VCU and City of Richmond offer bioterrorism and public health preparedness course

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

State and Richmond-area health department employees, emergency responders and graduate students are learning how to prepare for bioterrorist attacks through a special summer course offered by Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, and the Richmond City Department of Health.

About 30 people are enrolled in the three-month, graduate-level course, which examines public health, legal, medical and surgical issues related to bioterrorism; terrorism and related biological, chemical and radiation agents and local, state and federal systems and agencies.

“The threat of bioterrorism was heightened after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, anthrax mailings and the war in Iraq,” said Michael Edmond, M.D., one of the course organizers and instructors. “Most medical and public health professionals do not have specific training in bioterrorism.”

Course instructors include Walter Green III, Ph.D., Emergency Services Management, University of Richmond; James Cisek, M.D.; Leonard Vance, M.D., J.D., VCU Department of Preventive Medicine; Steven DeLisi, Virginia Department of Emergency Management; Michel Aboutanos, M.D., VCU Department of Surgery; Dean Broga, Ph.D., director, VCU Office of Environmental Health and Safety; and Sam Bartle, M.D., VCU Department of Emergency Medicine.

VCU graduate students participating in the course come from a variety of academic departments and schools including Chemistry, Engineering and the Master’s in Public Health program.

"This course will lead the student to a better understanding of some of the newer issues in public health, and hopefully impart a rational perspective on the topic in the context of the many public health problems facing the country," said Edmond.

The course began June 2 and ends Aug. 2. A similar course was offered last summer and organizers expect to offer it again next summer.