Agenda: This conference will be a one-day event, featuring invited speakers who work at the state and local levels in disaster preparedness, followed by panel discussions that focus on specific areas of need that emerge from conference presentations. We seek a broad range of attendees so that we can develop as complete a picture as possible of the needs and resources we have available for mothers and babies in Hampton Roads in the event that serious storms or other events strike southeastern Virginia.

Date, Time and Location: The conference will be held Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 9am till 3pm with continental breakfast and lunch provided. The conference will be held at VMASC (Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center), 1030 University Blvd, Suffolk, VA.

Special Invited Speakers: Dr William Gill; pediatrician and neonatologist, Tulane University Medical Center. Dr Gill oversaw the operation of the Tulane NICU during hurricane Katrina and will share his insights with conference attendees.

Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz, Deputy Commissioner, Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs, Virginia Dept of Health. Dr. Kaplowitz will discuss what the Commonwealth is doing to prepare to respond to emergencies related to public health.

Registration and information: Please contact one of the conference organizers listed below so that we have an accurate head-count for the conference. We request that you sign-up by Monday, April 21, 2008 so that arrangements can be made for lunch.

 Dr Christopher Osgood, Dept. Biological Sciences, ODU: cosgood@odu.edu
 Dr Kate Ferguson, Office of Research, ODU: kferguso@odu.edu