The search for a new Health Center director has been delayed temporarily while the University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which operates the Health Center and employs its staff, remain busy treating students for the flu, according to Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer.There have been a total of 81 cases of the flu so far, and Sawyer said the treatment for these students has "just been really time-consuming."

Health Center Nursing Director and Co-Administrator Kathleen Maloney retired in the early summer after working at the Health Center for 11 years, Health Center Medical Director Dr. Debra Poaster wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

Sawyer said the University expected a new director by August to help with what it anticipated to be a semi-crisis concerning the H1N1 virus.

He added that while it is disappointing to not yet have a new director, the school and Health Center were "well prepared" to deal with flu cases and that the situation "doesn't feel like a crisis."

Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 said he is facilitating the committee by communicating with the Department of Stduent Life but will not interview the candidates.

He said that the first interview was supposed to take place last week but did not happen as coordination between the University and Beth Israel did not follow through.

Sawyer said that Beth Israel will screen the medical experience and skills of the candidates.

The candidates will then come to the University for an interview to see how they get along with members of the Brandeis community and to see if the fit is right.

"I am certain, via conversations over the summer, that there has been interest by candidates, and initial screening. There was a candidate scheduled to come to campus a couple of weeks ago, but the visit was cancelled," Sawyer wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

"It is possible we could have a candidate to meet any time," he wrote.

"Everyone at the Health Center has pitched in to extend themselves so that students remain well cared for," wrote Poaster in an e-mail to the Justice.

Sawyer said that the new director will ideally have clinical and management experience like Maloney, who managed the Health Center and served as a nurse practitioner.

"We were blessed to have Kathleen Maloney with us for so long," Sawyer said.

Poaster and Maloney served as co-directors in the past, and now Poaster is in charge and filling in some of Maloney's roles, such as attending meetings and spending more time in the Health Center, Sawyer said.

Hogan said he selected a student search committee for the new director and gave priority to those who serve on the Health Center advisory committee.

The students on the committee are: Julia Rabkin '11, Jordan Caruso '11 and Alexandra Kriss '11. Student Union Treasurer Daniel Acheampong '11 and Daniel Litwok '10, the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps' director of operations, are also on the committee.

Litwok said that he works with Poaster who is also the medical director for BEMCo, and did that he did not have much interaction with Maloney.

"I hope that the individual selected as director will serve as an effective and compassionate manager who is sensitive to student needs, just as [Maloney] did in her time at Brandeis," Litwok wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

"In terms of the specifics of the position, I do not have any comments, since this position does not directly interact with my organization," Litwok wrote.

The students on the search committee should determine the candidates' commitment and energy, what it would be like to interact with them on health issues and the candidates' level of understanding about Brandeis and college life, Sawyer said.

Acheampong said he wanted to be on the committee after reading about the spread of H1N1 in countries with cold climates.

He added that was also concerned about how the Health Center would handle the situation and therefore wanted to involved in the selection process.

Acheampong said that he spoke to Hogan over the summer about preventative measures the school could take with regard to the flu.

"It is important for students to have a voice in any selection process," Acheampong said. He added that it is especially important to interview administrators who students will work with in the long run.

Sawyer added that an H1N1 vaccine should arrive in the next two weeks, and students will be instructed on how it will be administered.

He said the University will receive the vaccine free from the United States government but that there might be an associated charge if the University has to pay additional people to administer it.

"I hope enough people get the vaccine that it will at least knock out the spreadability [of the flu]," Sawyer said.