Corenet seminar puts the focus on pandemic planning.

CoreNet Global New York City Chapter recently took a strong leadership position with regard to disseminating information on pandemic planning for a potential outbreak of Avian flu, a need government and health agencies deem "critical".

The association hosted a breakfast on September 13 which featured experts in healthcare planning, medical preparedness and business continuity.

"Based on our research, pandemic planning is a high priority for the corporate real estate and workplace professionals our association serves," said NYC Chapter chair Suzanne Heidelberger, director of real estate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

"The program shed light on the complexity of planning for Avian flu, which requires a new, never before addressed, approach to crisis management."

The event's speakers were Dr. Avram Nemetz, medical director, Affiliated Physicians; Jeffrey A. Kraut, senior vice president, Strategic Planning and Marketing, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System; and Daniel Gonnella and Patrick Alesi, vice presidents and co-managers, Business Continuity Planning, Lehman Brothers. Peter Tuffey, director of security, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, served as moderator.

Dr. Nemetz presented information on the influenza virus, what it does, how it changes and develops, why there is such concern about the Avian flu virus and how companies can provide a corporate medical response.

Based on "knowing what's going to happen" (referencing the 1918-19 Spanish flu as well as a simulation of an outbreak in the U.S.), Kraut provided an in-depth overview of Metro New York Area capabilities for dealing with a possible Avian flu epidemic. His information included the number of available hospital beds, population figures, the number of people who would be expected to be taken ill, length of hospital stay and other statistics and projections.

"Even now, there is no capacity for more patients," said Kraut. "If it happens tomorrow, the system will collapse." For the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Kraut has built what he called "a command center" which includes the first private hospital in the county's purchase of 100-bed "portable hospitals".

Gonnella and Alesi did an in-depth presentation of Lehman Brothers business continuity operating plan and how that plan will accommodate a pandemic. Much of the plan's focus is on providing the ability to work from remote locations.

Should person to person transmission of Avian flu become reality, predictions are that it will hit in waves around the globe. Thus, business continuity plans are seeking ways to stay ahead of its transmission while dealing with workforces projected to be reduced by 40-50%.

Gonnella said pandemic planning "requires thinking outside of the box because we tend to plan for what hurt us the most the last time." One example of how pandemics are different from other emergencies is, according to Gonnella, "With a pandemic, you don't want to reward people for coming to work."