. Krupinski, PhD

Dr. Krupinski is Professor and Vice-Chair for Research at Emory University in the Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences and subject matter expert for the Emory Telehealth Program. She received her BA from Cornell, MA from Montclair State, and Ph.D. from Temple, all in Experimental Psychology. Her interests are in medical image perception, observer performance, decision making, and human factors. She is the Associate Director of Evaluation for the Arizona Telemedicine Program and co-Director of the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center. She is Past President of ATA, Past Chair of Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine, Past Chair of the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference, and President of the Medical Image Perception Society. She is Co-Editor of the Journal of Telemedicine & Telecare and on the Editorial Board of the Telemedicine & E-Health Journal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed what public health workers have known for years: We, as a society, have failed to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy. In his keynote, Dr. Levy will discuss the ways in which COVID-19 has revealed society’s failures to protect public health and describe strategies to address these failures to strengthen public health. 

Learning Objectives:

Target Audience:  Public Health Professionals

Duration:  ~ 27 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/ Updated: 8/2020

Presenter: Barry S. Levy, M.D., M.P.H.

Barry Levy is a physician and epidemiologist who has worked in public health for more than 40 years. He is a graduate of Tufts College, Cornell Medical College, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed residencies in internal medicine and preventive medicine. Dr. Levy has served as a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and a director of international programs and projects. For many years, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has written more than 200 papers and book chapters and has edited 20books on occupational and environmental health, climate change, social injustice, and the impacts of war and terrorism on public health. He has served as president of the American Public Health Association and received its Sedgwick Memorial Medal.

COVID-19 presents numerous challenges to the public health workforce, including fear, anxiety, potential burnout and stress, and a great deal of uncertainty. These challenges have an impact on an individual’s health and well-being, on our individual relationships, and on our work performance. This session will share strategies to build individual resilience as we continue to respond to COVID-19. Participants will leave the session with practical tools to prepare for the “next normal,” not the “new” normal, by committing to self-care, resilience, and adaptive leadership in the days and months ahead.

Learning objectives:

• Explain the healthy and unhealthy functions of anxiety, fear, and stress
• Describe three self-care skills to help address anxiety and uncertainty
• Apply resilience-building strategies to their professional experience in public health

Duration: 39 minutes

Continuing Education Information: 0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based training, Self Study

Originally Recorded: 08/2020

Presenter: Dr. Michael Fraser, CEO, ASTHO. 

Dr. Fraser is the chief executive officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the national nonprofit organization representing state and territorial leaders of public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in state‐based public health practice.Dr.Fraser is a dynamic leader in the health care and public health fields. Prior to joining ASTHO, he served as the executive vice president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Medical. Michael has been a distinguished leader in public health for over twenty years. He served as CEO of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) from 2007 to 2013; he was the deputy executive director of the National Association of County, and City Health Officials from 2002 to 2007and served in several capacities at the US Department of Health and Human Services, including positions at the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mental health issues have greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Michelle Cabrera shares experiences, trends, and lessons learned from the California County Behavioral Health Directors Association.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how COVID-19 has impacted the delivery of safety net behavioral health services in California
• Learn how California’s Public Safety Net has adapted to address shifts in the financing, care delivery, and community need post-pandemic
• Share how the public behavioral health safety net can support the role of public health in addressing the needs of both the workforce and affected communities

Duration: 34 minutes

Continuing Education Information: 0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Web-based training, Self Study

Originally Recorded: 08/2020

Presenter: Michelle D. Cabrera

Michelle Doty Cabrera joined County Behavioral Health Directors Association as Executive Director in May 2019. Ms. Cabrera has a wealth of experience in the state budget and policy as an advocate and staff for the California legislature. Before joining CBHDA, she served as the Healthcare Director for the California State Council of the Services Employees International Union (SEIU California), where she advocated on behalf of healthcare workers and consumers, including SEIU California's county behavioral health workforce. She served as a Senior Consultant for the Assembly Human Services Committee, where she specialized in child welfare issues and staffed legislation, which extended foster care in California to age 21. Ms. Cabrera also served as a Program Officer for the California Healthcare Foundation, working as a liaison on state health policy in Sacramento. Ms. Cabrera serves as a member of the National Quality Forum's Standing Committee on Disparities and the Board of Directors of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.

In the past six months, our country has struggled with the negative impact of COVID-19, with widespread disruption in access to mental health care, economic stability, and social connectivity. Hawai‘i has led the country in positive public health results but continues to struggle with the economic impact, job loss, and the crisis faced by our small businesses. How do we continue to build community engagement and resilience? This presentation will review the factors specific to our island community that has helped create these positive public health and mental health outcomes. It will examine what factors can be considered in other communities, the elements that have been successfully used during this first wave, and helpful tools to consider implementing.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss factors impacting community engagement and resilience, specific to Hawai'i
  
• Examine community factors to consider in a public health approach
  
• Review elements used to build interconnectedness and resilience during COVID-19
  
• Identify helpful tools to consider for your community

Duration: 34 minutes

Continuing Education Information:  0.5 CECH for CHES

Format: Recorded Webinar

Originally Recorded: 08/2020

Presenter: Dr. Mestisa Gass, PhD

Mestisa C. Gass is the new Program Director for Mental Health America of Hawai‘i (MHAH). She graduated with a Master’s and Doctorate degree, in Clinical Psychology. Her education and experience has been focused on diverse populations including inpatient acute adolescent care, community mental health, and military mental health. Her training and work has emphasized diversity and trauma-focused care. She is a certified trainer for the MHAH’s Youth Suicide and Bullying Prevention Training for Trainers (T4T) curriculum and Mental Health First Aid for Adults and Youth. She is a member of the Mental Health Task Force, the Statewide and Oahu Suicide Prevention Task Forces, and a board member for the Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse. She has been working in Hawaii since 2006, being originally from a small, farming community in the Appalachian Mountains. She is passionate about bringing education, support, and resources to rural communities, like those in which she spent her childhood.