Colorado leaders and health-care providers are concerned that if faced with an influenza pandemic they might not be able to get the word out about what’s happening and what they need to do.
Officials at the Colorado Pandemic Readiness Emergency Planning Conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Friday discussed the challenges Colorado faces in preparing for a flu pandemic.
“I think we forget to reach populations that are not English speakers,” said Chris Urbina, director of the Denver Public Health Department. “I think we’re still struggling with authority, too, with who’s in charge.”
One way to address communication concerns is to use different media, said Nancy Severson, Denver Environmental Health Department manager.
“We have to make sure we’re using new media,” Severson said. “We must utilize reverse 911, text messaging, and have got to have accurate, timely information so people know what’s happening and what to do next.”
In the past four months the H5N1 avian-flu virus has spread to 37 nations on three continents. In all, 175 people have been infected and 96 people have died. Most of those who contracted the flu were exposed to infected poultry.
Chips Barry, manager of Denver Water, said he has already figured out how to run the department with a scaled-down staff. And he’s training people to do other essential jobs besides their own.
To prepare for a public-health crisis, Susan Mazula, interim director for risk and quality management at Swedish Medical Center, said the hospital has re-created emergency scenarios.
“We wanted to push the system to see how many ventilators we could get in,” Mazula said. “But then again, we had no competition at the time.”
Mazula also brought up the potential need for child day care for staff who respond to a pandemic crisis. Other ideas were less problematic, such as handwashing.
“Just look at where we put our hands,” she said. “I did notice in the women’s restroom some were not washing their hands, and people are putting their hands in their mouths and pens in their mouths.”
Mike Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, and Gov. Bill Owens kicked off the conference by signing an agreement that commits the state and federal governments to preparation efforts.
“Pandemics are global in nature, but their effects are always local,” Leavitt said. “So I am pleased that Gov. Owens is taking a leadership role to prepare Colorado for this threat.”
Staff writer Katherine Crowell can be reached at kcrowell@denverpost.com.
