News Release

For Immediate Release                  Contact:  Irene G. Warren, Director of Development

September 30, 2003                        (937) 374-5626 or 1-866-858-3588

GREENE COUNTY’S HEALTH COMMISSIONER
PARTICIPATES IN “CODE ORANGE” CONFERENCE

(Xenia, OH) Greene County’s Health Commissioner, Mark McDonnell, was part of the “Code Orange: Securing Ohio’s Public Health During Insecure Times” conference held September 22^nd to 25^th in Columbus, Ohio.

“We feel more prepared for SARS after hearing a Toronto, Canada-based speaker discuss how the other Ohio health districts dealt with the quickly spreading disease last winter,” according to Health Commissioner McDonnell. The commissioner expressed hope that Greene County never faces what Canada battled.

The Association of Ohio Health Commissioners’ annual conference brought health officials from across the state to Columbus to hear Jane Speakman, a clinician and lawyer intimately involved in Canada’s regional response to the SARS outbreak. The disease spread quickly worldwide, but outbreaks were very devastating in China and Canada last winter. The World Health Organization placed Toronto on a travel advisory list last year because of the outbreak, challenging local health officials to respond by quarantining some patients.

Other newly emerging diseases, such as MRSA and Monkeypox, seen or dealt with regionally, were also highlighted. Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s, Dr. Steve Gordon outlined some of the reasons these new diseases are spreading so quickly.

“All of these examples and discussions help us move faster on the learning curve,” according to Health Commissioner McDonnell.

Nearly 200 state and local officials participated in this 3-day learning session, including Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Nick Baird, officials from the Ohio Homeland Security Office and The Ohio State University, in addition to Health Commissioners, Administrators, Medical Directors, and Environmental Directors.

For additional information, contact Greene County Combine Health District, Mark A. McDonnell, Health Commissioner, at 937-374-5600 or 1-866-858-3588.

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