Fighting the Flu

A group of us were given a private tour of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. After passing through security, which took a while because three of the group were from other countries, we briefly looked at the museum which is opened to the public. We were then whisked to another building where we were given a tour of the command center. To say that it is impressive is a gross understatement. Imagine standing in the middle of the NASA command center during a space shuttle launch. One entire wall was covered with massive screens that showed literally everything that is happening in the world from a health perspective. World maps showed where the swine flu is taking place. Graphs and charts literally kept the room apprised of every major and minor health hazard in the world. Including hurricane tracking!

The rest of the room was filled with rows of computer monitors, well over a hundred, and faces intensely stared at each screen. These people were communicating with people around the world about the specific conditions of the hot spots that were broadcast on the massive screens that filled the wall.

Rounding out the control center were glass walled conference rooms, which were mostly filled with men and women developing strategy to combat epidemic after epidemic.

John Lozier and I were with 10 doctors from around the world. John is the Executive Director of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. The rest were leaders from the International Street Medicine Institute. After the impressive tour, we were taken to yet another building and into a conference room where we met for a couple of hours to discuss the swine flu.

Specifically, we were wondering why homeless people were not considered at risk. After all, it is an air born disease and a great many homeless people sleep in dorms. If one person gets it, then everyone else in the dorm is at risk.

We also wondered about the strategy to slowly make the vaccine available which is causing a great deal of frustration among health care providers.

The CDC staff were very receptive. They were completely engaged in every point that was being made, which is very different from most conversations that I have with government staff. Most act like they already know everything. They are quick to rush through the discussion. Our meeting with the CDC staff lasted an hour longer than it had been scheduled.

So I found myself in the middle of the fight against swine flu. I often say that this job at Union Mission is one of the most amazing experiences anyone could ever have. From a ballroom in Atlanta filled with people reforming health care from the ground up to the CDC where we were literally influencing policy makers to protect all of the American people are things that are not reflected on my job description. Yet they are very much a part of the job.

And today I get to continue doing it again. It is amazing and I am humbled to do it.