Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

If you're looking for answers to questions about swine flu, Wednesday is your day.

Governor Carcieri and the R.I. Department of Health have teamed up with the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association for a four-hour effort to spread information about the illness and the vaccine against it.

First, from 4 to 7 p.m., 20 knowledgeable people selected by the Health Department will answer phones at the Rhode Island PBS studios. The number to call is (401) 222-8012.

While the phone bank is going on, television reporters will be at the station for occasional live broadcasts.

Then, at 7 p.m., a 60-minute panel discussion titled "H1N1 -- Swine Flu: What You Need to Know" will be broadcast live on television station WSBE Rhode Island PBS; and transmitted on cable: Cox News Channel 5; Cox Channel 810 and 881; and Verizon FIOS 460 and Channel 14.

Moderated by former TV anchorman Dave Layman, the 7 p.m. panel will feature Dr. David Gifford and Dr. Robert S. Crausman of the state Health Department; Dr. Elizabeth B. Lange, a pediatrician and Rhode Island chapter president of the American Academy of Pediatrics; and Dr. Nicole Alexander, pediatric infectious disease expert at Hasbro Children's Hospital.

The program will also stream live on local television stations' Web sites and will be re-broadcast on various channels over the next few weeks, including at 2 p.m. Saturday on Channel 12, WPRI, and Channel 64 Fox Providence.

The Health Department's existing H1N1 information line -- (401) 222-8022 -- will continue to operate during its usual hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Health Department also publishes information about the virus on its Web site. Projo.com also has a variety of resources, as well as the latest news, about the swine flu on its projo.com/health page, including a chat with RI Health Director David Gifford.

 Tags  Rhode Island Broadcasters Association RI Health Department swine flu

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