HHS launches blog on pandemic preparedness
- By Nancy zz_Ferris
- May 25, 2007
The Health and Human Services Department has unveiled a five-week blog on preparing for a potential flu pandemic.
The department enlisted 16 business, health care, faith-based and community leaders to post entries. The public is invited to respond and extend the conversation.
HHS is one of the first Cabinet departments to use the Web to engage people in addressing a specific issue. Department officials said the online dialogue will set the stage for a leadership forum HHS has scheduled for June 13 on the same topic.
"The conversation about individual preparedness for pandemic flu must extend nationwide through all possible channels, including social media and the Internet," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement. "The blog summit is an innovative and efficient forum for bringing together leaders for a lively discussion on the pandemic-preparedness movement."
Based on historic precedent, HHS officials expect a pandemic to erupt in the next few years, although they cannot say for certain how it might develop.
"We are the first generation ever to have an opportunity to prepare in advance of a pandemic," Leavitt said. "Government alone can't prepare the nation for a pandemic. This is a shared responsibility, and the challenge requires leadership from those most trusted and respected in their communities."
Experts participating in HHS' blog include Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay and co-founder of Omidyar Network; David Eisner, chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and Dr. Greg Dworkin, founding editor of Flu Wiki, and chief of pediatric pulmonology and medical director of the pediatric inpatient unit at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn.
The bloggers will respond to HHS' questions about the threat of a pandemic in the United States and will collaborate on ideas for helping their employees, constituents, customers, congregations and clients prepare now.
About the Author