Tamar Klaiman

Variability in school closure decisions in response to 2009 H1N1: a qualitative systems improvement analysis

BackgroundSchool closure was employed as a non-pharmaceutical intervention against pandemic 2009 H1N1, particularly during the first wave. More than 700 schools in the United States were closed. However, closure decisions reflected significant variation in rationales, decision triggers, and authority for closure. This variability presents the opportunity for improved efficiency and decision-making.MethodsWe identified media reports relating to school closure as a response to 2009 H1N1 by monitoring high-profile sources and searching Lexis-Nexis and Google news alerts, and reviewed reports for key themes. News stories were supplemented by observing conference calls and meetings with health department and school officials, and by discussions with decision-makers and community members.ResultsThere was significant variation in the stated goal of closure decision, including limiting community spread of the virus, protecting particularly vulnerable students, and responding to staff shortages or student absenteeism. Because the goal of closure is relevant to its timing, nature, and duration, unclear rationales for closure can challenge its effectiveness. There was also significant variation in the decision-making authority to close schools in different jurisdictions, which, in some instances, was reflected in open disagreement between school and public health officials. Finally, decision-makers did not appear to expect the level of scientific uncertainty encountered early in the pandemic, and they often expressed significant frustration over changing CDC guidance.ConclusionsThe use of school closure as a public health response to epidemic disease can be improved by ensuring that officials clarify the goals of closure and tailor closure decisions to those goals. Additionally, authority to close schools should be clarified in advance, and decision-makers should expect to encounter uncertainty disease emergencies unfold and plan accordingly.

Local health department public vaccination clinic success during 2009 pH1N1: a brief.

CONTEXT Local health departments (LHDs) were responsible for administering vaccine to the public during the 2009 H1N1 campaign but had relatively little guidance or experience to inform such a large campaign with limited vaccine supply. They used various processes to deliver vaccines to the public. Learning from the LHDs that were successful in their public vaccination campaigns can help inform future vaccination efforts. OBJECTIVE To learn from H1N1 campaign in order to improve responses to similar events in the future. We used a positive deviance approach to identify positive outlier LHDs during the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaigns. We then used realist evaluation to learn about the combinations of context and mechanisms that led select LHDs to perform well. DESIGN This project was a retrospective qualitative study. We used process mapping to define the steps involved in implementing public vaccination clinics. We identified positive outliers in H1N1 public vaccination efforts and conducted in-depth interviews with LHD staff to learn about the context and mechanisms that led to successful public vaccination clinics. PARTICIPANTS This study focused on positive outliers in LHD vaccination efforts during the 2009 H1N1 campaign that implemented public vaccination clinics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Study outcomes focused on the combinations of context and mechanisms that led to successful outcomes in high-performing LHDs. Specific context + mechanism = outcomes stories are reported. RESULTS We found that successful LHDs defined priority groups, communicated with the public, maintained adequate staffing, established community partnerships, and maintained flexibility. We describe the specific contexts that triggered key mechanisms, which, when combined, led to successful outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The positive deviance and realist evaluation approach allowed us to understand how LHD context triggered specific mechanisms, which led to successful public clinics. The experience of successful LHDs can assist similar LHDs in implementing successful public vaccination clinics in the future.

State health department structure and pandemic planning.

Pandemic influenza is an imminent threat, with the April/May 2009 A(H1N1) outbreak as a testament to the potential for rapid transmission and spread of a novel influenza strain. Research has shown that there are great disparities in state pandemic planning; however, little work has been done to assess how health department structure impacts pandemic preparedness. The purpose of this article was to examine the impact of state health department structure on state pandemic influenza plan integration of federal recommendations. The study consisted of a cross-sectional analysis of 41 states and found that structural and strategy-making variables have the greatest impact on pandemic plan inclusion of federal recommendations. Strong, multilayered health department hierarchies and the tenure of senior staff are negatively associated with preparedness, whereas professionalization is positively associated with pandemic plan comprehensiveness. State health departments can take minimally invasive steps to increase their effectiveness in pandemic preparedness by reducing layers of bureaucracy and increasing training for staff.

Learning From Successful School-Based Vaccination Clinics During 2009 pH1N1

BACKGROUND The 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign was the largest in US history. State health departments received vaccines from the federal government and sent them to local health departments (LHDs) who were responsible for getting vaccines to the public. Many LHDs used school-based clinics to ensure children were the first to receive limited vaccine supplies, but the success of school-based distribution strategies varied in different locations. The goal of this project was to identify and learn from high-performing school-based vaccination clinics in order to share successes and improve performance in future school-based vaccination campaigns. METHODS We used a combination of process mapping and comparative analysis to identify and derive lessons from positive outlier cases observed during 2009 H1N1 school-based vaccination clinic implementation. We created process maps to identify the activities of LHDs conducting school-based vaccinations and used them as the basis for in-depth interviews of LHD staff. We asked interviewees to describe their activities during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1) school-based vaccination campaign with a focus on successful processes. RESULTS We identified positive deviants, that is, those that performed better than expected, and categorized qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 13 successful LHDs according to the process maps. Key mechanisms for school-based vaccination success included having a relationship with local school authorities, communicating effectively with parents, and ensuring clinic logistics allowed for an easy flow of students through the vaccination process. CONCLUSIONS Utilizing rigorous methodology, we defined and learned lessons from successful LHDs when conducting school-based vaccination clinics, which can be applied to future school-based vaccination campaigns.

Local Health Departments as Clinical Safety Net in Rural Communities

INTRODUCTION The appropriate role of local health departments (LHDs) as a clinical service provider remains a salient issue. This study examines differences in clinical service provision among rural/urban LHDs for early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) and prenatal care services. METHODS Data collected from the 2013 National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile of Local Health Departments Survey was used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of rural/urban differences in clinical service provision by LHDs. Profile data were linked with the 2013 Area Health Resource File to derive other county-level measures. Data analysis was conducted in 2015. RESULTS Approximately 35% of LHDs in the analysis provided EPSDT services directly and 26% provided prenatal care. LHDs reporting no others providing these services in the community were four times more likely to report providing EPSDT services directly and six times more likely to provide prenatal care services directly. Rural LHDs were more likely to provide EPSDT (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.07, 2.00) and prenatal care (OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.70, 3.47) services than urban LHDs. The presence of a Federally Qualified Health Center in the county was associated with reduced clinical service provision by LHDs for EPSDT and prenatal care. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that many LHDs in rural communities remain a clinical service provider and a critical component of the healthcare safety net. The unique position of rural LHDs should be considered in national policy discussions around the organization and delivery of public health services, particularly as they relate to clinical services.

Opportunities for Prevention: Assessing Where Low-Income Patients Seek Care for Preventable Coronary Artery Disease

The Affordable Care Act has many aspects that are aimed at improving health care for all Americans, including mandated insurance coverage for individuals, as well as required community health needs assessments (CHNAs), and reporting of investments in community benefit by nonprofit hospitals in order to maintain tax exemptions. Although millions of Americans have gained access to health insurance, many--often the most vulnerable--remain uninsured, and will continue to depend on hospital community benefits for care. Understanding where patients go for care can assist hospitals and communities to develop their CHNA and implementation plans in order to focus resources where the need for prevention is greatest. This study evaluated patient care-seeking behavior among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Florida in 2008--analyzed in 2013--to assess whether low-income patients accessed specific safety net hospitals for treatment or received care from hospitals that were geographically closer to their residence. This study found evidence that low-income patients went to hospitals that treated more low-income patients, regardless of where they lived. The findings demonstrate that hospitals-especially public safety net hospitals with a tradition of treating low-income patients suffering from CAD-should focus prevention activities where low-income patients reside.