UAMS to Present First Statewide Conference On Terrorism Preparedness for Allied Health Professionals

By todd

| LITTLE ROCK – The first statewide conference on terrorism preparedness for allied health professionals will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, from 8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in the College of Public Health auditorium.

Allied health professionals include dental hygienists, dieticians, emergency medical technicians, health information management professionals, medical technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists and others. Nurses also may participate in the conference.

The conference is funded and co-sponsored by the UAMS Bioterrorism Continuing Education Coalition, a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Health and 3,240 multidisciplinary health care providers in Arkansas who are trained to provide essential medical care in the event of a terrorist attack or other public health emergency. The coalition received the funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Also sponsored by the UAMS College of Health Related Professions, the conference will feature four presentations:

Bioterrorism: Historical Parallels and Emerging Challenges, by Aubrey J. Hough Jr., M.D., associate dean for translational research and special projects in the College of Medicine at UAMS and distinguished professor in the department of pathology.

Chemical Terrorism: A Multifaceted Threat, by Margie A. Scott, M.D., vice chair of the UAMS Department of Pathology and professor of pathology in the UAMS College of Medicine, chief of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) and medical director of the Clinical Microbiology Hospital Clinical Laboratory.

Radiological Emergencies: Potential Bioterrorism Threats, by Max L. Baker, Ph.D., professor of radiology (nuclear medicine) and physiology-biophysics, head of the Division of Radiological Sciences in the College of Medicine and associate professor in the department of radiologic technology in the College of Health Related Professions.

Psychological Consequences of Terrorism, by Terri L. Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of maternal and child health in the College of Public Health and an assistant professor in the division of pediatric psychiatry in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the College of Medicine.

“With the recent SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, as well as the anthrax experience in October 2001, the affected health care systems quickly became overwhelmed,” said Michael Anders, M.P.H., R.R.T., director of student affairs for the UAMS College of Health Related Professions. “Some of the general public panicked, and in some cases it was even difficult to get health care providers to take care of the affected patients. Education is paramount.”

“Our grant is taking a comprehensive approach to preparedness education in Arkansas,” he said. “We hope that the conference is the first of a series of educational endeavors aimed at allied health professionals, because preparedness is a process rather than a specific state of being.”

Health professionals who attend will receive continuing education credits. Registration is $15 if received by Monday, Aug. 16 or $25 thereafter. Space is limited to 240 people. For a registration form and more information, call (501) 686-6853 or visit www.uams.edu/chrp/bioterrorism.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, and a statewide network of regional centers. The school has about 2,170 students and 650 residents and is the state’s largest public employer with almost 9,000 employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of about $3.8 billion a year.

UAMS Medical Center includes the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, and Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute.