From Plans to Practice: Exercising for Special Pathogen Readiness

What does effective special pathogen preparedness look like in practice? In this episode, Jill Morgan talks with Darrell Ruby and Jackson Gruber, from NETEC’s Emergency Management workgroup, about the team’s newly updated exercise templates designed to make planning, conducting, and evaluating exercises more manageable. The conversation covers progressive exercise planning, adapting templates to local risks, testing communication across every shift, and using small drills to uncover gaps before an incident occurs. Darrrell and Jackson explain how facilities can start with focused objectives, build stronger partnerships, and turn after-action findings into practical improvements, whether they’re preparing for a viral hemorrhagic fever, measles, an MCI, or another high-consequence event. Tune in to hear more about NETEC’s exercise templates and discover how small, practical drills can expose the gaps that matter to your facility’s preparedness. Questions or comments for NETEC? Contact us at [email protected]. Visit Transmission Interrupted on the web at netec.org/podcast. Guests Jackson Gruber, BS Regional Special Pathogens Program Coordinator Nebraska Medicine Jackson Gruber serves as the regional special pathogens program coordinator at Nebraska Medicine, with coordination and operational accountability for the Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Center (RESPTC) and the National Quarantine Unit (NQU). In these roles, he coordinates the logistics for multiple grants, develops policy and procedures for the National Quarantine Unit, and facilitates training and exercises for these units, as well as the partners within the Region VII Health Responses Ecosystem. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science in emergency management from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Darrell Ruby, CEM®, NEMAA Regional Coordinator Special Pathogen Program/Region 10 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) Providence Inland Northwest Washington Darrell Ruby is the Regional Coordinator for the HHS Region 10 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC), 1 of 13 in the nation, at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. Darrell has worked as an Emergency Manager for nearly 20 years at the local, regional, and state level while he was with Spokane Emergency Management and for the last 8 years at Providence. As an Emergency Manager for Providence Inland Northwest Washington, he was responsible for the Emergency Management Program for the five (5) Providence hospitals in Spokane and Stevens County that represent just over 1,000 licensed beds: a level 2 and 3 trauma center for adults and pediatrics, two 25-bed Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), a specialty rehab facility, and a stand-alone Ambulatory Surgery Center. He started working for Providence in September 2015. Prior to working at Providence, Darrell worked for the Spokane Department of Emergency Management for 11 years, as the Regional Coordinator for Washington State Homeland Security (HLS) Region 9 (6 years) and as a Program Coordinator (5 years). Region 9 is comprised of the 10 counties and three tribes of Eastern Washington. In that role, he supported regional collaboration, coordination, and an interagency approach to all-hazard emergency preparedness. He has worked in all phases of emergency management, supporting planning, training, and exercises, HLS grants, and grant-related projects. Darrell continues to support community-wide planning on behalf of Providence. Darrell has an undergraduate degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in business, and retired from the Naval Reserve as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer on December 1, 2015 (12 years active, 13 years reserve). He is most proud to be happily married (30+ years) and the father of three kids +1 (married daughter). Host Jill Morgan, RN Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA Jill Morgan is a registered nurse and a subject matter expert in personal protective equipment (PPE) for NETEC. For 35 years, Jill has been an emergency department and critical care nurse, and now splits her time between education for NETEC and clinical research, most of it centering around infection prevention and personal protective equipment. She is a member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), ASTM International, and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Resources NETEC Exercise Templates Exhibit Transmission Interrupted Podcast NETEC Resource Library About NETEC A Partnership for Preparedness The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center’s mission is to set the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across health systems in the U.S. with the goals of driving best practices, closing knowledge gaps, and developing innovative resources. Our vision is a sustainable infrastructure and culture of readiness for managing suspected and confirmed special pathogen incidents across the United States public health and health care delivery systems. For more information, visit NETEC on the web at www.netec.org. NETEC Consultation Services Assess and Advance Your Readiness for Special Pathogens with Free, Expert Consulting. NETEC offers free virtual and onsite readiness consulting to help health care facilities and EMS agencies prepare for special pathogen events. Our targeted support services are delivered by experts selected and assigned to each inquiry based on the unique needs of your organization. Have a question? Ask a NETEC expert. For more information, visit: netec.org/consulting-services.