From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (7/04)
CDC Information Channels

For associations and individual clinicians/practitioners:

Electronic information channels (email bulletins)

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series (MMWR weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries) is available electronically. Individuals and associations can register for this service at the MMWR website. For the immediate release of important public health information, MMWR publishes MMWR Dispatches on the web outside of the routine weekly publication schedule. Reports published electronically or updates of those reports will be included in the weekly printed issue of MMWR. Those who have registered to receive MMWR electronically automatically receive notices of MMWR Dispatches.

The Public Health Training Network (PHTN): http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn
The Public Health Training Network (PHTN) website is a national clearinghouse for distance-based training opportunities in public health. The PHTN provides links to on-line courses, testing and evaluation, most of which are eligible for continuing education credit. Archives of CDC programs that have been broadcast via satellite or Internet are also available on the PHTN website. Through the PHTN Partners listserv, CDC announces most of the training opportunities found on the website. The PHTN Partners listserv is available to both associations and individual practitioners. To register for the listserv, please contact Charlotte Duggan, Director of Field Operations at dlc@cdc.gov

Topic-specific information channels: http://www.cdc.gov/subscribe.html
The following topic-specific CDC mailing lists are available to individuals and associations: Alertas y últimas noticias de CDC En Español (Listserv); Ambulatory Care List (ACList); Birth Publications List; CDC Public Health Law News (Weekly): Emerging Infectious Diseases, A Journal (Table of Contents only); Geographic Information Systems-Public Health GIS Users Group; Health United States (HUS); Healthy Women: State Trends in Health and Mortality List; HIV/AIDS Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Releases; HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report Updates; HIV/AIDS Publications Updates; HIV/AIDS Basis Statistics Updates; HIV/AIDS Slide Set Updates; HIV/AIDS Conference & Training Updates; HIV Counseling & Testing in Publicly Funded Sites; Hospital Discharge and Ambulatory Surgery Data List (HDAS-DATA); ICF Clearinghouse List; Long-Term Care List; Minority Health Statistics Grants Program; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) researchers; National HIV Serosurveillance Summary; NCHS Media Listserv; NCIPC News & Announcements; NIOSH e-News; Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD); Statistical Export and Tabulation System (SETS) List; SLAITS

For associations:

Electronic information channels (email bulletins)

Health Alert Network (HAN)
The Health Alert Network (HAN) is a nationwide information and communications system that distributes health alerts as well as disease prevention guidelines to State and local health departments, national public health associations, professional and academic clinician organizations, and other groups involved in public health preparedness. These organizations in turn decide whether to distribute the HAN information further to their members and constituents. HAN also distributes information regarding distance learning, national disease surveillance, electronic laboratory reporting, and CDC's bioterrorism and related initiatives to strengthen preparedness at the local and state levels.

HAN network communications are classified as follows:
(1) Health Alerts convey the highest level of importance; warrant immediate action of attention
(2) Health Advisories provide important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action.
(3) Health Updates provide updated information regarding an incident or situation; no immediate action necessary.

Access to HAN network communication is controlled. A maximum of 2 representatives for each group are identified as the points of contact to whom electronic HAN communications are sent. Contact: Mike Smilely, MRP; Public Health Advisor, Health Alert Network; Phone # (770) 488-2869 Fax# (770) 488-8300 ; E-Mail: znr6@cdc.gov

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)
The Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity is an initiative that is aimed specifically at clinician organizations and their members. Eighty-eight associations, including the American Medical Association, medical specialty societies, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, and national health plans participate in this 2-way communication effort. Monthly conference calls are scheduled on emerging health issues, including potential weapons of mass destruction. (Topics to date have included SARS, anthrax, and botulism) Subject matter experts present information on the conference calls and are available to respond to questions from the participating associations. Summaries of the calls, including the questions and answers, are circulated to the COCA contacts at each of the 88 associations after the calls. The associations decide whether and how to disseminate the information that was presented during the conference calls to association staff and/or to their members. COCA calls are also a venue in which the 88 partner organizations can express the needs and concerns of their clinician members. This two-way communication allows for rapid dispersal of information and helps ensure that CDC addresses the needs identified by clinicians. All COCA associations have been registered to receive electronic HAN communications. To register associations, contact Dan Baden, M.D. at 404-639-1795 or aix2@cdc.gov

For individual practitioners/clinicians:

Electronic information channels (email bulletins)

Clinician Registry for Terrorism and Emergency Response Updates and Training Opportunities: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/clinregistry/
The Clinician Registry for Terrorism and Emergency Response Updates and Training Opportunities is a system through which CDC informs clinicians of recent changes to information on smallpox, SARS, and other related health issues. CDC also uses the registry to announce new training opportunities for clinicians related to terrorism and emergency response topics. Subscribers to this registry receive the same information as is available through COCA and provides clinicians with real-time information to help them prepare for/respond to terrorism and other such emergency events. Approximately 45,000 clinicians have registered for this service. As of June 2004, nearly 1.8 million messages have been distributed via the registry. Registration is available at their website.

Telephone Hotlines:
CDC currently has ~40-45 different operation hotlines that are topic-specific. The CDC is in the process of compiling the information for these lines into a comprehensive listing that is expected to be complete within the next two years.

Clinician Information Line (CIL): 877-554-4625
CIL is a 24/7 telephone response system. Although established initially to respond to clinicians' questions regarding smallpox, smallpox vaccine, and adverse events following smallpox vaccination, the CIL has been expanded to provide clinicians with the same services for 8 other emergent diseases and terrorism agents (SARS, West Nile Virus, Influenza, Avian influenza, ricin, radiation, anthrax, and chlorine). Since its inception in January 2003, the CIL has handled approximately 7000 clinician calls. Questions that cannot be answered by those answering the calls are forwarded to other experts, as well as to the appropriate State Health Departments.