The University of Nebraska Medical Center invites the public to
attend a free public education forum on bioterrorism, Thursday, Nov. 15,
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (CST). The forum, which will be held in Omaha, also
will be available live via satellite at any site with the capability to
receive NebSat system, Network 2 channel 106. It also will be broadcast
live on the Internet at: www.unmc.edu/bioterrorism.
UNMC experts will address such topics as surveillance and testing, how
infectious diseases are contracted and treated, and the psychological impact
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and anthrax attacks. People who attend
satellite presentations will have an opportunity to ask questions via fax
or e-mail during a panel discussion.
Panelists scheduled to speak are: Steven Hinrichs, M.D., director of
the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory at UNMC and associate professor of
pathology and microbiology, Phil Smith, M.D., professor and section chief,
UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Matt
Egbert, M.D., psychiatrist, and Robin Zagurski, social worker in the UNMC
Department of Psychiatry. Zagurski spent two weeks in New York City counseling
families and victims of the World Trade Center attacks.
Current locations scheduled to receive the satellite broadcast are listed
on the second page. An updated release will be sent as more sites are scheduled
to participate. Registration is not necessary.
It is important we inform the citizens of Nebraska on issues like bioterrorism,
which have come to light since the attack on the World Trade Center, said
Harold M. Maurer, M.D., UNMC chancellor. We believe providing education
on these mounting public concerns is one way to help people come to grips
with what has changed the way we live.
Dr. Maurer recently was appointed to lead a task force to ensure the
University of Nebraska campuses are ready to prevent and respond to potential
bioterrorism attacks. The Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, Bioterrorism
Preparedness Lab, a focal point in Nebraska for detecting various biological
agents, was established two years ago. Physicians at UNMC also were part
of a team that received a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention to educate Nebraska physicians on the diagnosis of diseases
caused by agents that could be used in biological attacks.
To find out if your community is hosting this event, go online at www.unmc.edu/bioterrorism.
Satellite downlink capability may be available through hospitals, schools
and cooperative extension offices.
Current Sites for the UNMC Bioterrorism Public Forum
Columbus — Central Community College Columbus Campus
North Education Building, Room 904, 4500 63rd St., (402) 562-1252
Grand Island, College Park, Fonner Park Room, 3180 W. Hwy 34,
(308) 385-5014
Kearney University of Nebraska at Kearney, Communications Center
Building, Room 101, (308) 865-8503
Lincoln, UNMC College of Dentistry, Dixon Lecture Hall, 40th
& Holdrege Streets, (402) 472-9993
Omaha (3 sites)
UNMC College of Nursing Cooper Auditorium, 42nd St. and Dewey Ave.
(where speakers will be)
NHS Clarkson West Medical Center, 2nd floor conference room, 144th
& Center Streets
Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science Technology and Engineering,
1110 S. 67th St., Room 160
ONeill, Courthouse Annex, 128 N. 6th (402) 336-2760
Scottsbluff, UNMC College of Nursing, University Complex Panhandle
Station, Room 201, 4502 Ave. I, (308) 632-0410
UNMC is the only public health science center
in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the countrys leading centers for
research in cancer, genetics, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative
diseases and arthritis. Over the past two years, UNMCs research funding
from external sources increased by 33 percent and now exceeds $41.2 million
annually. In that same period, federal funding increased by 31 percent
and now exceeds $25 million annually.