Konop, TFP contributor collaborate to help local businesses plan for H1N1 Flu
Written by Toledo Free Press Writers | | tfpwriters@toledofreepress.comOn May 10, Lucas County Commissioner and Toledo mayoral candidate Ben Konop will partner with Tricia
Taylor, an area health care analyst who has developed a program to determine a pandemic’s potential economic impact on a small business. Konop and Taylor, who authored the May 3 Toledo Free Press cover story on H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu), will discuss the preparedness program in a news conference at 3 p.m. in the One Government Center lobby.
“Given the tough economy we’re already facing, small businesses may be well advised to take the necessary steps to stave off further financial damage from a pandemic like swine flu,” Commissioner Konop said in a news release. “While we have been fortunate thus far to avoid a swine flu outbreak, Ms. Taylor has constructed a solid, helpful plan for our smaller businesses to follow in the event swine flu works its way into Lucas County.”
Taylor, a former television journalist, participated in studies while attending the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health that evaluated the potential economic impact of a pandemic flu on Wood County and on families in Ohio living in poverty. She has since developed a PowerPoint presentation and tool kit to help small businesses learn which aspects of their operations could be affected by a swine flu pandemic, calculate the financial impact of a pandemic, and formulate a reaction plan.
“There are plenty of resources for large businesses, health care related businesses, and government agencies that will deal directly with sick people during a pandemic,” Taylor said. “However, the resources for small, family-owned businesses are scarce. A large company employs HR and financial professionals who can do this assessment. Small businesses do not, but this tool kit will show them how to figure out, step by step, what the financial impact could be so they can make appropriate decisions.”
According to the release, Konop has worked with the Lucas County Improvement Corp. to provide Taylor’s program and tool kits to interested small businesses. The commissioner is encouraging local businesses to contact the LCIC to learn more.
