Americares COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness Offerings
The Americares Preparedness Team has developed a plan template and checklist to assist health centers in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The template and checklist are described below, along with a list of free online trainings based on the documents.
Americares is dedicated to helping health centers prepare for disasters so they can continue to provide care for their communities.
Americares is dedicated to helping health centers prepare for disasters so they can continue to provide care for their communities. Americares preparedness experts are providing resources to assist health centers that are on the front lines of health care during a disaster maintain their primary services that are so critical to the vulnerable population they serve.
To supplement the current general Americares Preparedness Planning Guide for Free and Charitable Clinics, Americares has now created a preparedness template specifically designed to guide our global health center response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The information on this page provides downloadable resources to guide overall preparedness planning as well as templates and online training for building a COVID-19 plan specific to each individual health center. Other online resources are available as well and new content will be added as it becomes available. As always Americares emergency staff are available via email to answer any questions you may have.
Training Description
This 1-hour training session covers After-Action Reports, Improvement Plans, and debrief conferences. This training guides participants through evaluation techniques to analyze a health center’s emergency response during or after a response. This includes guidance specific to a mid-response evaluation for the COVID-19 pandemic response.
The Americares Preparedness Team has developed a COVID-19 Response Plan Template for health centers. Available in a downloadable Word format, this template is meant to be edited by the clinic to match local requirements, health center capabilities, and policies.
Download the following:
Instructions on How to Fill out the COVID-19 template (PDF)
Instructions on How to Fill out the COVID-19 template (in Spanish = PDF)
COVID-19 Response Plan Template (download)
COVID-19 Response Plan Template (in Spanish – download)
COVID-19 guidance should be revisited frequently as this is an evolving incident and guidance can and will change. Sections highlighted in grey require center specific information but are not the only areas that should be edited. Inputting specific health center information to the template will help ensure it is applicable and effective for use.
A one-hour training is available to guide participants through completing each section of the template. This training is also available as a 3-hour Interactive Planning Workshop that covers the same information but includes time for health centers to complete the template and ask questions of the specialist. Click below to view Americares: COVID-19 Response Plan Template Training Video.
For health centers who already have an Infectious Disease Plan, the team has developed a checklist to assess the plan and identify gaps or areas for improvement.
Infectious Disease Outbreak Planning Checklist
Infectious Disease Outbreak Planning Checklist (in Spanish)
A 30-minute training is available to review the checklist and answer questions. Click below to view Americares: COVID-19 Response Plan Template Training.
This one-hour training will allow participants to learn about the methods needed to evaluate their health center’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the training, participants will receive an electronic After-Action Report/Improvement Plan Template custom designed for health centers.
For these one-hour trainings, participants can choose between three separate topics focused on planning for emergencies while accounting for the effects of COVID-19 on the community and other disasters. Participants can choose from the following sessions:
This session covers how COVID-19 is affecting hurricane response and steps health centers can take to prepare. This includes lessons learned from the Americares responses during the 2020 hurricane season so far. Click below to watch the Americares training video on Hurricane Preparedness During COVID-19.
This session covers how health centers can prepare for the ongoing and unprecedented 2020 wildfire season. This includes lessons learned from the Americares responses in California, Oregon, and Washington.
This session covers all-hazards planning tips for any disaster during COVID-19. It includes lessons learned and tips on how COVID-19 is affecting response overall. Click below to view the training video: Americares Emergency Preparedness During COVID-19.
Read and/or download the following documents:
Key Considerations for Emergency Planning During COVID-19
COVID-19 Discussion-Based Exercises
Training sessions can be scheduled for conferences, associations, health networks, or health centers. For more information or to schedule a training please contact preparedness@americares.org.
Preparedness Specialists are available for private consultations with health centers. (https://calendly.com/americares/consultation?month=2020-11).
Training Sessions
Begin with a 30 minute – 1-hour consultation. Our IPC and WASH specialists are available to answer questions and provide technical assistance for your healthcare facility via an initial 30-minute consultation session. Following the initial consultation, additional sessions are available upon request. To schedule an Individual Health Facility Consultation, contact infectionprevention@americares.org
Time for Each Course is 1 hour. To inquire about course scheduling and availability please contact: infectionprevention@americares.org
This training outlines the IPC and WASH strategies health care facilities can employ to prevent or mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2/COVID 19, and provides participants with a greater understanding of how to apply enhanced precautions and adapt operational practices to mitigate risks
This training provides guidance on the correct use of different types of masks and respirators used in the COVID-19 pandemic and when to use them.
This training is designed to help facilities prioritize the order of actions for PPE use when inventory is limited.
This training provides an overview of best practices for COVID-19 infection prevention screening and triage procedures.
The objectives of this training are to review Standard Precautions and Transmission Based Precautions, and identify the key components of contact, droplet and airborne precautions as they pertain to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
This training provides an overview of the chronology, pathophysiology, virology, and epidemiology of SARS CoV-2 to date.
This training provides an overview of the importance of ventilation in health facility operations, the importance of ventilation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and outlines guidance on how health facilities can improve ventilation through natural, mechanical or hybrid means.
This training provides a refresher on hand hygiene, why it’s important and outlines how health centers can promote and optimize hand hygiene practices in their health facilities.
This training provides an overview of the importance of water in health facility operations, and outlines guidance on appropriate implementation of WASH best practices to help with COVID-19 facility preparations.
This training provides an overview of sanitation considerations in health facility operations, the importance of sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and outlines guidance on appropriate implementation of sanitation best practices.
This training provides an overview of the latest guidance for environmental cleaning best practices for health facilities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are continuing to add more trainings as our partners’ IPC and WASH needs with respect to this pandemic evolve. For more information on these offerings or future offerings, please contact: infectionprevention@americares.org
This two-hour abbreviated PFA training provides information on how and when to provide psychological first aid to people impacted by a traumatic event, and ways to enhance provider care before, during and after a traumatic event.
March 16, 4-5:30 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training provides guidance on how health care workers can support the unique physical and mental health concerns of high-risk vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 25, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
April 1, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
During the COVID-19 pandemic, stigma and discrimination against people of certain ethnic backgrounds, travelers, and residents of areas with high numbers of positive cases, and health care providers have been observed. This one-hour training provides strategies to combat stigma and discrimination, and support those who may be experiencing stigma and discrimination associated with COVID-19.
March 2, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training discusses how emergencies and social distancing affect normal sleep patterns, the consequences and significance of altered sleep patterns and offers recommendations for improving sleep during stressful times.
March 25, 11-12 p.m. ETRegistration Link
The goal of this one-hour training is to increase the ability of providers to identify natural emotional responses to crises, and learn to manage fear, anxiety, and stress reactions in themselves and among the people they serve.
March 18, 11-12 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training teaches strategies for managing stress related to isolation, social distancing and quarantining that providers can apply to their own self-care routine, as well as provision of care to their patients.
February 23, 12-1 p.m. ET Registration Link
Infodemia has been defined as an overabundance of information that makes it difficult for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance, adding stress, anxiety and misinformation to one’s current state. This one-hour training provides practical and self-care strategies for combating the Infodemic, isolating reliable information, and managing information overload and related stress reactions.
This one-hour training discusses the difference between grief and mourning, why mourning is essential to healing, COVID-19’s impact on healthy mourning, and positive coping tools for helping those you serve navigate the grief process.
February 25, 12-1 p.m. ETRegistration Link
March 23, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training provides guidance on how grief affects children and teens at different developmental stages; how COVID-19 has impacted this; the importance of normalizing feelings and encouraging expression of feelings; and strategies for helping children understand, express themselves and mourn in healthy ways.
February 23, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
March 30, 12-1 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training provides an overview of the common reactions children exhibit when facing an emergency, typical stress responses, and how to communicate with and support children in regaining a sense of security.
March 4, 12-1 p.m. ETRegistration Link
This one-hour training provides an overview ofprovider and system-related issues that may impactchallenging situations. Learn how to use interventionguidelines and strategies to manage difficultworkplace environments for yourself andyour patients.
March 11, 4-5 p.m. ETRegistration Link
In this webinar, we will explore “Zoom Fatigue.” We’llreview its symptoms and causes, how to reduce screenusage and positive coping tools to counteract its effects.We will finish by looking at some of the positive aspectsof this new lifestyle and ways video chats can helpfacilitate mental as well as physical health.
March 9, 12-1 p.m. ETRegistration Link
We are continually developing new trainings to meet our partners’ evolving needs. For more information on these courses, or information on other mental health offerings, please contact: mentalhealth@americares.org
The Global Pandemic accelerates and changes every day. Here are some basic resources to help lead the way with preparedness, prevention and protection for clinic staff and the people they serve:
These checklists have been designed to help individuals and families prepare for disasters during COVID-19. There is one that is hurricane specific and one that will apply to any disaster. (click on each to view and/or download)
Home Preparedness Checklist – Hurricane is to help families prepare their home, either owned or rented, for a hurricane.
Personal Preparedness Checklist – Hurricane is to help families prepare for a hurricane during the COVID-19 pandemic
Personal Preparedness Checklist During COVID-19 is an all-hazards preparedness checklist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click on each to view and/or download.
Facility Pre-Hurricane Checklist is a safety checklist for health centers who are in the path of a hurricane. This is meant to be used in the 72 hours leading up to landfall.
Facility Post-Incident Safety Checklist is a checklist for all health centers to establish the safety of their facility in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
Americares mental health experts provide essential training and services in preparing for response and recovery from a disaster. Lisa LaDue, Mental Health Specialist offers tips to manage trauma and stress: