Building Community Resiliency:Building Community Resiliency:

Louisiana ESAR-VHPLouisiana ESAR-VHP

Presentation ObjectivesPresentation Objectives• Discuss Louisiana’s approach to the federally

mandated Department of Health and Human Services ESAR-VHP Program.

• Discuss recruitment and retention efforts currently being implemented by program.

• Provide participants a sneak peak at the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Implementation Plan to help sustain and develop state units.

• Provide future direction for the state’s volunteer program.

What is the purpose of What is the purpose of ESAR-VHP?ESAR-VHP?

Build local, state, and federal health workforce surge capacity during disasters through a state-based, national system for registering health professional volunteers in advance of an emergency.

Nursing/Medical

Louisiana Nurses in Action

Mental Health

EMT

Database in Bureau of EMS

Pharmacy

Database in Conjunction with ULM

Uniting All DisciplinesUniting All Disciplines

Non-Medical Allied Health

LAVA SystemLAVA System• LAVALAVA is Louisiana’s approach to HHS

federally mandated Emergency Systems for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) Program.

• LAVA works to recruit, credential, train, manage and deploy volunteers (medical and non-medical).

• Launched on December 17, 2007.

LAVA LaunchingDecember 17, 2007

Volunteers By the Numbers

Discipline R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 R 6 R 7 R 8 R 9 Unknown Total

Physicians 115 219 4 7 6 1 7 2 17 73 451

Nurses 187 388 63 112 69 102 202 93 154 0 1370

Pharmacists 148 113 57 128 49 84 106 107 82 0 874

BehavioralHealth

4 17 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 12 39

EMTs 17 62 2 2 2 1 1 2 7 1 97

Grand Total 471 801 126 253 126 188 316 204 262 86 2831

Post LaunchingPost Launching

LAVA Volunteers by Specialty Area

2 11 1 4 343

1

69

9 5 5 3 17 14 2 4 2 4 3 4 1

53

1131

2 1

305

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Accou

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Admin/

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Agricu

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Busin

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Constru

ction

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Engine

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Volunteer Numbers as of Wednesday, March 5, 2008Volunteer Numbers as of Wednesday, March 5, 2008

LAVA Volunteers by Region

3472

28 36 3819 36

16 26

305

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9 Total

Region

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Volunteer Numbers as of Wednesday, March 5, 2008Volunteer Numbers as of Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Health Professionals RecruitedHealth Professionals Recruited• Advanced Practice Nurse• Athletic Trainer• Audiologist• Behavioral Health Professional• Cardiovascular

Technologist/Technician• Chiropractor• Counselor, Mental Health• Counselor, Rehabilitation• Counselor, School• Counselor, Substance Abuse and

Behavioral Disorder• Dental Assistant• Dental Hygienist• Dentist• Dietetic Technician• Dietitian• EMT - Basic• EMT - Intermediate• EMT - Paramedic• Environmental Health

Inspector/Regulator• Epidemiologist• First Responder• Health Educator• Home Health Aide• Human Service Technician

• Immunization Services Worker• Laboratorian• Licensed Practical Nurs3• Marriage & Family Therapist• Medical and Clinical Lab Technician• Medical and Clinical Lab Technologist• Medical Assistant• Nuclear Medicine Technologist• Nursing Aide, Orderly, or Attendant• Nutritionist• Occupational Therapist Optician• Optometrist• Orthotist or Prosthetist• Other• Personal and Home Care Aide• Pharmacist• Pharmacy Aide• Pharmacy Technician• Physical Therapist• Physical Therapist Aide• Physical Therapist Assistant• Physician• Physician Assistant• Podiatrist

• Psychiatric Aide• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Worker• Psychologist• Public Health Nurse• Radiation Therapist• Radiologic

Technologist/Technician• Recreational Therapist• Registered Nurse• Respiratory Therapist• Respiratory Therapy Technician• Social Worker• Social Worker, Medical and

Public Health• Social Worker, Mental Health

and Substance Abuse• Special Needs Care Provider• Speech Language Pathologist• Surgical Technologist• Toxicologist• Veterinarian• Veterinary Assistant• Veterinary

Technologist/Technician

and Non-medical!and Non-medical!

Training Provided on SystemTraining Provided on System• The State of Louisiana Office of Public Health collaborates

extensively with the South Central Public Health Partnership (SCPHP). This partnership is comprised of four states (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) and two schools of public health (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health).

• This prompted the implementation of the SABA Learning Management System that is maintained by the partnership.

• The Office of Public Health and the South Central Public Health Partnership has once again collaborated on an initiative to allow volunteers to access and complete courses in the SABA learning management system at no cost to the volunteer.

• This serves a two-fold purpose as it reinforces the need for training course development that spans across all aspects of public health, and allows for volunteers to receive the training they need without cost to them.

Learning Management System

Course listing serve as links to the Learning Management System.

Active transcript of courses taken by volunteer maintained in website.

How do we Utilized Volunteers?How do we Utilized Volunteers?

Public Health EmergenciesPublic Health Emergencies ExercisesExercises

TrainingTraining DrillsDrills

Licensing Board Integration StatusLicensing Board Integration Status• Phase 1 (Completed)Phase 1 (Completed)

– Louisiana State Board of Nursing– Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners– DEA Pharmaceutical License– OIG LEIE Exclusion Database

• Phase 2Phase 2– Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition– Examiners of Speech-Language Pathology and

Audiology– Social Work Examiners Board– Bureau of Emergency Medical Services– Louisiana State Board of Licensed Practical Nurses– Louisiana Board of Radiologic Technologist– Louisiana Board of Social Work

Recruitment StrategiesRecruitment Strategies• DHH/OPH Websites

• Media/Marketing Campaign– Statewide Press Release Issued

• (February 6, 2008)

– Newspaper Ads/Online Advertising• (February 10, 2008)• Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria,

Lafayette, Opelousas, Houma, Thibodaux, Lake Charles, New Orleans

How does the System Work?How does the System Work?

Records all volunteer affiliations

Jane DoeJane Doe Catches

duplicateaffiliations

Recruitment StrategiesRecruitment Strategies• Letter Writing Campaign to State

Volunteer Organizations

• Purchasing Promotionals and Recruitment Packets

• Partnering with Health Care Boards:– Board of Nursing– Board of Medical Examiners– Board of Social Work– Board of Pharmacy

Recruitment StrategiesRecruitment Strategies• Mail-outs

– Current Volunteer Pool– Partnering with Bureau of Emergency Medical

Services during Re-certification

• Conferences– Louisiana School Nurses Organization

• March 12 -14, 2008

– National Association of Social Work – LA Chapter

• April 9 – 11, 2008

Recruitment StrategiesRecruitment Strategies• Universities

• Community/Civic Groups

• Fraternal Clubs

• Professional Organizations

• Volunteer Centers

• YOU!YOU!

Retention StrategiesRetention Strategies• Trainings/Training course reminders

• Developing monthly newsletter

• Sending emergency preparedness tips

• Spotlighting volunteers for their efforts

• Inviting volunteers to serve on planning committees

• Sending formal “Thank You” letters for services rendered

2007 Trust for America’s Health 2007 Trust for America’s Health ReportReport

Trust for America’s Health ReportTrust for America’s Health ReportDecember 2007December 2007

Community ResiliencyCommunity Resiliency

• The U.S. government defines “community resilience” as the ability of a community to cope and recover from a disaster or public health emergency.

• This requires residents, community-based organizations, local businesses, and government to take meaningful action before a disaster or emergency.

2007 Trust for America’s Health Report: Community Resiliency

• Indicator:Indicator:– Does Louisiana meet a minimum threshold of

Medical Reserve Corps volunteers per 100,000 persons?

• Threshold:Threshold:– 14 Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers per

100,000 of state population

2007 Trust for American’s Health Report2007 Trust for American’s Health Report

LouisianaLouisiana

332 MRC 332 MRC Volunteers Volunteers

NeededNeeded

MRC Implementation PlanMRC Implementation Plan

Building State MRC CapacityBuilding State MRC Capacity

• Hired State Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator January 2008.

• Evaluating current status of State MRCs.

• Developed Draft MRC Implementation Plan.

• Piloting Junior Medical Reserve Corps Program.

Strategies to Foster Support Strategies to Foster Support from Local MRCfrom Local MRC

• Supplemental funding• Use of the LAVA website for the purpose of

professional credentialing• Background checks • Volunteer referrals from the LAVA System• Access to additional volunteer support• Participation is state sponsored drills,

exercises and training• Liability protection

LAVA MRC RecruitmentLAVA MRC Recruitment

Next StepsNext Steps

• Addressing Volunteer Liability– Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health

Practitioners Act

• Regional meetings to discuss MRC Implementation Plan

• Junior Medical Reserve Corps

• Recruitment! Recruitment! Recruitment!

Uniform Emergency Volunteer Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners ActHealth Practitioners Act

• Provides for:Provides for:– Making volunteer health professionals readily

available to host state during declared emergency.– Requires volunteers to affiliate with state registration

systems such as LAVA and MRC to discourage spontaneous volunteers and to promote volunteer recruitment/training.

– Requires volunteers to limit services provided to those that they are licensed and skilled to provide.

– Gives authority over out-of-state volunteers to licensing boards and host agencies.

– Liability protection– Workman’s compensation

Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Legislative ActivityPractitioner Legislative Activity

HIHIAKAK

CACA

OROR

WAWA

IDID

MTMT

TXTX

SDSDWYWY

NVNV

OKOK

KSKS

NENE

COCO

NMNMAZAZ

UTUT

NDND

SCSC

MNMN

WIWI

IAIA

MOMO

ARAR

LALA

VAVA

NCNC

GAGA

FLFL

ALALMSMS

ILILWVWV

KYKY

TNTN

NYNY

PAPA

ININ OHOH

MIMI

DEDENJNJ

CTCTRIRI

MAMA

MEME

DCDCMDMD

NHNHVTVT

PR - PR - (Puerto Rico)(Puerto Rico)VI - VI - (U.S. Virgin Islands)(U.S. Virgin Islands)

EnactedEnacted

Introduced in 2007Introduced in 2007

Planned Introduction in 2008Planned Introduction in 2008

Contact Information:Contact Information:

Mardrah Starks-Robinson, MPAMardrah Starks-Robinson, MPAProgram Manager

Volunteer ManagementPhone: 225-763-3965

Email: mmstarks@dhh.la.gov

Pamela Brue, MPAPamela Brue, MPAProgram Monitor – State MRC Coordinator

Volunteer ManagementPhone: 225-763-5545

Email: pbrue1@dhh.la.gov

www.lava.dhh.louisiana.govwww.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov