By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

OVER 60 staff members of the Department of Public Health and the Commonwealth Health Center attended a pandemic flu risk communication workshop at the Pacific Islands Club yesterday.
The participants heared from a psychologist and a media affairs officer how to deal with the press and stressed-out people in times of crisis.
Dr. Kendall Gladding, a psychologist with the Community Guidance Center, discussed the “psychology of crisis,” and she shared some ideas about what people go through emotionally in a very stressful situation.
She talked about the emotional state of anxious individuals, and how to communicate with them effectively and clearly.
Former TV reporter Pamela Mathis, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. spokeswoman, discussed how to deal with reporters, not only in times of crisis but in all circumstances.
She said while the healthcare providers’ mission is prevention, the media seek the truth for publication or broadcast.
In times of crisis, however, the two should share a common mission, and that is minimizing harm, Mathis said.
“Our job is to immediately convey prevention messages and to make sure that our audience knows we are managing and in control of any crisis,” she said. “We must understand the urgency of public protection without causing a panic.”
Responding to a question about reporters wanting to talk to hospital patients, Mathis, said government offices should not limit the number of its officials who can talk to the media.
She said reporters must also tell stories about “real people.”
“Who can they interview besides the public health secretary and a doctor? Give them a patient, a family member, or one of your community team members,” Mathis said.
Public Health Deputy Secretary Lyn Tenorio said reporters should always cooperate with Public Health authorities when dealing with patients due to confidentiality and privacy issues that the journalism code of ethics recognizes.
She said they may limit the “parameter of questions” that reporters may ask a patient who may not have the ability to handle certain questions.
Included in the workshop kit provided to participants was a risk communication guide.
The workshop featured a mock interview involving questions the media are likely to ask.
All the participants responded to questions “exceptionally well,”, Mathis said.
Public Health public information officer Roxanne Diaz said the workshop taught them how to effectively communicate in times of crisis when people are under emotional stress.
The other workshop speakers were Public health medical director Dr. Richard Brostrom and epidemiologist Edwards Diaz who gave an overview of the CNMI’s pandemic flu plan.
The workshop aimed to provide participants with a basic understanding of the concepts, principles and process of risk communication; give them essential knowledge, tools, and techniques needed for clear, effective communications, information dissemination and message delivery; provide them with a brief perspective on the psychology of a crisis; provide them with a brief orientation and on the media and their role in crisis; give them basic knowledge of the incident command system and the joint information center and its role during a crisis; have them practice communication strategies; and provide them with an overview of the CNMI’s pandemic flu plan.