UNC School of Public Health - Preparing for pandemic influenza topic of public health broadcast

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Preparing for pandemic influenza topic of public health broadcast

September 20, 2006

Public health experts predict that a new pandemic flu would impact every community and every citizen. On Sept. 29, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will examine how communities can prepare for pandemic influenza.

The program, part of the Public Health Grand Rounds broadcast series, will air live via satellite downlink and online from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registered viewers may submit questions to the panel at interactive satellite conference sites, by fax or online. Members of the medical community, the media and the public can register at http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu. Program information and a list of broadcast sites are also on the Web site.

Photograph of Dr. Hugh Tilson

The Sept. 29 broadcast features a case study of pandemic flu prepations in Santa Clara County, Calif. An expert panel including Dr. Hugh Tilson, a clinical professor at the UNC School of Public Health; Dr. Stephen Redd, co-coordinator of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Influenza Team; Dr. Leah Devlin, state health director for North Carolina; and Dr. Herminia Palacio, executive director of public health and environmental services for Harris County, Texas, will examine the community's preparations and potential challenges to its public health system. The panel is moderated by Dr. Bill Roper, dean of the UNC School of Medicine, CEO of UNC Health Care System and vice chancellor for health affairs.

Tilson called the broadcast a "must watch" for communities preparing for hazards in general. "Santa Clara County has put together some highly innovative and effective approaches," he said.

For those without Web access, health departments, agencies and educational centers across the country will offer local viewing sites via satellite downlink. Continuing education credit for health professionals will be offered based on one hour of instruction.

Previous Public Health Grand Rounds topics include bioterrorism, asthma, autism, genetics, breast cancer screening, disaster preparedness, West Nile Virus, SARS, obesity, urban sprawl, vaccine shortages, tobacco prevention and food safety. Public Health Grand Rounds is a program of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health.

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North Carolina Institute for Public Health contacts: Bev Holt, (919) 966-6274, bev_holt@unc.edu; Lisa Morris, (919) 843-9261, lamorris@email.unc.edu.

School of Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, (919) 966-7467, ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

UNC News Services contact: Becky Oskin, (919) 962-8596, becky_oskin@unc.edu.

Last updated September 21, 2006

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