To address challenges in health-crisis communication, Cornell University’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health has developed a two-day training program for New York State health officials and first responders. The course, launched in June 2024, focuses on improving crisis messaging, particularly in the face of misinformation.
Led by Cornell Cooperative Extension and other departments, the program helps participants develop key skills, including managing social media misinformation, responding to public outrage, and building stakeholder partnerships. “The pandemic revealed gaps in communication, especially with the politicization of health messaging,” said Danielle Eiseman, who developed the course materials.
A second training session is scheduled for October 2024, with growing interest from agencies statewide. The program features hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios, such as responding to meningitis outbreaks and playground contamination.
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