THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
AT UMDNJ
UMDNJ - SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

>>> NJCPHP News PHlash <<<

FEBRUARY 15 - FEBRUARY 28 2005

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S:

I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS

[1] Homeland Security priorities apparent in budget -Homeland Response (2/24/05)

[2] RAND reports on lessons learned from anthrax attacks -Homeland Response (2/24/05)

[3] FDA participating in food bioterrorism ‘war games’ -Inside Health Policy (2/23/2005)

[4] Latest edition of popular veterinary manual shows field’s changes -Associated Press (2/19/2005)

[5] School nurses unprepared for attacks on students -Associated Press (2/19/05)

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II. UPCOMING EVENTS

[1] Teaching Preparedness: A Seminar Series for Health Educators

[2] Behavioral Health Awareness Training for Terrorism & Disasters

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I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS:

1] Homeland Security priorities apparent in budget -Homeland Response (2/24/05)

The federal Department of Homeland Security has received a 29% increase in funding, since its inception in 2003. Amongst the $40.2 billion FY2005 budget, $3.1 billion will be allotted to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate which supports programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Disaster Relief Fund. http://homelandresponse.org/full_story.php?WID=13031

2] RAND reports on lessons learned from anthrax attacks -Homeland Response (2/24/05)

In a recent study conducted by RAND, Corp. entitled “In Their Own Words, Lessons Learned From Those Exposed to Anthrax,” the experiences of those exposed to the biological agent (U.S. postal workers and Senate members) is reviewed and findings were used to set forth recommendations, which include the need to develop improved communication practices in an emergency. “One-size-fits-all” communication is impossible; a recommended strategy is to involve
those individuals that were exposed and to collaborate with authorities in spreading information about the emergency. Also, information needs to be tailored to meet the needs of different groups. For example, several exposed postal workers
were hearing-impaired, but were not provided with any special communication.
http://www.homelandresponse.org/full_story.php?WID=13028

3] FDA participating in food bioterrorism ‘war games’ -Inside Health Policy (2/23/2005)

The Food and Drug Administration, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been developing research
programs and conducting food terrorism simulations in its preparedness efforts. The FDA is slated to receive an additional
$4 billion as part of the FY2006 budget, to execute Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9, which requires “new methods of detection, prevention technologies, agent characterization, and dose-response relationships for high-consequence agents in food.”
http://www.insidehealthpolicy.com/secure/health_docnum.asp?f=health_2001.ask&docnum=2232005_games

4] Latest edition of popular veterinary manual shows field’s changes -Associated Press (2/19/2005)

Leading pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co, Inc. has been publishing the Merck Veterinary Manual for fifty years; the newly released ninth edition, which has not been significantly updated in seven years, now contains information related to emerging animal-to-human diseases and bioterrorism, relative novelties in the field of veterinary medicine. New chapters contain information on avian flu, SARS, monkeypox, West Nile Virus, anthrax, deliberate contamination of livestock and food supplies – highlighting the significance that three-quarters of emerging diseases are communicable between animals and humans.
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/10943633.htm

5] School nurses unprepared for attacks on students -Associated Press (2/19/05)

In a recent survey by the National Association of School Nurses, over 50% of respondents claimed their highest priority to be emergency preparedness. Training needs are significantly unmet amongst school nurses, who are the first-line
responders during an emergency (amongst the most important duties for a school nurse is to be able to identify symptom trends); many schools have devised readiness plans but are unable to implement them due to lack of financial resources to fund training.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10943934.htm

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II. UPCOMING EVENTS:

[1] Teaching Preparedness: A Seminar Series for Health Educators

(THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH)

WHEN: Wednesday March 9th
Emergency Management: What do health care students need to know and when do they need to know it?
-Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS
United States Surgeon General
-Irwin Redlener, MD
Assoc. Dean, Mailman School of Public Health
Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Wednesday, March 16th
Public Health Surveillance and Response
-Isaac B. Weisfuse, MD, MPH
Deputy Commissioner of Health, New York City
-Kristine Gebbie, RN, DrPH
Assoc. Professor of Nursing, Columbia University

Wednesday, March 23
Preparing students to provide clinical care for victims of disasters, terrorism or public health emergencies
-Kobi Peleg, PhD, MPH
Director, Israel National Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research
Gertner Institute for Epidemiology & Health Policy Research
-Eliot Lazar, MD, MBA
Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer, New York Presbyterian Healthcare System
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Columbia University

Wednesday, March 30
Teaching Unique Aspects of Terrorism
-Lewis Nelson, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Director, Medical Toxicology Fellowship
New York University School of Medicine
New York City Poison Control Center
-Letty Moss-Salentijn, DDS, PhD
Professor of Dentistry (in Anatomy & Cell Biology)
Associate Dean, Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery

**All sessions 4:00 - 6:00pm and available as live web simulcast

WHERE: Columbia University
New York, NY
Riverside Drive, First Floor Auditorium

WHAT: Four evenings of presentations and discussions on how to teach emergency preparedness for disasters, terrorism and public health emergencies to health care students.

COST: free, but space is limited - please RSVP

CONTACT: to RSVP or for more information, please contact:
Raquel Schubert
ras2123@columbia.edu

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[2] Behavioral Health Awareness Training for Terrorism & Disasters

(UMDNJ-CENTER FOR CONTINUING AND OUTREACH EDUCATION; NEW JERSEY PREPAREDNESSTRAINING CONSORTIUM; NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AT UMDNJ; NEW JERSEY PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION)

WHEN: Wednesday March 23 (8:30am - 4:00pm)

WHERE: New Jersey Hospital Association
760 Alexander Road
Princeton, NJ

WHAT: 6-hr training including experimental exercises and PowerPoint training modules, examining the behavioral
dimension of terrorism

**CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS AVAILABLE:
CHES, Nursing, Social Work, Long-term care, Health Officer CE/LE

WHO: Dr. James Schultz, Director of the Disaster Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness Center at the University of Miami

Dr. Brian Flynn, former Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service

COST: $100.00 (includes continental breakfast and lunch)

CONTACT: for more information or to register, please call/e-mail
Sue Brandbergh – (609) 275-8886 x16
sbrandbergh@njha.org

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Please send any subscription inquiries to
huculon@umdnj.edu.
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The New Jersey Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ, UMDNJ-School of Public Health does not claim responsibility for accuracy of facts and information presented.  All opinions expressed are those of the original authors and do not represent the views of NJCPHP staff or affiliates.  NJCPHP News PHlash, a bi-weekly news bulletin, is distributed free of charge electronically, with the intention of sharing information of interest and value to our subscribers.
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