(August 20, 2009)

CDC Policy Guidance for H1N1 for the Higher Education Community

On August 20, ACHA President, Jim Turner, MD, and other ACHA members participated in a US Department of Education conference call regarding H1N1 flu guidance for colleges and universities. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius both participated in the call and acknowledged Dr. Turner and the important work of ACHA in responding to the H1N1 virus. Below you will find a follow-up email with important links regarding policy guidelines for the H1N1 virus and its impact on the higher education community.

From: Stratman-Krusemark, Karen
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 3:37 PM
Subject: CDC Issues Higher Ed H1N1 Guidance

Dear Colleagues,
For those of you who were able to do so, thank you for your participation on the call this afternoon regarding H1N1 flu preparations and the dissemination of available policy guidance. It is likely that additional calls on a regular basis may be necessary as we move forward in dealing with this critical issue.

Policy guidance is now available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the H1N1 virus and its impact on the higher education community. You will find it here: www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredguidance.html

(Because the guidance may change as the situation changes, we’re sharing the URL where the guidance will always live on flu.gov, rather than a static attachment.)

CDC has also created a health-focused toolkit for colleges and universities, located here: www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredtoolkit.html

The Department of Education’s online flu resources for the education community can always be found here: www.ed.gov/h1n1flu

As you know, timely dissemination of information is an absolute necessity at this point, and we could not do this effectively without you. Thank you in advance for your efforts in disseminating all of this new information to your constituencies.

Should you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to call on me or other members of our interagency team. We look forward to our continued work with you. Thank you for helping to keep students, and the adults who work with them, safe, healthy and engaged in learning.

Sincerely,

Massie Ritsch
Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach
U.S. Department of Education
(202) 260-2671

Karen Stratman-Krusemark
Associations Liaison
U.S. Department of Education
(202) 401-2559