Exercise Overview

This exercise will serve as an opportunity for public health agencies to assess their ability to establish, manage and demobilize an Alternative Medical Care Site in response to a hospital surge due to Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) striking the region.

During this exercise staff and management will work together as a unified team; to meet the challenges associated the mobilization, operation and demobilization of an Alternate Medical Care Site.

Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative

The Overwhelming Onslaught - A Hospital Surge Functional Exercise is part of the national Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative.

This exercise will be facilitated via an internet based application entitled the ON-Line eXercise (ONX) System which will allow management and staff to participate in the exercise from their normal base of operation.

Information on the ONX System can be found at ONXSystem.com.

A discussion and information forum for all who are interested in, support or participate in the Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative.

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Testimonials

Public health agencies have been participating in ONX System exercises since March 2010. View what public health agencies are saying about using the ONX System.

Project Public Health Ready

All Caduceus Shield exercises are designed to meet the Project Public Health Ready goals and objectives.

Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program

Caduceus Shield utilizes the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) system for exercise design, facilitation and evaluation.

HSEEP compliant Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEG) are utilized to assess the various planning / preparedness, response and recovery capabilities and capacity of public health agencies participating in all Caduceus Shield exercises.

After Action Report / Improvement Plan - Inject Response Report

An HSEEP compliant After Action Report / Improvement Plan (AAR / IP) is generated at the conclusion of all Caduceus Shield exercises. This report is based on an exercise specific Exercise Evaluation Guide and the observations and recommendations of an on-site evaluator. Each public health agency will need to provide an internal evaluator for the exercise.

In addition all responses to injects and descriptions of actions taken by exercise participants during a Caduceus Shield exercise are captured within the ONX System and exported to generate an Inject Response Report at the conclusion of the exercise.

Exercise Scenario

In early June an outbreak of unusually severe respiratory illness is identified in a small village in southern China. At least 25 cases occurred affecting all age groups; 20 patients required hospitalization, five of whom have died. Surveillance in surrounding areas was increased resulting in new cases being identified throughout the province. Viral cultures collected from several of the initial patients are positive for a type of pneumonia.

Samples of the virus are sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for further characterization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determines that the samples are the virus associated with previous outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Exercise Participation Information