This week I’m out of the office…but hard at work.

I’ve taken on the role of Lead PIO (Public Information Officer) for the H1N1 JIC (Joint Information Center). I assure you, the world of government — much like the Red Cross — has a billion acronyms. Knowing what they mean makes us feel special.

Essentially, my role is to take media calls, put out press releases and update this website, which acts as a centralized clearing point for communicators within our region (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties…with a little help from Columbia and Clark).

By having centralized information, it ensures that when any PIO speaks with reporters, they are using the same numbers, data, language, stats, etc. In a time where info about the flu can change on a day-by-day basis, consistency is key.

If you’d like a behind-the-scenes look at the online resource for communicators, go here.

If you just want to know more about the flu in Oregon, go here.

If you want to know the weirdest, wackiest (okay, just most common) questions about the flu coming in this week, go here.