About the DSHS AAR
Background
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) was the lead response agency in Texas for the 2009 Novel H1N1 pandemic influenza outbreak. Some of the agency responsibilities included mobilizing health and medical resources, allocating and distributing vaccines and antiviral medications, and developing policy to guide health and medical response activities across the state. With the second wave waning DSHS has proposed to conduct a final after action assessment of the H1N1 response. This is an opportunity for DSHS, in collaboration with key response partners, to thoughtfully evaluate and examine the response in its entirety. This after action evaluation will provide DSHS the information necessary to revise operational plans in order to better respond to subsequent pandemics or other similar-type infectious diseases.
Concept
Based on discussions with DSHS the following four-stage concept is proposed for the comprehensive after action assessment of the Novel H1N1 health and medical response (see Figure 1).
1. Initial AAR planning: This stage will focus on identifying specific issues to be addressed during the data gathering sessions in stage two. A combination of surveys and personal interviews will be used to identify issues.
2. Data gathering sessions in Austin and in each Health Service Region: This stage will focus on collecting information from response partners and other interested stakeholders. It will include hot wash sessions in Austin that will be targeted to health professionals (e.g., physicians and pharmacists), state agency partners, and central office staff. Additional hot wash sessions will be held in each Health Service Regions with local response partners and for health service region staff. The Litaker Group will work with DSHS to determine the appropriate number of invitees and the specific format and objectives of the hot wash sessions. In addition, The Litaker Group will work with DSHS to determine the number of hot wash sessions in each health service region.
3. Report writing: Information obtained from stages one and two, as well as information from the spring and fall 2009 evaluation sessions, will be used to develop a comprehensive after action report and implementation plan.
4. Communicating findings to stakeholders: Findings from the after action report and implementation plan will be communicated to stakeholders. This step will provide DSHS an opportunity to validate findings and improvements with stakeholders.
