Pandemic Flu Symposium to Target Kansas Schools

September 7 in Topeka

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in partnership with the Kansas Adjutant General's Department, will host a pandemic flu symposium for schools on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 8:30 a.m. - noon in Topeka. Participant sign in begins at 8 a.m. The symposium will be held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, Shawnee Room in the Maner Conference Center, 1700 SW Topeka Blvd.

Speakers at the school-focused symposium will include Dr. Howard Rodenberg, Director of the KDHE Division of Health and State Health Officer; Jim Rodman, Director of School Improvement Services, Greenbush SEK Education Service Center and Bob Hull, Assistant Superintendent, Olathe Unified School District.

Because schools are centers of community life, educators and administrators are being asked to work with local officials to make planning for pandemic flu a priority. This symposium will provide examples of how to plan to keep schools going during a pandemic, including tools to assist with disseminating health information, planning for staff and student absences, and maintaining a learning environment during a pandemic.

The school-oriented pandemic flu symposium is part of a series of symposiums conducted to raise pandemic flu awareness in sector-specific groups that have previously included:

• Avian Flu in Domestic Fowl/Game Birds, Great Bend, May 9
• Faith Based & Community/Advocacy Organizations, Topeka, May 15
• Government/Public Safety, Topeka, May 15
• Healthcare, Salina, May 22
• Business/Industry, Wichita, June 23
• Federal/State, Topeka, May 31 - KDHE also hosted a pandemic flu summit, attended by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary Alex Azar on May 31. During the summit, Azar and Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a resolution that lays the groundwork for optimal state and federal cooperation on pandemic flu. The agreement outlines the federal government's role in coordinating national preparedness in response to a pandemic. It also details how the federal government will continue to provide planning assistance and funding for pandemic preparedness to states.

Those who wish to attend the school pandemic flu symposium are encouraged to register on the Kansas TRAIN Web site at http://ks.train.org. For more information and to download a registration form, visit the KDHE Web site at www.kdheks.gov. The deadline for registration is 8 a.m. on Wednesday Sept. 6, 2006.

The symposium will also be available as a Web cast, and a link to it will be posted on the KDHE Web site.

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