# 783
Next week the HHS (Department of Health & Human Services) will launch a five-week long Internet blog summit on pandemic influenza. Think of this as an extended virtual town-hall meeting on how we, as a nation, can best prepare for a pandemic.
I'll let the organizers of this event describe it for my readers.
What is the purpose of the Department of Health and Human Services’ campaign for pandemic preparedness?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is engaging national leaders across business, health care, faith-based and civic sectors in an effort to communicate the importance of individual preparedness for pandemic flu and the unique and important role employers, faith leaders, civic leaders and health care providers have in encouraging other people to prepare.
These national leaders are coming together via two events: 1) the Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog and 2) the Pandemic Influenza Leadership Forum. The Leadership Forum is a one-day conference to be held on June 13th in Washington, DC. In the weeks leading up to and following the Forum, the five-week-long blog summit will take place online to provide participating leaders with an opportunity to have a conversation about pandemic preparedness with the broader public.
Why a blog summit?
HHS recognizes that the conversation about individual preparedness for pandemic flu must extend beyond the gathering in Washington, DC and that, in fact, it already has – with the vibrant conversation about pandemic flu that is underway within social media, in which many individuals and leaders already participate.
The HHS has gathered roughly a dozen leaders from various sectors of our nation to write weekly blogs on pandemic preparedness. Each week, a new topic will be introduced. Visitors to the summit site will be able to make comments, or ask questions, and the bloggers will be able to respond.
This will not only be an opportunity to hear what other people are thinking, and doing, about pandemic preparation, it will be your chance to have your voice heard.
I've been asked to participate as one of the bloggers in this novel experiment, and it is my hope that all of my readers will take time to regularly visit the summit, and take part in this important dialog.
Details, including the url where the summit will be held, have not yet been released. I will update you as I learn more.
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