Flushing Hospital Hosts West Nile and SARS Conference

FLUSHING, New York - Flushing Hospital Medical Center was host to a major symposium entitled "West Nile, SARS & Beyond; The threat of newly emerging infectious diseases" on Thursday, July 24 featuring nationally recognized speakers on this most important and timely subject.

The five-hour conference covered such diverse topics as:
o West Nile
o Anthrax
o Smallpox
o SARS
o Methods of surveillance
o Public Communications During and Outbreak
o And, Regional preparedness and Response

In 1999, Dr. Deborah Asnis at Flushing Hospital Medical Center was the first healthcare professional to recognize the symptoms of West Nile Virus and sound the alarm in New York City. As a result, Flushing Hospital has kept close ties with government health agencies and has treated more cases of West Nile Virus than anywhere else in the country since that time.

In view of the growing concern of newly emerging infectious diseases - both naturally occurring and of terrorist origin - Flushing Hospital Medical Center recognized the need for an educational forum to address preparedness issues. Over 150 healthcare professionals from around the region registered for the event, and attendees were provided with fascinating insights on both past and current incidents.

The country’s experience with Anthrax in 2001 provided insight into public communications during a bioterrorist incident, and the recent SARS outbreak encouraged continued vigilance. "The recent emergence and rapid spread of SARS makes the need for this symposium particularly compelling," said Dr. Robert Crupi, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Flushing Hospital. "Overall, the information presented was thought to be extremely useful by the healthcare professionals attending."

The noted speakers included Dr. Rebecca Young from Johns Hopkins, Joel Ackelsberg, M.D., Elsie Lee, M.D., and Don Weiss, M.D.MPH from the New York City Department of Health, Susan Waltman, Esq. of the Greater New York Hospital Association and Dr. Deborah Asnis, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Deborah Asnis
Chief of Infectious Diseases
Flushing Hospital Medical Center