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Home » Inside the PH EOC During Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities Symposium & Next Generation Pandemic Exercise

Inside the PH EOC During Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities Symposium & Next Generation Pandemic Exercise

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

Organizers & Partners

Organizer

Co-Organizer

Co-Organizer