Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team Formed

(Douglas County, Ore.) In response to the COVID-19 outbreak locally, the Douglas County Commissioners have established an Incident Management Team (IMT) and have opened the County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The IMT, titled the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team, is comprised of various stakeholders to include: -Adapt -American Red Cross -Aviva Health (Formerly Umpqua Community Health Center) -Douglas County Government -Douglas County Search and Rescue -Douglas County Sheriff’s Office -Douglas Forest Protective Association -Douglas Public Health Network -Evergreen Family Medicine -Lower Umpqua Hospital -Mercy Medical Center -Umpqua Health Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team personnel will have individual responsibilities, but will work collaboratively to ensure a strong response to this emergency. The use of an Incident Management Team to manage the County's response is significant. "We often see an IMT utilized during disasters such as wildfires. It provides a level of efficiency and overall management which allows those involved to understand the goals of the response and act accordingly," said Commissioner Tim Freeman. KC Bolton to Head Emergency Operations Center Aviva Health CEO KC Bolton has been tapped to lead Douglas County’s new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the developing COVID-19 situation. Bolton spent 28 years in the U.S. Army’s medical department, commanding hospitals in Iraq and Alaska among myriad other duties. He has been CEO of Aviva Health since 2016. Bolton said he is working with a “fantastic team” at the EOC, and that previous incidents such as last year’s “snowmageddon” and the UCC tragedy have helped Douglas County prepare for emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic. “At the end of the day, it’s all about understanding what capacity different organizations have, getting them aligned through a plan, and getting them the support they might need beyond their normal resources,” Bolton said. He stressed the EOC is a team effort and is “humbled and honored” to have been selected to lead it. “I’m going to do everything I can to leverage what I’ve learned in the past to get us where we need to be as a community,” Bolton said. Commissioner Tim Freeman said, “KC’s military and medical background made him an ideal choice to head up the incident command structure of the county’s Emergency Operations Center. He is joining an excellent team that includes Douglas County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, the Douglas Public Health Network and many others.”