Welcome  to  the  public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. If  and  when  a  pandemic  flu  strikes, local  governments  will  be  better prepared  to  deal  with  it  thanks  to  planning efforts  at  the  University  of  Minnesota's Center  for  Infectious  Disease  Research  and  Policy. According  to  the  University's  Jill  Bore, the  initiative  will  identify the  most  problematic  issues  state  and  local  agencies may  confront  in  a  pandemic  and  then collect  and  disseminate  options  for  addressing  them. The  planning  landscape  is  huge. There's  so  much  to  be  done  in  so  many  areas  for  planning. Pandemic  influenza  is  unique from  other  emergency  planning  because  of the  long  duration  of  the  event and  the  fact  that  it  will  happen  everywhere  at  once. Deboer  says  the  project in  collaboration  with  the  Pew  Charitable  Trusts, we'll  focus  on  three  key  areas. We're  looking  in  the  areas  of  changing  models  for health  care  communication  and education  to  the  general  public. And  then  disease  containment  strategies. Bore  says  this  initiative  will  also  provide a  framework  for  dealing  with  other  emergencies, with  another  public  health  moment. I'm  John  Finnegan.