Pandemic Response Planning Tools

Guidance to building an effective pandemic response supply chain, and tools to help plan Hospital Med-Surg/ICU and Point of Dispensing (POD) resource requirements and allocate vaccines.

5 Keys to an Effective, Efficient Pandemic Response

  1. Understand pandemic supply needs and priorities over time, by location.
  2. Design and build a lean supply chain that minimizes waste, variability, and uncertainty.
  3. Build tightly coupled information infrastructures.
  4. Build tightly coupled business processes.
  5. Build tightly coupled decision support systems.

Access the SSRN paper “Application of Supply Chain Principles to Pandemic Planning”

Vaccine Dispensing Locations Allocation Model

The Vaccine Dispensing Locations Allocation Model is based on fundamental supply chain principles that have a long pedigree in the field of operations research.  It applies a supply chain distribution method that maximizes “vaccinated person-days”, a concept that refers to the number of days patients receive protection from the virus the vaccine targets.  While it was developed as a response to COVID-19, the model is equally applicable to other pandemic supply chain responses that may arise.

Download the VDLAM spreadsheet

VDLAM User Guide

VDLAM Demo

Vaccine Distribution Warehouse Allocation Model

The Vaccine Distribution Warehouse Allocation Model is a companion to the Vaccine Dispensing Locations Allocation model for allocating vaccine supplies from a manufacturer to a set of distribution warehouses.  When used together, vaccine supplies from the Warehouse Allocation model can be allocated from a manufacturer to distribution warehouses, then those supplies can be allocated to dispensing sites using the Dispensing Locations Allocation model.  Both models maximize vaccinated person-days, thereby minimizing the time from a manufacturer’s production of vaccines to the time patients receive shots in their arms.

Download the VDWAM spreadsheet

VDWAM User Guide

VDWAM Demo

COVID Caseload Calculators: C5V and C5V Online

This tool is designed to make an easily modifiable projection of med/surge and ICU bed requirements over an outbreak of specified type, for a specified catchment area, and market share of that area, to model your hospital system.

Download the C5V spreadsheet

Access C5V online

Weill Cornell Bioterrorism and Epidemic Response Model (BERM)

This computer model predicts the number and type of staff needed to respond to a major disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack on a given population.

Download BERM

Access BERM documentation

Contact Us

For more information and support for the models and calculator, please contat ciddp@med.cornell.edu

Population Health Sciences 402 E. 67th St. New York, NY 10065 Phone: (646) 962-8001