Welcome to Anchorage, Alaska: NEHA's 68th Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition

About Anchorage

* In the month of May, the average high temperature is 55[degrees], the average low temperature is 39[degrees], the average precipitation is just over 1/2", and there are nearly 20 hours of daylight. Spring through fall, the climate is similar to San Francisco's with the protection of the Chugach Mountains and the warming influence of the Japanese currents of the Pacific Ocean.

* Direct flight time from: Seattle--3 hours; Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco--4.5 hours; Los Angeles--5 hours; Chicago--5.5 hours; Houston--6 hours; Atlanta--7 hours; New York City--8 hours.

* From downtown you can see Mount McKinley 130 miles to the north (it is 20,320' high and the highest point in North America); two active volcanoes; and up to six major mountain ranges.

* Glacier fields are only 50 miles to the south.

* The time zone is Alaska Standard Time, one hour behind Pacific Standard Time.

The Alaska Environmental Health Association wishes to make your visit to their state a terrific one. They have established a Web site to assist you, including the names and contact information of some of their members who are serving as ambassadors for the conference and will answer any questions you may have Please visit www.aeha.net/ambassador.html.

Keynote Adrresses

Joseph M. Henderson

Associate Director, Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, Joseph Henderson served as the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program, helping to coordinate CDC's response efforts. AEC attendees will certainly benefit from the insights he has to offer from his unique experience.

In his current capacity as the associate director of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response at CDC, Henderson is responsible for all of CDC's public health emergency preparedness and response activities. These activities are currently supported by a budget of $2.3 billion.

Henderson has been with the CDC since 1992 and during that time served as the New York state immunization program director, the southeast regional consultant for the National Immunization Program, and the team leader for the National Immunization Registry Initiative for the National Immunization Program. He spent 10 years in the United States Air Force developing medical capacities to respond to the consequences of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. NEHA is proud to welcome Joseph Henderson as one of its keynote speakers.

Martin Buser

Four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser will transport AEC attendees to the wilds of Alaska as they imagine filling his boots in the famous 1,159 mile dog-sledding race from Anchorage to Nome. When Buser crossed the finish line on March 12, 2002 with the winning time of 8 days-22 hours-46 minutes, he became the first musher to break the "mystical 8-day barrier."

With sons named Nikolai and Rohn, both after Iditarod checkpoints, Buser's enthusiasm for his pursuit is certainly unquestionable. He came to Alaska in 1979 from his native Winterthur, Switzerland to enhance the knowledge he developed in his teens of the care and training of sled dogs. He has won the coveted Leonard Seppala Award for humanitarian care of his dogs four times. No other racer has ever won this award more than once.

Buser's gracious demeanor and success have propelled him to celebrity status not only in Alaska, but also in the "lower 48" and in his native Switzerland. He and his dogs are considered Alaskan treasures. It is fitting that the 68th Annual AEC & Exhibition in Anchorage, which seeks to infuse EH specialists with both enthusiasm and knowledge, is kicked off by the inspirational tales of this accomplished man who embodies the spirit of the grueling Iditarod.

Sunday, May 9 9:00am

Fly your companion with you to the conference for only $50!

WE HAVE IT ALL

Terrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness

Food Safety and Protection

Onsite Wastewater Systems

Ambient Air Quality

Drinking Water Quality

Emerging Pathogens

EH in Schools

EH Management/Leadership Development

EH Research

General EH

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Hazardous Materials and Toxic Substances

Indoor Air Quality

Injury Prevention/Occupational Health

Institutional EH

Solid Waste

Swimming Pools/Recreational Waters

Vector Control/Zoonotic Diseases

Water Pollution

Pre-Conference Workshops & Certification Review Courses

Exhibit Hall Activities & Special Events

Registration Form

(a) International Sessions

(b) Alaska Sessions

Educational Content

Terrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness Education

Objectives:

After attending these sessions, you will be able to:

* evaluate examples of written emergency response plans

* foster relationships and coordination between all agencies involved in emergency preparedness, planning, and response

* implement strategies for involving the community in planning and preparedness

* design and conduct realistic health department responses and exercises

* define and integrate environmental health roles into emergency/disaster response

* summarize the results and lessons learned from the TOPOFF 2 exercise

Elin A. Gursky

Elin A. Gursky, Sc.D., is a Senior Fellow for Biodefense and Public Health at the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security. As a practitioner and epidemiologist, she has focused on communicable diseases and emerging pathogens, improving and coordinating emergency response efforts, and integrating systems of health care delivery between medicine and public health. Dr. Gursky will present attendees with strategies to improve public health capacities and competencies to better address the challenges faced by public health.

Monica Schoch-Spana

Monica Schoch-Spana, Ph.D., a medical anthropologist, is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Schoch-Spana is a founding member of the UPMC Center, after having served five years with the Johns Hopkins Civilian Biodefense Center. She has led research, educational, and advocacy efforts around people's capacity to respond constructively to public health emergencies. Her presentation will focus on obtaining public collaboration in an emergency response.

Terrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Sunday, May 9

1:00pm-1:50pm

Opening Remarks and Keynote

Joseph M. Henderson, Associate Director for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response, Office of the Director, CDC, Atlanta, GA

2:00pm-2:50pm

Governance Dilemmas for Leaders during Bioterrorism: Consensus Recommendations for Obtaining the Public's Collaboration in Response

Monica Schoch-Spana, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Center for Biosecurity, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baltimore, MD

3:00pm-3:50pm

It Can't be Done Without Volunteers

Brian J. Supalla, M.P.H., R.E.H.S., Bioterrorism Coordinator, Yavapai County Health Department, Prescott, AZ

4:00pm-4:50pm

Strategies for Improving Public Health Capacities and Competencies in a New Era of Threats

Elin A. Gursky, Sc.D., Senior Fellow, ANSER Institute for Homeland Security Arlington, VA

Monday, May 10

1:30pm-2:20pm

Actions Needed to Protect the Fond Supply from Bioterrorism

Caroline Smith DeWaal, J.D., Director, Program on Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC

2:30pm-4:20pm

Facilitating a Bioterrorism Preparedness Tabletop Exercise

Carl S. Osaki, R.S., M.S.P.H., Clinical Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Tuesday, May 11

9:00am-11:50am

CDC Radiological and Chemical Resources Panel

This panel sponsored by CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects (EHHE) will present available resources, tools, and other support that CDC would use to augment the state and local health department response to radiological and chemical events.

Panelists: James M. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Director for Radiation Studies; Charles W. Miller, Ph.D., Chief, Radiation Studies Branch; Carol S. Rubin, D.V.M., M.P.H., Chief, Health Studies Branch (HSB); Martin Belson, M.D., Medical Officer, HSB; and Stephen Redd, M.D., Chief, Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, CDC/NCEH/ATSDR/EHHE, Atlanta, GA

Moderator: Gary P. Noonan, M.P.A., R.E.H.S., D.A.A.S., Associate Director for Chemical Terrorism Response, EHHE, CDC/NCEH/ATSDR, Atlanta, GA

1:00pm-1:50pm

Preparedness in Action: Emergency Laboratory Response

J. Michael Miller, Ph.D., (D.)A.B.M.M., Chief, Laboratory Response Branch, CDC, Atlanta, GA

2:00pm-2:50pm

TOPOFF 2: Process of Preparing for a Radiological Event and the Lessons Learned by Public Health--Seattle & King …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Welcome to Anchorage, Alaska: NEHA's 68th Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition. Contributors: Not available. Journal title: Journal of Environmental Health. Volume: 66. Issue: 6 Publication date: January-February 2004. Page number: 8+. © 1999 National Environmental Health Association. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group.

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