Preparing for Pandemic H1N1

In the wake of a possible H1N1 pandemic, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC-DPH) went into preparation mode. The Workforce Readiness and Resiliency Workgroup (WRRW) was organized to increase workforce readiness and to respond to H1N1 related events in the Fall of 2009. One focus of this workgroup was to assess the preparedness of the DPH licensed staff workforce in participating in H1N1 Points of Dispensing (PODS) and ensuring that the approximate 700 licensed staff could meet the demands of more than 10 million Los Angeles County residents. Several barriers were identified. However a major obstacle was how to prepare DPH licensed staff, with minimal patient interactions or POD experience, to participate in the PODS in a short time frame. The Workforce Readiness Workgroup, a subcommittee of the WRRW, consisting of the Education and Professional Development Unit (EPDU) and the Immunizations program (IP) was assigned to address this issue. This committee's objective was to develop and implement a training program to increase DPH nursing workforce readiness to administer H1N1 vaccines. To meet this objective a Train the Trainer Course and online Self Learning Course entitled “Vaccine Administration Course” was developed. Both courses included the following modules: Anaphylaxis Reaction, Introduction to Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens, Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine, Vaccination Screening and Documentation, and Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccine & Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV) Recommendations. Equipment and tracking tools were provided to the Trainers to track completion of the modules and to observe the skills proficiency demonstrations.

Additional courses were added to the curriculum, to enhance the staffs learning experience. The California State Immunization Website, EZIZ.org, was used as a point of reference for the Vaccine Administration Course. This website provided animated training for administering immunizations and the storage of vaccines. The second course, “Point of Dispensing (POD 101)”, developed by the Organizational Development and Training Unit (ODT), provided an introduction to PODS.

The Workforce Readiness Workgroup's objective was successfully met. Over 771 individuals, DPH and non DPH, completed the modules within a five week period. These individuals successfully participated in the Pandemic H1N1 PODS.