You know the ropes when it comes to preventing the spread of
flu: wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home when you're sick and get your
flu shot. Now take it up a notch: What's your health system doing to prepare for a possible flu pandemic?
Whether it's
H1N1 (swine flu) or any type of flu, rest assured MeritCare stands ready, beginning with a well-rounded team of infectious disease (ID) specialists.
What's an infectious disease specialist?
An ID specialist diagnoses and treats diseases caused by germs such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The specialty requires extensive education and training, including seven years to become an internal medicine doctor followed by a two-to-three year ID fellowship.
In the past two decades, the need for ID specialists has skyrocketed due to the discovery of serious infectious diseases such as AIDS, Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) or staph infection have also brought this specialty to the forefront.
MeritCare's team has clearly met the need, expanding from two ID specialists a decade ago to six today. Serving a large region with a population of one million, they diagnose and treat the gamut of infectious diseases including a few that might surprise you: dengue fever, malaria and leprosy.
"We have an extensive depth of training and expertise in infectious diseases and infection control, and this allows us to take a serious, proactive approach to current issues such as H1N1," says
Dr. Paul Carson, physician leader of MeritCare's ID team. "Rather than reacting, we're well-prepared and ready to run with what this year's flu season brings. That should be reassuring to patients and physicians throughout the region."
Meet MeritCare's ID team
- Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalaf: Trained at the University of Chicago, Dr. Alkhalaf joined MeritCare in 2005. He's board certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and is interested in the broad range of infectious diseases.
- Dr. Augusto Alonto: Trained at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Dr. Alonto joined MeritCare in 2006. He's board certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and has special interests in infection control and HIV.
- Dr. Paul Carson: Trained at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Carson joined MeritCare in 1996. He's board certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and has a special interest in research, specifically West Nile virus and MRSA.
- Dr. David McNamara: Trained at Mayo, Dr. McNamara joined MeritCare in 2006. He's board certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, and has special interests in cystic fibrosis, orthopedic infections, and travel medicine.
- Dr. Nadia Sam-Agudu: Trained at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Sam-Agudu joined MeritCare Children's last year. She's board certified in pediatrics and recently completed her fellowship training. Her special interest is infectious diseases in children.
- Dr. Gino Tapia-Zagarra: Trained at Mayo, Dr. Tapia-Zagarra joined MeritCare in 2009. He's board certified in internal medicine and recently completed his fellowship training. He is interested in the broad range of infectious diseases.
Steps toward pandemic preparedness
Since 2003, when the threat of
avian (bird) flu emerged, MeritCare has taken significant steps toward preparing for a possible pandemic. "We've already laid the groundwork, which has prepared us well for similar potential epidemics such as SARS or H1N1 influenza," says Dr. Carson.
Among the steps MeritCare has taken:
- Ongoing preparedness meetings internally and with others in the community and region.
- Offering of seasonal flu shots for those at high risk of developing complications from the flu.
- Working with the communities we serve to offer H1N1 flu shots (available soon). We will be doing limited vaccinations in our clinics initially and the process is variable system wide.
- Preparation for a potential surge of influenza cases.
- Access to accurate, up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control, local and state health departments, and other reliable sources; an H1N1 icon on all MeritCare desktops makes it easy for staff to view the most current recommendations.
In the weeks ahead, MeritCare will continue to prepare for the 2009-2010 flu season. And your role? It bears repeating:
- Get your flu shot.
- Wash your hands.
- Cover your cough.
- Stay home when you're sick.
- Avoid contact with persons who are ill.
- Keep tabs on the latest information from reliable sources.
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