Dr. Patricia Quinlisk initially thought about becoming a forest ranger. Then a change in her studies led her to work as a microbiologist in Nepal with the Peace Corps and ultimately into the field of public health. Today, she is one of the most visible faces of the Iowa Department of Public Health, serving as Medical Director and State Epidemiologist.
Nepal RPCV Patricia Quinlisk, state epidemiologist with the Iowa Department of Public Health , says her experience helps in H1N1 battle
Patricia Quinlisk's experience helps in H1N1 battle
By ESTELA VILLANUEVA-WHITMAN • Register Correspondent • October 7, 2009
Dr. Patricia Quinlisk initially thought about becoming a forest ranger. Then a change in her studies led her to work as a microbiologist in Nepal with the Peace Corps and ultimately into the field of public health. Today, she is one of the most visible faces of the Iowa Department of Public Health, serving as Medical Director and State Epidemiologist.
Q: What's your role as state epidemiologist?
A: I do a lot of consulting, policy making and education. Physicians and nurses call me on the phone, but I almost never see a patient. However, I may sign a standing order, for example, to give ill Iowans anti-viral H1N1 flu medicine, should it come to that. In reality, I may end up having more people treated under my name than other doctors.
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I am also a professor at several universities, serve on several national science committees, work with the media and conduct research.
Q: What have been the top health issues you've addressed?
A: Right now it's H1N1. Mumps was big three years ago and had a lot of the same issues as H1N1. There were a lot of things we learned that we are putting into effect right now with H1N1.
Measles was another situation that took a lot of work, and when I first came to Iowa 15 years ago, there were huge outbreaks of hepatitis A. That was complicated by hepatitis A being spread in restaurants and then the concern that it might be in some strawberries served to children via school lunch programs.
Q: What's been the most challenging part of addressing the H1N1 virus?
A: Last spring, when it first hit Iowa, information about H1N1 was rolling out and changing so fast, it was difficult to keep up and change how we responded. Sometimes we'd still be proofreading a document prior to release to the public and a new recommendation would come in and change what we had just looked at. It made things operationally difficult.
This fall, a lot of that very steep learning curve is over. We've known all summer that it (the H1N1 flu) was probably going to come back, so we spent the summer getting prepared. It's not nearly as stressful and demanding as it was in the spring, but we really haven't gotten going yet. Once the H1N1 vaccine is available, we will be challenged with new problems and will need to find new solutions.
