Re: The National Pandemic Preparedness Blog Summit of the United States
Posted by
Sister Patricia Talone
RSM, PhD; Vice President, Mission Services, Catholic Health Association. I have worked in Catholic health care for over twenty years as an ethicist and mission administrator.
A way to engage everyone…
At the end of the HHS Summit last week in DC, a reporter asked, “besides feeling good that this group gathered, what results will we see from this meeting? “
Actually, I think there will be some concrete results (and I will speculate about them later), but I have been pondering this query on several levels. The implication seemed to be that gathering a group of high-level leaders to talk about the possibility of a flu pandemic was simply
talk. In our test-taking, measurement-oriented American society, conversation or significant discourse is viewed by many to be a waste of time without
outcomes. I know that I come from a different era than many of the people attending the summit, but I believe that engaging in focused discussion with other persons can significantly change hearts and minds. Margaret Wheatley, writer and organizational consultant, has said that “in these troubled, uncertain times, we don’t need more command and control; we need better means to engage everyone’s intelligence in solving challenges and crises as they arise.”
Secondly, it has struck me that Secretary Leavitt, and the department of HHS has taken a risk in the very process of inviting commentary, feedback, criticism and participation regarding the topic of pandemic flu. One of the limitations of traditional media is that it is so passive. One can sit back on one’s couch and read or watch or listen and absorb what another person thinks or wants you to think. A blog demands that one consider one’s own convictions, opinions, etc. At its best, it can stimulate critical thinking.
Thirdly, the Summit drew together leaders, leaders from various professions, backgrounds and walks of life. It was not necessarily an assembly of like-minded individuals prepared to do group-speak. The lectures and discussions evoked learning, reflection and mutual challenges, as well as provided a forum for necessary networking. Martin Luther King, Jr. asserted, “we must learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools.”
Such a summit is an excellent vehicle to stimulate dialogue and generate commitment from community leaders. It is a start in the long and challenging process of promoting public awareness of and commitment to the health of individuals and our society.
There are and will be concrete results flowing from last week’s meeting. Among these are:
1. Dissemination of materials and resources (from HHS, CDC and other relevant sources). Many of these have and will continue to be shared on this blog as well as on Flu Wiki and other blogs.
2. Determination to develop, review and/or evaluate policies and procedures for hospitals, clinics, schools, businesses - any organizations that bear responsibility for the good of society.
3. Stronger bonding between and among these organizations. The enormity of the challenge forces one to realize that no individual or organization can handle this possibility alone. Author Flannery O’Connor maintained that “the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” Recognizing that we are sisters and brothers to one another, we must extend our hands and strengthen the bonds that tie us together.
I applaud Secretary Leavitt and Admiral Agwunobi for taking the risk to educate the public through this blog, and to challenge a variety of leaders to carry forth their message of preparedness. Although I realize that my sphere of influence may seem small, I now have a clearer insight into the ways that I can galvinize Catholic health care (and other Catholic ministries) for the challenge of a pandemic. Leaders throughout Catholic health care are expressing great interest in this topic and many are developing plans to respond to a pandemic within their facilities and communities.
http://blog.pandemicflu.gov/?p=106
