Purdue prepares for potential flu pandemic
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On the heels of a national summit at Purdue to plan for a potential flu pandemic, the university today (Friday, March 24) outlined its own planning process.
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The university's planning committee is led by Carol Shelby, senior director of environmental health and public safety, and James Westman, director of the Purdue Student Health Center. The committee has been meeting since November, and in February created six subcommittees charged with focusing on specific challenges. The subcommittees include:
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• Academics and research, led by Holly Schrank, professor of consumer sciences and retailing, and Peter Dunn, vice provost for research.
• Health, led by Westman and Sarah Sayger, clinical director of the Student Health Center.
• Safety and security, led by Shelby.
• Business continuation, led by Thomas Ganz, assistant director of employee relations and workplace policy.
• Communication and education, led by Julie Rosa, director of Purdue Periodicals.
"Questions range from how Purdue will feed its students if no mass gatherings are allowed to how we'll manage a potential quarantine," Norberg said. "We must plan how we will pay employees if we must evacuate campus, provide round-the-clock staffing of health services, maintain buildings and power, care for our animals, and maintain our research."
All offices have been asked to identify essential personnel who would need access to campus in the event of a quarantine. Some employees also might be able to work from home, Norberg said.
The Internet will be a key source for information, and the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology's staff is laying plans for redundant servers.
"We are planning now to ensure that we'll be able to keep people informed via the Internet," Norberg said. "We will post information on the university's home page as it becomes available and also will e-mail alerts to parents, faculty, staff and students to let them know when important news has been added to the site."
Parents, students, faculty and staff can register to receive alerts at the Purdue avian flu page.
President Martin C. Jischke said Thursday (March 23) that the university also will hold forums around campus so faculty, staff and students can ask questions and learn more.
Every area of Purdue has its own crisis plan, but this challenge is different than anything previously faced, Norberg said. Should a pandemic strike, it is expected to come in three waves over an 18-months period.
As U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt emphasized Thursday, a pandemic would strike communities across the nation at the same time, making it difficult for the federal government to help.
"Every community, every business, every school and university, and every individual family should do what is possible now to prepare," Norberg said.
Sources: Peter Dunn, (765) 494-3996, pedunn@purdue.edu
Thomas Ganz, (765) 494-7390, tganz@purdue.edu
Sandy Monroe, (765) 494-5774, skmonroe@purdue.edu
Jeanne Norberg, (765) 494-2084, jnorberg@purdue.edu
Tom Paczolt, (765) 494-1000, tpaczolt@purdue.edu
Julie Rosa, (765) 494-2036, jrosa@purdue.edu
Sarah Sayger, (765) 494-1700, sasayger@purdue.edu
Holly Schrank, (765) 494-9851, schrankh@purdue.edu
Carol Shelby, (765) 494-7504, cshelby@purdue.edu
James Westman, (765) 494-1720, westman@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
Purdue Influenza Information
Related news release:
Purdue creates crisis communication system for parents, students
PHOTO CAPTION:
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, left, and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt on Thursday (March 23) signed a pledge for mutual support and cooperation in the event of a pandemic. Leavitt also delivered $2 million from the federal government to assist in planning. The Indiana Prepares: The Pandemic Influenza State Summit took place at Purdue as a means of arming key state players with the necessary information to plan a local pandemic response. Daniels also signed House Bill 1235, which provides guidelines for quarantines and isolation procedures in the event of a pandemic. Behind Daniels and Leavitt are the bill's co-sponsors, state representatives Bill Ruppel, R-North Manchester, and Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington. (Purdue News Service file photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2006/daniels-leavitt-signing.jpg
PHOTO CAPTION:
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, from left, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt were among the speakers today (Thursday, March 23) during the Indiana Prepares summit, which took place on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus. More than 500 people from around the state attended the governor's summit, which was designed to help Hoosiers prepare for a possible pandemic influenza. In addition to the summit, the only such statewide event planned for Indiana, there also will be smaller-scale town hall meetings in other parts of Indiana. (Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2006/daniels-pandemicsumm.jpg
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