Pharmacy students learn to work together during emergency management simulation

An emergency can happen anytime, anywhere. That's why it's good to be prepared and know how to handle one.

On Thursday, students from the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences participated in an emergency management simulation training event at the school. It's a way for students to experience what it may look like to work alongside different organizations when an incident or emergency occurs.

David Hubeny, the executive director of Binghamton University's Office of Emergency Management, helps organize these events each year along with his team.

David Hubeny, the executive director for the Binghamton University Office of Emergency Management, working with his table of students during the simulation. Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

"This event helps participants develop an understanding of the complexities of emergency incidents and the importance of working together," Hubeny said. "The exercise allows the students to understand the perspective of a diverse group of community partners and the value of bringing those perspectives together to form a solution that will be both effective and supported by the whole community."

Emily Leppien, a clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice, has been involved in this emergency management simulation since Fall 2018: "In collaboration with other faculty at SOPPS, James "JJ" Brice and I have coordinated the implementation and facilitation of the simulation offering at our school over the past several years. We work closely with partners from SUNY Upstate Medical University's Binghamton Clinical Campus and Binghamton University Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences' Master of Public Health programs."

Throughout the four-hour exercise simulates a public health incident or "emergency" that affects a fictitious community. Students are not informed of the simulated "emergency." They must work in their teams to identify the public health threat.

During the activity, events unfold that are dependent on the actions of the various teams. Faculty, staff and community experts work with students of different disciplines to facilitate discussions and answer technical questions during the simulation. Once students identify the emergency, they must activate the Incident Command System, working together to coordinate a response and implement solutions.

Emily Mocyk, a second-year PharmD student, was part of the team leader for the News/Media group during the simulation. She said it was difficult to get the same information from all of the different departments involved, and she learned about how important communication is.

Emily Mocyk acting as a reporter and asking questions during the press conference for the emergency management simulation. Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

"Communication between many different groups is difficult, let alone in a state of emergency," Mocyk said. "Participating in this simulation has shown me that no matter how clear we think the answer is to emergencies like these, there will always be other factors that need to be considered that make the answer not so clear-cut."

James "JJ" Brice, the director of student affairs at the School of Pharmacy, capped off the day by thanking all of the students who participated, hoping they were able to get a lot out of the event.

Director of Student Affairs at the School of Pharmacy James "JJ" Brice talking with students during the emergency management simulation Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

"This emergency management simulation is a wonderful opportunity for our doctor of pharmacy, masters of public health, and medical students from SUNY Upstate to learn about the FEMA Incident Command System and practice emergency communications in a safe environment," Brice said. "As we explain in the debrief, our medical professionals are a critical component of any emergency response, and the more they understand about the interconnected nature of communities in crisis, the better they will be equipped to help should tragedy strike during their careers."

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