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(Omaha, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman was joined by education, public health and military leaders today in announcing a new tool available to the state in preparing for pandemic flu and other large-scale emergencies. The Early Detection and Surveillance Model is a multi-component disease surveillance program that tracks leading indicators of an infectious disease outbreak in real-time.
Originally conceived as a partnership between the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), Omaha’s Peter Kiewit Institute of Technology (PKI), and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the result is a computer program that collects and analyzes information from a variety of sources, and has the potential to serve as an early warning system for federal, state and local officials working to avert a major public health emergency.
“Nebraska has received national attention for our efforts in emergency preparedness, and we’re breaking new ground with this model,” Gov. Heineman said. “I want to commend everyone involved for lending their expertise to this effort. This program has the potential to help protect the health and wellness of Nebraska residents, and serves as a model for other states and the nation as a whole. It’s further proof that Nebraska is ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and collaboration.”
The Early Detection and Surveillance Model was designed to compile data provided by both the public and private sector in order to help officials detect an outbreak of an infectious disease at earlier stages, monitor its progress and help officials measure the success of efforts to contain and control an outbreak. The model is equipped to analyze large amounts of data in order to pinpoint an outbreak sooner than traditional methods, such as the manual reporting of cases by physicians to local health departments, which can take days.
The project is unique because it tracks real-time absenteeism rates from participating businesses and schools, combining that information with weather forecasts, as well as data supplied by public health labs and those monitoring wildlife populations.
Those monitoring the system are instantly alerted to any irregularity identified by the model. Controls built into the program help account for the effects storms, holidays and community events can have on absenteeism rates at schools and businesses. The model also makes use of historical data and trends in order to help officials measure the success of containment efforts.
Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy, Nebraska’s Director of Homeland Security, said, “It’s great to see some of our state’s leading institutions working together to develop solutions to the challenges we face. This model could serve as a valuable tool for our state by providing information that will help us to respond to emergencies in a more coordinated and efficient way.”
The idea for the model evolved from discussions with USSTRATCOM and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leaders about the need for a warning system that could alert health officials to an outbreak of pandemic flu or other highly infectious disease earlier than traditional methods of data gathering. USSTRATCOM Commander Gen. James Cartwright tasked the newly created Global Innovation and Strategy Center (GISC) in Omaha to begin developing a system to meet the challenge.
Maj. Gen. Mark Musick said, “The GISC is designed to solve tough problems for the nation by partnering with academia and the private sector to reach beyond our traditional military resources and help address new challenges. This model is an example of what these kinds of partnerships can produce. The foundation for success with this particular project was the level of collaboration among talented and innovative individuals.”
Following the initial discussions and planning done by GISC staff and consultants, a team of PKI professors, students and Dr. Steven Hinrichs, a UNMC infectious disease specialist, worked to develop the computer model, which was completed in less than three months. Nebraska’s Homeland Security Policy Group and CDC officials previewed the model in recent months and expressed interest in the program.
In the event of a flu pandemic, the Early Detection and Surveillance Model could be used to help provide real-time information to those on the front lines and help officials direct vaccines and other supplies to precise areas in need.
The model could be expanded to monitor a wider variety of local, state, national or international databases. It can also be modified to help those involved in responding to other large-scale incidents, such as natural disasters, terrorism attacks or other types of infectious disease outbreaks.
Winnie Callahan, PKI executive director, said, “The program is unique because it provides a way to analyze extensive amounts of data while also maintaining the privacy of records kept by the many partners in this effort. This project would not have happened without the input from researchers, businesses and government agencies, and the result is a computer model that has the potential to serve the greater good.”
Other partners include the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, the Douglas County Health Department, along with several school districts and businesses from across the state.
Dr. Joann Schaefer, Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer, said, “Early detection plays a key role in providing the information we need to make the best use of the response plans already in place, and could play an important role in helping distribute the supplies our hospitals, clinics and communities need.”
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