| Home > Events > Public as an Asset, Not a Problem, 2003 Agenda February 3, 2003 Keynote Event Welcome
Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD Leadership's role in helping New Yorkers prevail after 9/11
Neal L. Cohen, MD
February 4, 2006 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD Rethinking Preconceptions about Mass Response to Crisis
Is a panicked public, assumed in most bioterrorism planning situations, a myth or reality? Are epidemics like other disasters, or are they different? What do we know about the continuum of psychological and social reactions in the context of trauma and crisis, ranging from mental anguish and social demoralization to more salutary phenomena? How can leaders' decisions and actions exacerbate social tensions, making the public more or less of an asset in crisis? Introduction and Chair
Robert J. Ursano, MD Anticipated psychological impact of bioterrorism
Ann E. Norwood, MD, COL, MC, USA The problem of panic in disaster response
Lee Clarke, PhD Public resistance or cooperation? Historical experiences with smallpox
Judith W. Leavitt, PhD The Health and Safety of Actual People, not a Theoretical Public
How should leaders plan for the public health and safety requirements of special populations? How can leaders mobilize a collective, coordinated response to an epidemic when interacting with a socio-economically and ethnically diverse population? Introduction and Chair
Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD The frail and the hardy seniors of 9/11:
The needs and contributions of older Americans
Myrna I. Lewis, PhD The value of culture and social capital in national defense
and bioterrorism preparedness
Kathleen Rand Reed, MAA The role of schools in meeting communities' needs during bioterrorism
Bradley D. Stein, MD, PhD The people talk back: Anthrax 2001 public communication lessons
Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD (Chair) Working Lunch How leaders can confidently step up to a reporter's mike
John J. Burke, JD Civil Society as an Asset during a Public Health Emergency
How can leaders make the best use of pre-existing volunteer networks and turn individual volunteers into an asset? How should leaders manage volunteer impulses in the bioterrorism context; is bioterrorism different from other humanitarian situations? How can workplaces, schools, and other everyday institutions be equipped to help populations cope with a crisis? Introduction and Chair
Kathleen J. Tierney, PhD Community organizations acting during crisis:
9/11 and neighborhood associations
Diane S. Lapson Mobilizing a community around the desire to protect children
Ernie Allen They will be there: Managing and protecting volunteers
John Clizbe, PhD How to Lead a Community during Times of Trouble
What challenges do leaders face when interacting with the public in the context of grave peril? What communication pitfalls should leaders avoid during a public health emergency? How can an environment of trust and credibility be cultivated so that the public is inclined to act on public health guidance? When and how should leaders seek input from public stakeholders on tough decisions that could arise (e.g., prioritized distribution of scarce medical resources)? How can government decision-makers reach out to civic leaders prior to a crisis and establish alliances for communicating critical information? What challenges do leaders face during the crisis recovery period? Moderated roundtable discussion
led by Tara O'Toole, MD, MPH Panelists Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association Edward Clarke, Director of School Safety and Security, Montgomery County Public Schools - Washington DC-area sniper Tom Day, Vice President of Engineering, U.S. Postal Service - 2001 anthrax letter attacks Margaret Hamburg, MD, former Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, former New York City Commissioner of Health - 1993 World Trade Center bombing; multi-drug resistant tuberculosis; possible case of plague presenting at Kennedy airport Ronald J. Norick, Mayor, Oklahoma City, 1987 to 1998 - 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building Sally Quinn, Columnist, The Washington Post - 2001 anthrax letter attacks Ivan C.A. Walks, MD, former Chief Health Officer for Washington, DC, and Director, Department of Health - 9/11 Pentagon attack; 2001 anthrax letter attacks Peter Sandman, PhD, Advisor to the New York Department of Health on bioterrorism preparedness and communication | 
