The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Launches New Website (November 6, 2009) The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety website went live on October 30, 2009. The new website provides comprehensive information about the center's graduate academic and research training programs, diversity resources, continuing education, research and outreach activities.

Visit the website at: http://www.mcohs.umn.edu/

EnHS Media Mentions
October, 2009

Craig Hedberg is quoted in a WebMD article about the "10 Foods Most Likely to Cause Food-borne Illness" (webmd.com).

Michael Osterholm is quoted in the Washington Post about the importance of keeping a human pandemic flu strain out of pigs (washingtonpost.com) and in an article in the New York Times about flu vaccination shortages and delays in the US (nytimes.com).

Julie Jacko is quoted in an article about the large number of stimulus grants received by the University of Minnesota Medical School (mndaily.com).

Gurumurthy Ramachandran and Jeff Mandel are quoted in an article about the monitoring of asbestos and silica particles in Iron Range mining facilities (mndaily.com).

MCOHS Seminar: Simple Health Behaviors and their Impact on Business: Health, Cost, and Productivity (October 28 2009) -- On October 26, Nico Pronk, PhD, FACSM, Vice President and Health Science Officer, JourneyWell and Senior Research Investigator, HealthPartners Research Foundation, presented "Simple Health Behaviors and their Impact on Business: Health, Cost, and Productivity".

In the seminar, Dr. Pronk discussed the significant health benefits of adhering to four simple lifestyle choices -- being physically active, not smoking, eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day, and avoiding risky drinking behavior. Dr. Pronk also presented a case study which demonstrates the impact of a worksite health promotion program on employee health, cost, and productivity.

Pat Fontaine

Lisa Brosseau Co-Authors Blog on the NIOSH Website (October 16 2009) --Lisa Brosseau was invited to co-author a blog about respirators and surgical masks posted on the NIOSH website.

The blog was posted this week and has generated a lot of interest (nearly 2,000 visits in the first 5 days).

Click here to visit the blog.

Rick Jansen

John Adgate to Co-Chair International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) Annual Meeting (October 12 2009) -- Dr. John Adgate will co-chair the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) Annual Meeting "Transforming Exposure Science in the 21st Century," Nov. 1-5, 2009, in Minneapolis, MN.

ISES 2009 will engage scientists from a wide range of disciplines on regional, global, and emerging issues in environmental exposure.

For more information, or to register, visit www.ises09.org

Pictured from left to right: Chris Drucker, Nancy Nachreiner, and Evan Henke

MCOHS Seminar: Update on National Health Care Reform: A Moving Target (October 6, 2009) -- On September 28, Lynn Blewett, PhD, MA, Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management, and Principal Investigator, State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) presented a talk on issues relevant to the current national health care debate.

Dr Blewet described current proposals on national health care reform, and discussed their impact on areas such as: costs and coverage of the uninsured, the federal legislative process, and payment reform.

EnHS Media Mentions
September, 2009

Bruce Alexander and John Adgate are featured in an article about the Minnesota Environmental Public Health Tracking System (mndaily.com)

Craig Hedberg talks about the Food and Drug Administration launch of safety alert portal for food companies (cidrap.umn.edu)

Michael Osterholm is quoted in an article about company preparedness for the H1N1 virus (bizjournals.com) and in an article questioning the effectiveness of hand-washing in preventing the spread of influenza (myfoxatlanta.com)

EnHS student Carrie Klumb is quoted in an article on Team D in Scientific American (scientificamerican.com)

Lisa Brosseau is quoted in an article about the effectiveness of surgical masks versus respirators in a hospital setting (cidrap.umn.edu) and in an article discussing ways families can plan ahead for the H1N1 flu virus (forbes.com)

Julie Jacko Awarded $1.6M NINR Grant (September 30, 2009) -- Professor Julie Jacko was awarded a Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities” Grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) titled, “Development of a Consumer Research Network for Studying Obesity”.

Professor and School of Nursing Dean Connie Delaney, School of Nursing Professors Bonnie Westra and Martha Kubik, School of Dentistry Professor Jim Fricton, and School of Dentistry Research Associate Dr. Anna Velly are Co-Investigators on the grant. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funds were awarded in the amount of $1.6 million for a period of two years.

Jean Bey

Students Host Screenings of Documentary "Walking into the Unknown"(September 21, 2009) -- EnHS doctoral student Genelle Lamont, and Melanie Nadeau, MPH candidate in the Community Health Education Program, helped host the showing of the Emmy-nominated documentary “Walking into the Unknown” during the SPH student orientation and to the Twin Cities American Indian community at the Minnesota American Indian Center.

Read More...

EnHS Welcomes New Students (September 3, 2009) -- New masters and doctoral students were welcomed to Environmental Health Sciences by Division head Bill Toscano, DGS Betsy Wattenberg, MPH major chair Matt Simcik, student services coordinator Khosi Nkosi, and several other faculty, staff, and current graduate students at the annual EnHS student orientation held on September 2.

Click here view photos from the event

Watch Dr. Toscano's video welcome on YouTube

MnTAP Intern Scott Trantina

MDH Focuses on Foodborne Illness at the Minnesota State Fair (August 26, 2009) -- "Disease Detectives: How MDH Investigates Foodborne Illness Outbreaks" is the theme of the Minnesota Department of Health's information booth at this year's Minnesota State Fair. The MDH Foodborne Illness unit, including Team D, will be staffing the booth at various times and on hand to answer questions. (Read more about Team D here).

The MDH Booth is located in the Education Building (just north of Dan Patch avenue on Cosgrove street), and will be open the duration of the fair. For more information please contact Karen Everstine at karen.everstine@state.mn.us.

Nancy Nachreiner

Michael Osterholm Elected to Membership of the Council on Foreign Relations (August 20, 2009) -- Professor Michael Osterholm has been elected to membership of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

The CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting the understanding of foreign policy and the United States’ role in the world.

Pat McGovern and Wendy Hellerstedt

Nancy Nachreiner

Julie Jacko Appointed to Minnesota eHealth Advisory Committee (August 3, 2009) -- Professor Julie Jacko has been appointed by Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Sanne Magnan, to serve on the Minnesota eHealth Advisory Committee to represent academics and clinical research.

Legislation passed during the 2009 session renewed the Minnesota e-Health Advisory Committee, extending it to 2015 and expanding responsibilities to include assisting in coordination of activities related to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

Craig Hedberg

Debra Olson Inducted into AHC Academy of Excellence (July 23, 2009) -- Debra K. Olson, , MPH, RN, has received the Academy for Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award.

The Academy for Excellence is the highest recognition of teaching and learning by faculty. Those selected have contributed to developing a culture of learning by demonstrating a commitment to teaching and student learning through innovation, creativity, and dissemination of scholarly works.

Deborah Swackhamer

Pat McGovern Named Academic Leadership Program Fellow (July 13, 2009) -- Dr. Patricia McGovern, professor, was accepted into the Academic Leadership Program (ALP) offered by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC ) for all Big-10 Universities for 2009-2010.

Four to five fellows from the University of Minnesota are selected each year for this intensive experience which develops the leadership and managerial skills of faculty who have demonstrated exceptional ability and academic promise from nominations submitted by deans and chancellors.

EnHS Media Mentions
July 6 - July 10, 2009

Matt Simcik speaks with Minnesota Public Radio about a new study by the Minnesota Department of Health that says residents in the east metro have elevated levels of PFCs in their blood. (mpr.org - view article)

Craig Headberg is quoted in an article in the Washington Post linking a recent E. Coli outbreak to cookie dough. (washingtonpost.com - view article)

Jeff Mandel is featured in an editorial piece (originally published in the Duluth News Tribune) that encourages participation in the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study. (taconiteworkers.umn.edu - view article)

NORA Symposium: Where Are We with Occupational Safety and Health in the United States? -- UPDATE (July 9, 2009) -- Video and slides with audio are now available for the presentation "Where Are We with Occupational Safety and Health in the United States?."

The talk was given by Christine M. Branche, the Acting Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety's National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Symposium on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.

Watch the video of the event

View the presentation and listen to the audio from the event

Prof. Nachreiner Named Co-Director of OEHN (June 26, 2009) -- Assistant Professor Nancy Nachreiner has been named Co-Director of the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN) Program of the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, effective July 1, 2009.

Read More...

Joan Manzara

Eddie Kasner's Notes from the Field (June 22, 2009) -- EnHS graduate student and Judd International Fellowship recipient Eddie Kasner is blogging about his current field experience in China.

In his latest post, Eddie discusses recent trips to two large vegetable farming operations near Kunming, as well as a survey on farm pesticide use he will be conducting in July.

Click here to read Eddie's blog

Pat McGovern

Farewell Party for Professor Ian Greaves (June 15, 2009) -- On Thursday, June 11, several current and former faculty members, students, and staff were on hand to wish Professor Ian Greaves, M.B., B.S., a fond farewell and to thank him for his many years of service to the Division of Environmental Health Sciences and the School of Public Health.

Click here to view photos from the event

Matt Simcik

Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study Website Launches (June 8, 2009) -- Today the Division of Environmental Health Sciences and the School of Public Health officially launched a new website for the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study.

The Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study is a comprehensive, University of Minnesota-led research initiative to determine the cause of mesothelioma in Minnesota’s Iron Range mining industry workers.

The goals of the new website are to provide study news, resources, and information for participants, health care providers, researchers, and members of the media.

Visit the website at: http://taconiteworkers.umn.edu/

Tran Huynh

MCOHS Seminar: Occupational Health in India (June 3, 2009) -- On Tuesday, May 26, Dr. Robert Joseph, Professor in the Department of Community Health at St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, India, gave a presentation on the challenges and opportunities for occupational health and safety in India.

Dr. Joseph discussed the disparities in occupational health and safety systems between the organized and unorganized employment sectors, the need to address a worker's primary health concerns before attempting a comprehensive workplace health initiative, and recent case studies which demonstrate successful occupational health interventions that have taken place in India.

Christine M. Branche

Senator Klobuchar Pushes for Rapid Response to Foodborne Illness (May 28, 2009) -- Joined by Minnesota public health experts, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar held a news conference today to announce that she is introducing federal legislation to promote a more rapid and effective national response to outbreaks of foodborne sickness like the recent case of salmonella-tainted peanut butter.

Read full news release

Watch video from KSTP-TV

Eddie Kasner

Amber Koskey

2009 EnHS Student Awards Social (May 14, 2009) - Congratulations to the students (and faculty) that were recognized the annual EnHS Student Awards Social.

View the 2008-2009 award winners

Tran Huynh

Taconite Worker Study Group Status Update Meeting (May 12, 2009) -- Bruce Alexander, Ian Greaves, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, and Jeff Mandel discussed the status of the Taconite Worker Study Group investigation to the Inter-Agency Committee on Asbestos.

The committee is comprised of members from the EPA, ATSDR, U.S. Geological Survey, NIOSH and NIEHS. Some 25 members of the committee heard updates on the work in progress including occupational exposure assessment, environmental exposure characterization, and human health investigations.

EnHS Students Create Websites Using U Blogging Tool (May 8, 2009) -- For the first time this spring semester, students in PubH 6120: Injury Prevention in the Workplace, Community, and Home used the University’s Uthink blogging tool to put their research online.

Read more...

from left to right: Julie Jacko, Diane Toscano, Khosi Nkosi, Bill Toscano

Tim Boyer Receives Fellowship from the Graduate School (May 6, 2009) -- EnHS Graduate Student Tim Boyer has been awarded a 2009-10 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School. He is currently researching the relationship between antibiotic use in agriculture and the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

The award includes a stipend of $22,500 for the academic year, plus full tuition for thesis credits.

Jooyeon Hwang

Swine Flu: What you should know (April 29, 2009) -- What should you know about the swine flu? Nick Kelley, EnHS graduate student and research assistant with the University's Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), provides an overview on SPH's Public Health Scene.

Listen to Nick on Public Health Moment (04:53)

Click here to read Nick's blog post on swine influenza

Related Links:

>>The University's swine flu website

>>CIDRAP website

Michael Osterholm

MCOHS Seminar: "Integrating Safety and Smoking Cessation in Small Manufacturing Businesses (April 27, 2009) -- On April 27, 2009, Lisa Brosseau, Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences and Deborah Hennrikus, Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health presented the most recent results of a pilot intervention in two small manufacturing businesses aimed at integrating workplace safety and health promotion activities.

Susan Gerberich and Debra Olson Named Distinguished Alumni of the School of Nursing (April 20, 2009) -- EnHS Professors Susan Gerberich, and Debra Olson were announced as being among the 100 Distinguished Nursing Alumni and Centennial Distinguished Faculty Alumni to be honored on November 5, 2009 at the School of Nursing's Centennial Gala.

These outstanding alumni were selected, out of the School's approximately 8500 living alumni, for recognition as a result of their profound impact on families, communities, the school or the nursing profession.

Lisa Brosseau

GYRIG/Colon Cancer Awareness Bake Sales (April 14, 2009) -- Over $1,100 was raised at the GYRIG/Colon Cancer Awareness bake sales held at the McNamara Alumni Center and the Phillips Wagenstein Building on April 7-8, 2009. Cookies, bars, muffins and other delectable snacks were provided by Division members for the event. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Minnesota Colon Cancer Coalition.

Join EnHS and thousands of others who are making a difference in the fight against colon cancer by signing up for The 5th Annual Twin Cities Get Your Rear In Gear 5K event. On-line registration for the Division team is open through Wednesday, April 15th.

Click here to view photos from the bake sales

William Toscano and PSG Institutions Team

National Children’s Study Speakers’ Series: Childhood Asthma -- UPDATE (April 10, 2009) -- Audio recordings and presentation slides are now available for the talk "Childhood Asthma: Potential Causes and Consequences."

The seminar, given by U of MN faculty and National Children’s Study investigators, Dr. Chuck Oberg and Dr. John Adgate, on March 26, 2009, addresses the epidemiology and consequences of childhood asthma for public health, social service, and other professionals.

Listen to the talk, Childhood Asthma: Potential Causes and Consequences:

Part 1, Dr. Chuck Oberg: The Epidemiology of Childhood Asthma

Part 2, Dr. John Adgate: The National Children's Study and Potential Environmental Determinants of Asthma

Pat McGovern

Nicholette Zeliadt Presents at Graduate School Fellowship Research Showcase (April 8, 2009) -- EnHS Graduate Student Nicholette Zeliadt presented her research along with other fellowship winners at the Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Research Showcase, on April 7, at Coffman Union.

Nicholette has been working with EnHS Professor Dr. Elizabeth Wattenberg over the past few years to examine the effects of environmental carcinogens on cellular signals that regulate cell fate and function. Her research poster "Miscommunication and cancer: the role of MAP kinase phosphatase-3 in carcinogenesis" presents findings about changes that occur in one cellular-level communication network during the initial stages of cancer development.

142 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships were awarded by the Fellowship Office of the Graduate School for the 2008-2009 academic year. The award, which is given to outstanding final-year PhD students, includes a stipend of $22,000 plus full tuition for thesis credits.

"Using Energy Wisely" PSA

EnHS Students Volunteer in Tribal Community Engagement Meeting (April 7, 2009) -- The Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) recently conducted a community engagement meeting with the American Indian community in Minnesota regarding planning for pandemic influenza for at-risk populations.

Several SPH students volunteered to serve as note-takers and facilitators for the event, including a large EnHS contingent. EnHS students who participated are: Nick Kelley, Jessica Brown, Katherine Hall, Evan Henke, Jon Tatalovich, and Genelle Lamont.

The engagement meeting was held on April 4, at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, MN, and is part of the ongoing work by CIDRAP on the CDC/ASTHO funded At-Risk Populations Project (ARPP).

Alyssa Olson (r) and Advisor Craig Hedberg

Tran Huynh (l) and Advisor Pete Raynor

MCOHS Seminar: Occupational Health, Safety, and Worker Welfare - A Community Response (March 30, 2009) -- Jewish Community Action members Melissa Rudnick and Carin Mrotz presented the Hekhsher Tzedek initiative at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (MCOHS) seminar held on March 30.

Currently being piloted in the Twin Cities, the Hekhsher Tzedek (Seal of Justice) is a kosher food certification process that will use standards for worker health and safety as part of its certification criteria.

Jooyeon Hwang

Polyp Patrol-EnHS Team Kick-off (March 27, 2009) -- Polyp Patrol-EnHS team organizers held 'Get Your Rear in Gear' kick-off events at the McNamara and Mayo buildings on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26. There were great turnouts at both locations!

Stay tuned for more colorectal cancer awareness and fundraising activities in the upcoming weeks - including a bake sale and a Division-sponsored team for the 2009 Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 19.

John Adgate (l) and
Charles Oberg (r)

Michael Osterholm Reappointed to Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness Working Group (March 24, 2009) -- EnHS Professor and Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm has been reappointed by the Minnesota House of Representatives to the Legislative Coordinating Commission Working Group on Preparedness for Terrorism and Disasters.

The working group was established in 2007 to advise the MN Legislature on issues relating to homeland security, emergency management, man-made and natural disasters, terrorism, bioterrorism, public health emergencies, and vulnerabilities in public and private infrastructures.

Osterholm's term runs until January, 2011.

Tim Church

‘Team D’ Continues to Make Headlines (March 12, 2009) -- Last year, ‘Team Diarrhea’, or Team D — the Minnesota Department of Health's highly effective food-borne illness investigation unit — discovered that jalapenos were the cause of a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul. (view story)

This year, Team D was the first to identify Peanut Corporation of America as the producer of salmonella-tainted peanut butter that recently sickened more than 677 nationwide.

Currently three EnHS students, Carrie Klumb and Evan Henke (both pictured left), and Julie Hoffer, are among the eight SPH graduate students that make up the interviewing core of Team D. They are led by MDH epidemiologist (and EnHS alumnus) Carlota Medus.

James Phillips, head of infectious diseases for the Arkansas Department of Health, told USA Today that, "Minnesota is leap years ahead of ... most of the rest of the nation," when it comes to food-borne illness investigation.

Click here to read full USA Today article

Tim Boyer

EnHS Participates in National Dress in Blue Day (March 10, 2009) -- On Friday, March 6, Division members wore blue apparel in recognition of National Dress in Blue Day. Dress in Blue Day was initiated in 2006 to help raise awareness of colorectal cancer, which is currently the second leading cause of cancer deaths in America.

Several more colorectal cancer awareness and fundraising activities are planned for the upcoming weeks - including a Division-sponsored team for the 2009 Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 19.

Gurumurthy Ramachandran

MCOHS Conference Focuses on Controversial Health and Safety Issues (March 4, 2009) -- The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (MCOHS) recently hosted "Emerging Issues and Controversies in Occupational Health and Safety” an interdisciplinary symposium focusing on controversial issues in OHS research, policy, and practice. The one-day conference was held at the Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus, on February 26, 2009.

EnHS Professors Craig Hedberg and Michael Osterholm discussed ways of dealing with widespread food-borne illnesses and global disease outbreaks in their presentations "Protecting the Nation’s Food Chain" (Hedberg) and "Preparing for Pandemic Influenza" (Osterholm).

Other conference session topics included: The Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Challenge; Mining and Mesothilioma in Minnesota; and Inflammatory Neuropathy in Swine Workers.

Laurie Ukestad

Pat McGovern to Speak on Postpartum Health at SDSU (February 25, 2009) -- EnHS Professor Pat McGovern will give the Ethel Austin Martin Distinguished Lecture at South Dakota State University on March 4, 2009. She will speak on “Maternal Employment and Breastfeeding: Findings from the Minnesota Postpartum Health Study.”

Betsy Wattenberg and
Jooyeon Hwang

Cancer-Epidemiology Seminar: Using Smoking and Lung Cancer as a Model for Gene-Environment Interactions (February 23, 2009) -- On February 20, 2009, EnHS Professor Tim Church discussed how the association of smoking and lung cancer provides an excellent model for discovering gene-environment interactions. He illustrated an approach to finding interactions using a small case-control study nested in the large-scale Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. (PLCO website)

This talk was presented as part of the Cancer Epidemiology Interest Group Seminar Series. If you are interested in being notified about upcoming seminars, please contact Logan Spector at spector@umn.edu.

William Toscano and UMAA -
San Diego Chapter President
Gary La Fleur

MEHA Winter Conference (February 17, 2009) -- On Thursday, February 12, several EnHS students attended the annual winter conference of the Minnesota Environmental Health Association (MEHA) at the University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus.

EnHS students set up an information booth at the event and promoted the Environmental Health Sciences program at the University of Minnesota by handing out flyers and speaking with other conference attendees about their current research and academic interests.

Tim Church

Carrie Rigdon to Work on MDA's Rapid Response Team (February 11, 2009) -- EnHS Postdoctoral Associate Carrie Rigdon has accepted a position with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Food Protection Rapid Response Team. The Rapid Response Team was developed under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to enhance surveillance and improve response to food related emergencies and events.

Her new role at the organization will include helping to develop Standard Operating Procedures for event response and incorporating Incident Command System (ICS) structure into food-borne illness and food contamination event investigations.

Randall Singer

Craig Hedberg Quoted in Recent Salmonella News (February 5, 2009) -- EnHS Professor and food-borne disease expert Craig Hedberg was quoted in two recent articles about Salmonella:

The US Food and Drug Administration's criminal investigation of Peanut Corp. of America, a company that has been linked with a Salmonella outbreak involving more than 500 cases nationwide. (CIDRAP - view article)

A report on how University of Minnesota researchers are using genetically engineered Salmonella to treat certain forms of cancer. (MN Daily - view article)

AnaMaria Demendez

MCOHS Seminar: Pesticide Regulation and Community Outreach in MN (January 27, 2009) -- On January 26, 2009, Paul M. Liemandt and Collie Graddick, representatives from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, presented on topics relating to pesticide regulation.

Liemandt and Graddick's discussion included state and federal pesticide laws, responsibilities of various programs, inter-relationships between agencies, and outreach efforts with multiple and diverse community organizations.

Deborah Swackhamer

Researchers Conduct Walk-Throughs at Iron Range Sites (January 16, 2009) -- On January 12-13, 2009, PhD student Jooyeon Hwang and faculty members Gurumurthy Ramachandran and Pete Raynor from the Division of Environmental Health Sciences visited Cliffs Natural Resources' United Taconite mine in Eveleth, MN and processing facility in nearby Forbes, MN to conduct a walk-through survey of particle levels and engineering controls at the sites.

Read more...

Paul Allwood (l)
and Paul Brown (r)

Spring House Worker Health Study (January 5, 2009) -- Bruce Alexander was recently quoted in an article by the Northwest Herald about the Spring House Worker Health Study.

Alexander is leading a team of U of MN researchers who are investigating whether there are any elevated causes of death at the Spring House Technical Center, a chemical research facility located north of Philadelphia, PA. At least 15 cases of brain cancer have been reported among former employees at the facility since the 1970s.

Click here to read the article (nwhearald.com)

Deborah Swackhamer

The Nation's Coal Supply and Pandemic Preparedness. (January 5, 2009) -- A new report by the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) discusses the need to protect the nation’s electric power grid in the event of a pandemic.

The report, “Pandemic Influenza, Electricity, and the Coal Supply Chain,” written by CIDRAP Director Dr. Michael Osterholm and Nicholas Kelley, a CIDRAP research assistant and EnHS doctoral student, explains that “an effective overall and public health response depends largely on the availability of electricity. Preventing disruptions in the coal supply chain is paramount, and such an effort will certainly require a financial investment. But the consequence of failing to prepare may be catastrophic. We believe the nation must reduce the risk that a pandemic poses to the generation of electricity and the collateral damage to society that will occur without electricity.”

Click here to read the report (registration req’d)

Listen to Kelley on SPH’s Public Health Moment

Jeff Mandel (l) and
Ian Greaves (r)