NLC to hold Webcast on swine flu

The Washington-based National League of Cities’ (NLC) NLC TV is producing a town hall meeting Webcast to discuss best practices in dealing with an expected resurgence in the H1N1 swine flu this fall. The Webcast, scheduled for Sept. 10 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., will discuss how cities, health departments, school boards and schools can work together to address the situation.

Along with occurring at the beginning of a new school year, the reappearance of H1N1 — which was declared a worldwide pandemic after its appearance in April — will coincide with the annual return of seasonal flu, a combination that is creating uncertainty and anxiety as medical personnel prepare for both strains, according to NLC. A recent report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that warned that up to half the U.S. population could be infected by swine flu has compounded that concern. Many school systems are implementing ways to quickly identify infection patterns in daily absentee reports, and federal officials have advised systems to develop alternate ways to deliver lessons to infected students forced to stay at home.

Presenters scheduled for Thursday’s Webcast include: Silver Spring, Md.-based National Association of School Nurses Executive Director Amy Garcia; Dr. Andrew DiLernia, president of Concord Medical Associates in Concord, Mass., and an expert in healthcare public policy and risk; and Tracy Henke, a principal with the Washington-based Ashcroft Group and former assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Grants and Training.

City and school officials are encouraged to email their questions before and during the event. View more information and register for the Webcast.