University, medical center to train doctors on bioterrorism - Knoxville, Tenn - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Dec 20, 2001

KNOXVILLE, TENN.

Emergency-room doctors have little information to help them diagnose and treat people infected with sicknesses spread by bioterrorism, so the University of Tennessee and Detroit Medical Center are offering their assistance.

An online training program beginning this month will help bolster doctors' knowledge as worries about bioterrorism increase because of the attacks in September and anthrax scares.

"Our partnership is in direct response to physicians in smaller systems and hospitals across the country who have been asking for the opportunity to hear how high-volume emergency centers are establishing the best practice models," says Dr. Arthur T. Porter, the medical center's president and chief executive.

The online bioterrorism intervention training program will begin Dec. 4 through the university's online Physician Executive MBA training.

More than 3,000 doctors are expected to participate in the interactive forums over the next four months, university officials said.

The program will consist of 90, one-hour sessions conducted via the Internet and taught by top emergency medical practitioners from the Detroit Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Participants will talk about the lack of information on diagnosis and treatment of exposure to bioterrorism agents and about the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on potential problems.

The program is flee to doctors with sponsorships from UT and the medical center.

Detroit Medical Center has eight Michigan hospitals and averages more than 175,000 emergency room visits per year.

The University of Tennessee's Office of Distance Education and Independent Study leads the nation in providing online physician education via interactive audio and data.