Epidemiological Surge Response – Using CASPER (Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response)

Epidemiological surge response capability has been defined by The Trust for America’s Health as “the ability of public health and medical systems to care for a massive influx of patients during public health emergencies”. To respond appropriately, one needs to know the current capacity of the public health system and understand the practical upper limits of what surge response might be expected given different scenarios. The Texas Public Health and Medical Emergency Management 2012-2016 Strategic Plan lists as a goal the desire to “Improve systems to timely detect, identify, confirm, and report agents” to create a better response to any public health emergency situation. One of the best tools developed to expand your epi capacity in an emergency is the CDC’s Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response or CASPER. By the end of this training, you will be prepared to use CASPER in the event of a public health emergency-either natural or man-made. You will be able to work with your team and determine the health status and basic needs of an affected community during or after an event. This training should take approximately one hour to complete.