The Office of Emergency Management and Disaster Response, Incident Management & Disaster Response Division (CG-OEM-2) USCG Communicable Disease Community of Practice (CoP) recently launched a SharePoint site for the CG workforce. The USCG Communicable Disease CoP fosters collaboration between communicable disease subject matter experts to leverage their knowledge and networks in support of senior Coast Guard decision-makers. The USCG CoP is also committed to ensuring that its personnel have access to accurate information that can help them stay safe and healthy, and the new SharePoint site makes this goal a reality.
The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 wave of Mpox illustrated the critical need for making accurate information available readily and quickly. As Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Cariddi, CG-OEM-2 explains, “During COVID, units needed a location to refer to in order to get the most up-to-date policies and answers. This site provides those same answers but for all communicable diseases.”
In addition to serving as a resource library for prevention and control resources, the site is a forum for discussions and updates on the spread and scope of infectious diseases and illnesses. For example, a unit may be building an Ebola-response exercise and planners need to know the required procedures for this level of infection and policies to support an appropriate response. Other units could share their current procedures, and CG-OEM — in concert with the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources — would supply sound guidance on reference material for building an effective preparation exercise. In the coming weeks, the USCG CoP will continue to monitor the performance of this new SharePoint site and make any necessary changes to ensure that its users can access reliable, up-to-date information regarding communicable diseases.
By leveraging this platform, members of the USCG can stay informed on emerging communicable disease threats and take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their families from harm. If you have specific feedback about items you are looking for or input for the site please use the comments section on the USCG Communicable Disease Community of Practice site.
CG-OEM-2 and the CoP invite all members of the CG community to explore our new SharePoint site and become part of a larger effort to keep ourselves safe during uncertain times. In the coming weeks, the USCG Communicable Disease CoP will monitor user feedback for and traffic to this new SharePoint site, and make any necessary changes to guarantee its users have reliable, up-to-date information on communicable diseases, safety, and prevention. As more users interact on the site, CG-OEM-2 will be able to use posted questions about communicable diseases to provide guidance more effectively ahead of peak demand.
If there are items you would like to see or you have input for the site, please use the comments section on the USCG Communicable Disease Community of Practice site. With easy access to reliable resources, we can better work together to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in our communities.
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