Improving Team Performance for Public Health Preparedness.

Objective: Between May 2010 and September 2011, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health partnered with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to assess the effect of exercises on team performance during public health emergency response.

Methods: Participants were divided into 3 research teams exposed to various levels of intervention. Groups consisted of a control group that was given standard MDH training exercises, a didactic group exposed to team dynamics and communication training, and a treatment group that received the didactic training in addition to a post-exercise facilitated debriefing.

Satisfaction and public health cost of a statewide influenza nurse triage line in response to pandemic H1N1 influenza.

Background: The 2009 H1N1 pandemic strained healthcare systems. There was a need for supportive services, rapid antiviral access, and minimization of unnecessary healthcare contacts particularly face-to-face interactions. In response, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) launched a telephone-based nurse triage line (NTL) called the Minnesota FluLine coordinating all major MN healthcare systems with NTLs to form a single toll-free number triage service.