In response to an inquiry sent on Friday, October 10th, from Etopia News asking if California would institute border checks against the entry of Ebola into the state, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) replied today as follows:
Will
California initiate border checkpoints to prevent entry of persons at risk for
Ebola?
RESPONSE:
The responsibility for monitoring persons entering the United States belongs to
federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
When
asked:
What are the higher levels of
activation at MHCC (Medical and Health Coordination Center) beyond level 1 and
what events will trigger the transition to these higher levels of activation?
CDPH replied:
RESPONSE: The Medical and Health
Coordination Center (MHCC) is located within the CDPH Public Health Emergency
Preparedness Office. The
MHCC becomes activated for the purpose of supporting and coordinating CDPH, the
Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and Department of Health Care
Services (DHCS) emergency response activities. These activities include
responding to mission requests from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
(Cal OES), when local Public Health or Medical government organizations
request state assistance. The MHCC is staffed according to anticipated
need and workload. Currently, the MHCC is staffed at level 1, which is
identified as minimal staffing level. The number of hours worked or number
of persons assigned to MHCC duties can change at any time, depending on need.
Further, when
asked “How much time on the job is (CDPH director) Ron Chapman spending working
on Ebola preparedness-related issues?”
CDPH replied:
RESPONSE:
When a response such as Ebola takes place, it becomes a number one priority for
Dr. Chapman.
Here’s
what it said about the number of people assigned to the Medical & Health
Coordination Center (MHCC), recently activated to lead the state’s efforts
against Ebola:
How
many employees work at the MHCC?
RESPONSE:
As with all emergency operations centers, the MHCC is staffed according to
need. The MHCC staffing is expanded or contracted to meet the support and
coordination needs of CDPH, EMSA and DHCS. When not activated, there are
usually 1 or sometimes 2 persons in the MHCC assigned to various maintenance duties.
John Wogec
will serve as MHCC Director:
What’s the name of the person in
charge of managing it?
RESPONSE:
The MHCC Director is the designated person in charge of managing its
activities. The staff person currently assigned as MHCC Director is John
Wogec, an EPO Senior Emergency Services Coordinator. Persons assigned to this
position are CDPH or EMSA staff or supervisors with many years of experience in
emergency management. The MHCC does not develop department or state policy, but
ensures operational support and coordination of CDPH, EMSA and DHCS programs
involved in the response.
Here’s what
CDPH had to say about funding for the MHCC:
What is its annual budget and has
its budget risen or fallen in the last three years?
RESPONSE:
Federal grant funds for public health and emergency preparedness planning has
declined over the past few years. Funding for the MHCC is one of many
funding areas covered with emergency preparedness federal grant funds for
emergency preparedness planning.
Here’s
what CDPH had to say about the state’s overall preparedness for an Ebola
outbreak:
On a scale of
1 to 10, with 10 being the highest degree of preparedness against Ebola, how
would Ron Chapman rate the CDPH, the government of the State of California, and
the people of California?
RESPONSE:
While the risk is low, state and local public health officials in California
are monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to keep Californians
safe. It is important Californians understand that while we should be aware of
the disease and its symptoms, it is extremely unlikely that Ebola poses a major
public health risk to the people in California. Our advanced health care system
has appropriate protocols in place to prevent the spread of this and other
deadly diseases. Early detection of imported cases is critical to respond to
emerging infectious disease threats such as Ebola Virus Disease. The California
Department of Public Health (CDPH) works with local health departments,
hospitals and other community partners to prepare for outbreaks and other
public health emergencies. Such collaboration ensures we identify novel
diseases early on, conduct specialized laboratory testing of suspect cases, and
limit potential spread of diseases.
Additionally,
CDPH has activated the MHCC to monitor Ebola virus preparedness efforts and to
provide updates and revised recommendations to clinical stakeholders, internal
and external partners, and local health departments.
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