Shoshana R. Shelton

COVID-19 Vaccination: Expect the Unexpected

With emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine now in place, states and localities have turned their focus to the logistics of dispensing it as quickly as feasible. Still, uncertainties abound. It is essential to build a process of learning into the plan.

Control Disease in a New York Minute

Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous in many warm-water environments, but outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease like the recent one in the South Bronx don't have to be. Effective public health policies and practices can help inhibit Legionella growth, minimize the occurrence and impact of outbreaks, and save lives.

Tuberculosis Outbreak in LA Reminds Us of Importance of 'Bread and Butter' Public Health Capabilities

In this fiscally uncertain climate, we should continue to leverage the dual-use benefit of bioterrorism investments by building and maintaining those routine (but essential) public health capabilities that can also be used in response to a variety of public health emergencies.

Far More U.S. Health Security Research Effort Aimed at Bioterrorism than Natural Disasters

Given the broad range of threats facing the United States, including those related to extreme weather, it is imperative that monies invested in enhancing health security be well spent, writes Shoshana Shelton.

Report

Novel Methods to Assess the Military's Evolving Prevention Capabilities: Development and Pilot Test of the On-Site Installation Evaluation Process

This report describes the development, pilot test, and validity testing of a set of prevention capability metrics to improve the deterrence of sexual assault, sexual harassment, suicide, and domestic violence among military service members.

Report

Community and Individual Disaster Resilience for Floods: Options for Improving Protective Action Guidance

This report describes options for Department of Homeland Security officials to improve protective action flood guidance and messaging in response to growing flood risks that continue to cause adverse effects and threaten lives and property.

Journal Article

Linking State Health Care Data to Inform Policymaking: Opportunities and Challenges

This report provides additional detail on the objectives of and use cases for APCDs, the current APCD landscape, and implementation challenges that constrain the use of APCDs for some valuable applications.

Research Brief

How the Criminal Justice System's COVID-19 Response Has Provided Valuable Lessons for Broader Reform: Looking to the Future

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, stakeholders have an opportunity to reimagine the justice system. This brief presents key lessons learned and recommendations from participants in workshops related to different aspects of the justice system.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Community Corrections Organizations' COVID-19 Response: Ensuring Safety in the Community

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for community supervision organizations, how they adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Law Enforcement's COVID-19 Response: Protecting the Public

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for law enforcement agencies, how they adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from the Court System's COVID-19 Response: Ensuring Access to Justice While Protecting Public Health

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for the court system, how courts adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from the Institutional Corrections System's COVID-19 Response: Managing Safety and Security on the Inside

This brief highlights the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic created, shows how corrections agencies adapted to the challenges, describes which adaptations may hold promise, and provides evaluations to demonstrate the efficacy of such adaptations.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Victim Services Providers' COVID-19 Response: Protecting Victims and Those Who Serve Them

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for victims services providers, describes how they adapted to those challenges, and discusses which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Report

The U.S. Criminal Justice System in the Pandemic Era and Beyond: Taking Stock of Efforts to Maintain Safety and Justice Through the COVID-19 Pandemic and Prepare for Future Challenges

The Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened a set of workshops with justice practitioners to take stock of responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. They identified key challenges, system innovations, and lessons for the future.

Report

Wearable Sensor Technology and Potential Uses Within Law Enforcement: Identifying High-Priority Needs to Improve Officer Safety, Health, and Wellness Using Wearable Sensor Technology

Data from wearable sensor technologies (WSTs) could be used to assess and improve police officer health and well-being. A panel of experts identified ways to implement WSTs in law enforcement settings, evaluate them, and obtain buy-in from officers.

Report

After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Recovery Needs in Puerto Rico

Following the 2017 hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested a review of Puerto Rico's hurricane damage and recovery needs. This report summarizes the resulting cross-sector analysis of history, conditions, and needs.

Report

Fostering Innovation Across the U.S. Criminal Justice System: Identifying Opportunities to Improve Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Fairness

In this report, the authors draw on panel discussions from the five-year Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative and focus on needs that apply to law enforcement, the courts, and corrections agencies.

Journal Article

Continuity of Operations Plan Improvement Tool for Public Health Laboratories

Public health laboratories are in various stages of development of their continuity of operations plan (COOP). The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) contracted with RAND to develop and pilot test a COOP tabletop exercise.

Report

Environmental Biodetection and Human Biosurveillance Research and Development for National Security: Priorities for the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate

This report examines the Department of Homeland Security's chemical and biological defense research and development portfolio to identify priorities for future investments to effectively address biological threats.

Report

Homeland Security National Risk Characterization: Risk Assessment Methodology

Presents a risk assessment methodology that can be used to identify the greatest risks to homeland security and support prioritization of U.S. Department of Homeland Security mission elements as part of DHS planning processes.

Journal Article

Development and Maintenance of Standardized Cross Setting Patient Assessment Data for Post-Acute Care: Summary Report of Findings from Alpha 2 Pilot Testing

Results of the Alpha 2 feasibility test, used to help develop standardized assessment-based data elements to meet the requirements of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation(IMPACT) Act of 2014.

Report

Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of Electronic Communication and Electronic Devices on the Right to a Fair Trial

In this report, an expert panel identifies ways that electronic communication can impact the right to a fair trial and recommends strategies to protect witnesses from intimidation and jurors from compromising their independence.

Journal Article

Impact of the Affordable Care Act's Dependent Coverage Expansion on the Health Care and Health Status of Young Adults: What Do We Know So Far

Under the ACA's dependent coverage expansion, there has been an increase in behavioral health treatment and a decrease in high out-of-pocket expenses and ER visits among young adults.

Journal Article

Geo-targeting Performance of Wireless Emergency Alerts in Imminent Threat Scenarios: Volume 1: Tornado Warnings

This study examines how Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) can be used to warn the public in three potentially deadly scenarios: --A large destructive earthquake; --A Tsunami ; and --A terrorist detonation of nuclear weapon in an urban area.

Report

The Role of Logic Modeling in a Collaborative and Iterative Research Process: Lessons from Research and Analysis Conducted with the Federal Voting Assistance Program

The report describes the underlying method of collaborative logic-model development and application and frames the approach in generalizable step-by-step terms, drawing from research and analysis conducted with the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Research Brief

The Federal Voting Assistance Program: Refocusing and Reorganizing for the Road Ahead

The Federal Voting Assistance Program is creating a clearer, shared understanding of its mission; building trust and strengthening its relationships with its stakeholders; and embracing a culture and principles of effectiveness.

Journal Article

Exploring the Effect of the Diffusion of Geo-Targeted Emergency Alerts: The Application of Agent-Based Modeling to Understanding the Spread of Messages from the Wireless Emergency Alerts System

This report examines the effect of the diffusion of geo-targeted emergency alerts.

Report

The Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Road Ahead: Achieving Institutional Change Through Analysis and Collaboration

This report documents the Federal Voting Assistance Program's efforts to align its strategy and operations to better serve its mission and stakeholders, and set its own course, greet change, and communicate its role in the voting community.

Journal Article

Updated Guidelines for the Control of Legionella in Western Pennsylvania

The purpose of these updated guidelines is to provide interested persons and organizations in western Pennsylvania with updated information on Legionella and how to minimize its occurrence and impact in people and in the environment.

Report

Wireless Emergency Alerts: Mobile Penetration Strategy

This report characterizes the factors that affect wireless emergency alert (WEA) coverage, identifies barriers to public access to WEA alerts, and suggests options for increasing mobile penetration (adoption) of WEA nationwide.

Journal Article

Building Performance-Based Accountability with Limited Empirical Evidence: Performance Measurement for Public Health Preparedness

Efforts to respond to performance-based accountability mandates for public health emergency preparedness have been hindered by a weak evidence base linking preparedness activities with response outcomes.

Journal Article

Wireless Emergency Alerts: Mobile Penetration Strategy

The objective of this analysis was to independently assess the coverage and penetration of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system.

Journal Article

Bioterrorism and Biological Threats Dominate Federal Health Security Research: Other Priorities Get Scant Attention

Federal support for health security research is heavily weighted toward preparing for bioterrorism and other biological threats, providing significantly less funding for challenges such as monster storms or attacks with conventional bombs.

Report

Analysis of the Cities Readiness Initiative

Examines (1) the status of communities' capability to deliver medical countermeasures within 48 hours of a federal decision to deploy assets and (2) whether the Cities Readiness Initiative has improved communities' capability to meet that goal.

Journal Article

Assessing Relationships Between State and Local Public Health Organizations: Evidence from the NACCHO 2008 Profile of Local Health Departments

Public health systems vary by degree of centralization, reflecting the distribution of authority, responsibility, and effort between state and local public health agencies.

Journal Article

Developing and Pilot Testing a Laboratory Specific Continuity of Operations Tabletop Exercise

Describes the importance of a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), and identifies common strengths and potential vulnerabilities of laboratoy-specific COOPs.

Journal Article

Federal Initiative Increases Community Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies

This article describes an evaluation of the Cities Readiness Initiative, a federal program to improve communities' ability to dispense medications rapidly during emergencies.

Draft

Decision-Making Modules for the RSS-POD Supply Management Game: A Game-Based Assessment of Crisis Decision Making During Inventory Management and Distribution of Medical Countermeasures

Introduces and explains two new modules for the RSS-POD Supply Chain Management Game, an Excel-based computer simulation game designed to provide practice in managing inventories of medical countermeasures during a largescale public health emergency.

Report

New Tools for Assessing State and Local Capabilities for Countermeasure Delivery

Presents assessments that test five critical elements of state and local health departments' capability to deliver countermeasures to the population under rapid timeframes.

Report

Measuring Crisis Decision Making for Public Health Emergencies

Describes a tool for assessing key features of good crisis decision making that focuses on the processes of decision making -- situational awareness, action planning, and process control -- and can be used for exploratory analysis and process improvement.

Report

A National Agenda for Public Health Systems Research on Emergency Preparedness

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response asked RAND to facilitate the development of a public health systems research agenda for emergency preparedness with a focus on both short- and long-term priorities.

Draft

A Workshop Template to Assess and Improve SNS Planning

Contains a template that public health agencies can use to conduct a workshop to improve key aspects of Strategic National Stockpile planning: pediatric dispensing, altered standards of care, and allocation of scarce resources.

Research Brief

Are Communities Ready to Conduct Rapid and Large-Scale Dispensing of Medications During a Public Health Emergency?

This research highlight summarizes the findings of RAND's initial evaluation of the Cities Readiness Initiative and the program's impact on communities' readiness to conduct mass dispensing of medications and other medical supplies.

Report

Initial Evaluation of the Cities Readiness Initiative

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked RAND to provide an initial evaluation of the impact of the Cities Readiness Initiative on awardees' readiness and capability to conduct mass countermeasure dispensing.