Four, two-day bioterrorism symposia have been scheduled for across Nebraska to help educate health-care providers and first responders about the indicators of bioterrorism-related illnesses, as well as treatments for those illnesses.
The symposia are being sponsored by the Nebraska Bioterrorism Education Consortium and are being coordinated by the UNMC Rural Health Education Network.
General sessions will include a “state of the state” address by Richard Raymond, M.D., chief medical officer for the state of Nebraska; an overview of the resources of the Nebraska Center for Bioterrorism Education by Sharon Medcalf, the Nebraska bioterrorism education coordinator; and presentations on smallpox overview: epidemiology to prevention, by Jose Romero, M.D.; on medical effects of ionizing radiation, by Col. Thomas Baldwin, M.D.; and on mental health considerations during a disaster, by Eugene Schmuckler, Ph.D.
On the second day at each site, special breakout sessions are planned. Participants will include administrators at public health department and hospitals; teachers and educational administrators; mental health professionals; nurses; physicians; laboratory personnel; emergency medical service workers; Extension educators; and law enforcement officers.
The following dates, locations and co-sponsors have been set for the symposia.
- May 12-13: Scottsbluff/Gering, Gering Civic Center. Co-sponsors: Panhandle Partnership and Public Health Departments.
- May 19-20: Grand Island, College Park. Co-sponsor: Central Nebraska Area Health Education Center.
- June 10-11: Norfolk, Lifelong Learning Center-NECC. Co-sponsor: Northern Nebraska Area Health Education Center.
- June 18-19: Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, East Campus Student Union. Co-sponsor: Lincoln Medical Education Foundation.
Continuing education credit will be available for the symposia. Participants may register for one or both days at $10 per day, which includes lunch. Each symposium is limited to 200 participants per site. The first day of each symposium will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the second day scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is required, and must be completed by five business days before each symposium. Registration information can be found at www.unmc.edu/RHEN/bioterrorism.htm. For further information, e-mail RHEN Director Roxanna Jokela at rjokela@unmc.edu.