Two faculty members from the UNMC College of Public Health will be the keynote speakers when the Center for Preparedness Education hosts a two-day Preparedness Symposia and Nebraska Biocontainment Unit Training. The two-day symposium will be held at four locations throughout Nebraska: Gering, Kearney, Norfolk and Omaha.
The two keynote speakers are:
- Ted Cieslak, M.D., associate professor of epidemiology, former chief consultant to the surgeon general, and Defense Department liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who will speak on “Zika — A Warning of Global Warming”; and
- Philip Smith, M.D., professor of epidemiology and medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, who will speak on “Disease Transmission and Overview of Ebola Virus Disease.”
The training is geared toward anyone in the health professions, first responders, emergency service providers, medical examiners, mortuary providers and critical infrastructure.
The Center for Preparedness Education is a joint endeavor between Creighton University School of Medicine and UNMC. The center provides affordable, needs-based training, customized organizational assistance, and comprehensive resources to those involved in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
In addition to Drs. Cieslak and Smith’s presentation, the symposia will feature topics including:
- climate change and emerging infectious diseases;
- nightclub fire response;
- Avian influenza;
- drones;
- social media in disasters;
- long-term care evacuation; and
- public health and Ebola.
The Nebraska Biocontainment Unit training will feature training on caring for the highly infectious disease patient in a safe and effective manner. The education will describe processes utilized by Nebraska Medicine that will encourage discussion and promote plans that can be implemented in various settings throughout Nebraska.
Both events — the symposia and the training — will be full-day sessions with participant check-in beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Events will be held in:
- Gering, today and tomorrow, Gering Civic Center, 1050 M St.
- Kearney, May 3-4, Holiday Inn Convention Center, 110 Second Ave.
- Norfolk, May 24-25, Divots Conference Center, 4200 W. Norfolk Ave.
- Omaha, June 14-15, Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St.
Registration is required. Cost is $45 for the Preparedness Symposia. Training on the Biocontainment Unit is free. Programs, materials, refreshments and lunch are included on both days.