**1. CINDY MANNES, director of public affairs at the NATIONAL PEST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (NPMA), a non-profit organization of professional pest management companies, can provide useful comments on- and off-camera and supportive information on the serious pest-related issues that are sure to become problems in areas flooded by Rita and Katrina: "Increased mosquitoes, rats, snakes, spiders and other pests are not only a nuisance, but serious health hazards as well, and NPMA experts are ready to discuss all aspects of these pests and the efforts the pest management industry are making in combating them."

**2. LINDA ROSENBERG, MSW, CSW, president and CEO of the NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, is available to discuss the specific mental health challenges faced by communities in responding to disasters. Rosenberg leads the National Council in advocating for federal legislation, policies and regulations that expand access to care, promote quality mental health and substance abuse services and ensure available, adequate funding. She also oversees the provision of education and technical assistance for financing, management and business practices, as well as in clinical interventions, workforce development, continuous quality improvement processes and the application of information technology.

**1. RALPH A. TRIPP, Ph.D., professor of the department of infectious diseases at the UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA College of Veterinary Medicine: “With the emergence of avian influenza virus H5N1 (flu) in Southeast Asia, there is an imminent threat to human health if the avian flu strain acquires the ability to spread easily from person to person. There are currently no vaccines to protect from avian flu, and drug treatment options are limited due to substantial drug resistance. By harnessing the power of RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically and effectively silence influenza virus replication, we are developing new and powerful anti-viral drugs that may be applied to avian flu disease intervention strategies.�

**2. HEALTH: HISPANICS AND THEIR USE OF HOSPICE CARE. FREDDIE NEGRON, M.D., medical director for VITAS INNOVATIVE HOSPICE CARE's Miami/Dade program, and JUSTO CISNEROS, M.D., medical director for VITAS' San Antonio program, can discuss the reasons why Hispanics often overlook the benefit of hospice care, and what's being done nationwide to educate this population on the advantages of hospice when patients near the end of life: "More people know about hospice and use hospice services than ever before," said Negron. "Still, a disproportionate number of American minorities are not receiving appropriate end-of-life care." Negron and Cisneros can conduct interviews in English or Spanish.

**3. HEALTH: AFRICAN-AMERICANS’ RELUCTANCE TO USE HOSPICE SERVICES. WILLIAM JOHNSON, M.D., director for VITAS INNOVATIVE HOSPICE CARE's Chicago program, can discuss the reasons why African-Americans are reluctant to use hospice services: "Less than 10 percent of hospice services nationwide are provided to African-American patients." Johnson can speak to VITAS' efforts to work with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to improve access to, and quality of, end-of-life care for African-Americans. The program's “One Thousand Churches Connected� educates their members about hospice care.

**4. HEALTH: WHY DON'T JEWS USE HOSPICE SERVICES? BARRY KINZBRUNNER, M.D., FACP, SVP, and chief medical officer for VITAS INNOVATIVE HOSPICE CARE, co- wrote “The Jewish Hospice Manual,� a 137-page guide for end-of-life care for Jewish patients and families: "Jewish patients are often reluctant to take advantage of the services a hospice program has to offer. The reasons are a combination of Jewish attitudes toward death and misapprehension about the ideas and practices that hospice represents. Judaism has never glorified death or exalted martyrdom. Jews have never denied death, but have strenuously combated it."

**5. HEALTH INSURANCE: ORGANIZATIONS ARE EMBRACING CONSUMER-DRIVEN HEALTH CARE. J. SCOTT SPIKER, CEO of DESTINY HEALTH: "We are encouraged to see organizations like PricewaterhouseCoopers and the CEOs they surveyed coming around to our way of thinking. We couldn't agree more that the most promising option for reducing corporate health care cost increases is to provide better financial incentives and information for employees to lead healthier lifestyles. We've been doing that all along and we have a great deal of insight to share on the topic."

**6. PUBLIC HEALTH: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION MUST BE PASSED. LEANA S. WEN, national president of the AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION: "The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (S.1197) will reauthorize the provisions of the current legislation, which expired on Sept. 30. It provides funding, as well as additional provisions, for education of health care workers and bolsters support for victims from minority communities. Physicians-in-training are in a unique position to address domestic violence. As the next generation of physicians, we believe it is necessary for a national commitment on this issue to show that medical education should include training for handling domestic violence cases.�

**7. SEXUAL HEALTH: PATIENTS NEED TO DISCUSS SEXUAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR DOCTORS. ANITA CLAYTON, M.D., professor and vice chair of psychiatric medicine at the UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HEALTH SYSTEM: "Nearing middle age, men’s biggest sexual concern is difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. For women, the biggest concern is low desire or difficulty with sexual arousal, aggravated by the responsibilities of caring for children, which often does not weigh on married men or single, childless women. Although it won't always be a chandelier-hanging escapade, most people can have a lifetime of pleasure. As many as 54 percent of women and 35 percent of men have problems, but fewer than 11 percent of men and 21 percent of women seek help. Likewise, many physicians don’t ask about sexual problems. Patients need to bring up the subject."

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