Who Ya Gonna Call? Priority of the Notification/Coordination Roster

Part of an effective health response is solid pre-planning. By completing the Notification/Coordination Roster beforehand, you can assure that those with whom you need to coordinate or notify get the information quickly. Remember that those who are on the roster should have your highest priority. In an event, every second counts. Spend your time wisely, first giving information to those who need it most, then providing information to others who are not on the roster.

In this activity, you will be given several groups and individuals who should have been notified or coordinated with during this crisis. Not all groups and individuals on the list fall into this category. Among those who do, some have a higher priority than others. Drag the appropriate groups or individuals into one of three priority areas:

Place those with whom you do not need to coordinate, or contact only as means allow, into the “No Need to Contact” area. When you have finished, click “How Did I Do?” to compare your answers with Roshanna’s.

Begin Activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Did I Do

 

 

Below is a recap of the groups and individuals on Roshanna’s roster and the priority for their contact.

High Priority
High Priority
(Contact immediately, preferably within two hours)

It was extremely important to coordinate with the State Health Department’s Director and Medical Office, as well as the Governor’s Office, because they would potentially be giving interviews and providing data to various news outlets.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should have been coordinated with early in the event and kept updated. As the vaccine supply started to dwindle, the CDC could have assisted in replenishing supplies quickly.

Remember that during a situation, the contact priority of an organization or individual can change as the situation evolves. Every state and every situation is slightly different, so no two prioritized notification/coordination rosters will be alike.
   
Medium Priority
Medium Priority
(Contact as soon as possible, preferably within eight hours)

In this situation, as soon as the problem was evident, the media began asking questions. Contacting them first would have avoided speculation and would have made all of the information that was reported more consistent.

Next, state hospitals should have been contacted to prepare them for an increased number of patients. Also, they would have known earlier which symptoms to look for and what treatments to recommend.

Third, schools would have been good to have contacted with information about the virus. Children are often more susceptible to viruses and transmit them easily.

Finally, contacting the state health departments of neighboring states would have helped to contain the spread of the virus by potentially reducing the number of outbreaks in surrounding states. In this situation, it potentially could have avoided the negative travel advisories put out by neighboring states.

Remember that during a situation, the contact priority of an organization or individual can change as the situation evolves. Every state and every situation is slightly different, so no two prioritized notification/coordination rosters will be alike.
   
Low Priority
Low Priority
(Contact after 1st and 2nd priorities are contacted, preferably within 24-48 hours)

State police and 911 call centers should have been coordinated with as they might have received calls from the public that should have been directed to the state health department.

Also if there were some discussions about limiting the times that certain business could be open, local business associations and unions should have been contacted.

Finally, local transportation should have been contacted. Many people would be traveling to and from hospitals. Also, public transportation can sometimes help spread a virus, thus they could have taken extra precautions.

Remember that during a situation, the contact priority of an organization or individual can change as the situation evolves. Every state and every situation is slightly different, so no two prioritized notification/coordination rosters will be alike.
   
No need to contact
No Need To Contact
(No contact necessary or contact as means allow)

Even though state elected officials are important individuals, they did not need to hear information directly from Roshanna’s office.

In an ideal situation, information should have been given to them from the governor’s office, which would have gotten their information from Roshanna’s office.

Neither the Public Health Service or the National Institutes of Health needed to be contacted by Roshanna’s office.

The CDC contacts the World Health Organization in situations like this. Thus, there was no need for Roshanna’s office to contact them.

Remember that during a situation, the contact priority of an organization or individual can change as the situation evolves. Every state and every situation is slightly different, so no two prioritized notification/coordination rosters will be alike.

 

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