Quick Info
Dates: September 28-29
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: ADERSIM EOC, Schulich Building, York University
Registration: Please register here.
Important note: All registered participants have been sent with a copy of the program. hose attending remotely have been provided with the zoom link as well.
Download the latest program here
This is a Learning event and all participants will receive certificate of attendance.
BACKGROUND
CIFAL York, Y-EMERGE, and Fields Institute are very pleased to host the “Inside Public Health Emergency Operations Centers During Covid-19 Pandemic : Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities Symposium & Next Generation Pandemic Exercise to be held on September 28 and 29, 2023.
Our 2 day symposium and pandemic exercise will discuss lessons learned and challenges of operating Public Health Emergency Operations Centers during the COVID-19 pandemic on Day 1 followed by a pandemic emergency tabletop exercises on Day 2 to incorporate key challenges and lessons learned.
This symposium is a knowledge sharing, capacity building, and networking event that brings together and welcomes the attendance of public health decision makers during the pandemic, directors and members of the public health emergency operations centers at different levels, industry experts supporting PHEOCs, local, provincial and national level emergency managers, faculty, trainees, and public health professionals.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The key goals and objectives of the two day symposium are to:
- Examine major challenges in running public Health Emergency Operations Centers during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Share experiences and lessons learned
- Understand existing organizational, structural, and technical issues and gaps in PH-EOCs
- Explore potential transformations and changes needed to address these issues
- Examine next generations and future public health pandemic exercises
TARGET AUDIENCES
- Public health leaders and decision makers
- Directors and members of public health emergency operations centers at different levels
- Industry experts supporting PHEOCs
- Local, provincial and national level emergency managers
- Faculty members
- Researchers
- Trainees and students
- Public health professionals
DAY 1 THURSDAY SEP. 28 9:00AM-4:00PM (EST)-SYMPOSIUM (Hybrid) In person Location: Room 106 Atkinson Building, 96 The Pond Rd, Toronto, ON M3J 2S5 (map) , Zoom link will be shared will all registered participants by email.
09:00-09:15 Welcome Notes
Lisa Philipps – Provost and VP Academic, York University
Dr. Kumar Murty – Director, The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto
Dr. Jianhong Wu – Director, York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response and Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE), York University
09:15-10:30 Keynote Speakers
Chair:
Sonia Singh, Program Manager, Emergency Management and Business Continuity, Markham Fire and Emergency Services, City of Markham
Speakers:
Heather Jeffrey – President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Dr. Kieran Moore – Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health of Ontario
10:30-11:00 Break
11:00-12:30 Presentations by Public Health Agencies Part 1
Chair:
Dr. Kumar Murty – Director, The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto
Speakers:
Dr. Syed Shah – Director, Public Health Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, Health and Social Services Division
Topic: COVID-19 After Action Review / Lessons Learnt
Dr. Parminder Thiara – Medical Officer of Health, Indigenous Services Canada, Alberta Region
Topic: Reflections from ISC Alberta Region
Dr. Ian Arra – Medical Officer of Health and CEO, Grey Bruce Public Health
Topic: COVID-19 Emergency Management – Striking the Right Balance
12:30-2:00PM Lunch (Complimentary and will be provided on site)
2:00-4:00 Presentations by Public Health Agencies Part 2
Chair:
Brian Shwartz, Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Speakers:
Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka – Medical Health Officer, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority
Dr. Grace Akinjobi – Manager of Public Health, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority
Topic: COVID-19 Pandemic EOC – The Northern Saskatchewan First Nations on-reserve perspective
Dr. Lisa Waddell – Epidemiologist, Public Health Agency of Canada
Tricia Corrin – Epidemiologist, Public Health Agency of Canada
Topic: Rapid Evidence Synthesis in Support of Public Health Decision-Making During a Pandemic
Dr. Barry Pakes – Medical Health Officer, York Region Public Health; Program Director and Associate Professor, Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Topic: The Complex, Dynamic, Layer Cake of the Local EOC
4:00PM-04:30 TOUR of York University ADERSIM EOC
DAY 2 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29 9:00AM-3:00PM (EST)- Pandemic Exercise Review and Feedback- Location: ADERSIM EOC, Basement Floor, Schulich School of Business, 111 Ian MacDonald Blvd, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 (map)
09:00 – 09:30 Keynote Speaker
Chair: Mesha Richard, Emergency Preparedness Lead, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Speaker:
Laurie Hunter – Director General, Centre of Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Management Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
09:30 – 12:30 Next Generation Pandemic Exercise
09:30 – 12:30 Pandemic Serious Game Test Play
12:30 – 01:30 Lunch (complimentary and will be provided on site)
01:30 – 03:00 Exercise and Pandemic Serious Game Evaluation and Feedback
Moderator:
Nada Barqawi, Program Manager, Strategy, Performance and Research, York Region Public Health
