Health Secretary Supports Building
State-wide Alert Network
BALTIMORE, MD -- Maryland's largest physician organization is calling on every
physician in the state to get connected to
an e-mail public health and terror response information network, a move
strongly supported by health officials.
MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, which
already distributes instant messages to nearly 4,000 physicians
state-wide, seeks to connect with the rest for purposes of public health
alerts and links to on-line health resources.
"MedChi's e-mail list is the only vehicle for
communicating instantly with large numbers of physicians," said
Hilary O'Herlihy, M.D, the medical society's past president. "The threat
of a biological weapons strike makes this a critical tool for
communicating public health information to physicians and their patients
instantly and accurately."
To join the e-mail list please
complete the form below. If you have any questions about
the list serve contact Joyce
Duffy-Bilanow at jduffy-bilanow@medchi.org or call her at
1-800-492-1056, ext. 351.
First Name
Last Name
Middle Initial
Title (Mr., Ms., and
professional title, i.e. M.D.)
Work Phone
Fax
E-mail
With the threat of biological terror attacks
increasing, the medical society has been working closely with the state
health department to distribute information to physicians. The messages so
far have offered resources to educate physicians and their patients about
diagnosis and treatment of potential biological agents, and sought to
discourage overuse of antibiotics.
"Joining and using this e-mail network is one
of the most important steps a physician can take to help Maryland
strengthen its public health and terror response system," said
Maryland's chief health officer, Dr. Georges Benjamin, Secretary of the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "I am grateful to MedChi's
physicians for this initiative and for their help throughout this
crisis."
MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, based
in Baltimore, is a private, non-profit association of physicians,
representing more than 6,000 of the state's 10,000 practicing physicians.
