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Embargo: All presentations embargoed until date and time of oral presentation April 20, 2001 Press ReleaseCDC conference lets investigators share first look at perplexing health concerns Protecting health-care workers from Ebola, making pork barbecues safer and asking why America's children don't ride bikes to school are just three of 80 investigations conducted by CDC's current Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers who will present their scientific work at the annual EIS Conference, April 23-27, in Atlanta. The five-day conference allows CDC's disease detectives to share their original research and investigations of the previous year, which span the nation and the globe. The 2001 EIS Conference captures an array of puzzling health issues investigated by some of the nation's top health professionals. "The EIS program helps protect Americans from health threats of all kinds, and the type of investigations being presented this year continues this 50-year tradition," said CDC Director Jeffrey P. Koplan, M.D., and former EIS officer. "Public health is about every person, no matter their age, economic status, or lifestyle. Using science and shoe leather, CDC's EIS officers find the answers to perplexing health problems for individuals and communities." The following are some of the presentations scheduled for next week:
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) was founded at the CDC in 1951. That year, 22 young physicians and one sanitary engineer signed on as EIS Officers at CDC, where they received several weeks of instruction in epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health administration and then served for 2 years as field epidemiologists, either at CDC or in state health departments. EIS has been in operation since then, and as the purview of CDC expanded beyond infectious diseases, so have the size and composition of EIS and the training of EIS officers. Public health surveillance, outbreak investigations, and research on the epidemiology of new diseases remain standard activities. EIS now has more than 2,000 alumni, including nearly 200 scientists from abroad. Many alumni have moved on to distinguished careers in academia, industry, and clinical practice, but many others have filled key positions at federal and state public health agencies. Trained to consider diseases as problems of populations, EIS alumni remain a valuable resource when disease outbreaks occur. Headquartered at CDC, EIS is a unique 2-year, post-graduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the practice of epidemiology. Every year, CDC selects 60-80 persons from among the nation's top health professionals to enter the EIS and pursue on-the-job training in applied epidemiologic skills--skills vital to maintenance of public health. EIS Officers continue to play a major role in the implementation of CDC's mission of preventing disease and injury and promoting healthful lifestyles. EIS officers serve in a variety of locations, including field assignment to state and local health departments and headquarters assignment to the centers, institutes, and offices of the CDC. Although international work may be part of any EIS assignment, no 2-year assignment is based outside the United States. Each year, approximately 25 percent of incoming EIS Officers are assigned directly to state or local health departments. The other 75 percent of officers are assigned to CDC headquarters. For more information about the EIS program, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dapht/eis/index.htm. The CDC protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes health living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations. ### Note to Reporters: To attend the conference and to arrange for interviews with current and former EIS officers, media should call (404) 639-3286. |
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