The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71848

Babatunde A. Jinadu, MD, MPH, Emma K. Chaput, MPH, Yasmin El Gamal, MD, MPH, Jessica Nunez, MD, MPH, and Kirt W. Emery, MPH. Department of Public Health, Kern County, 1800 Mt. Vernon Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93306, 661-868-0301, jinadub@co.kern.ca.us

Emerging and reemerging infectious diseases continue to be challenges for the public health community. To address these issues and the added threat of bioterrorism, health departments must be proactive in implementing public health preparedness systems. These systems should improve the public health community’s ability to respond rapidly and effectively to public health crises. Enhanced surveillance programs to improve surveillance data and to collect and analyze timely information regarding possible outbreaks and trend variation will add strength to the public health infrastructure. This study describes the process that the Kern County Department of Public Health followed to enhance its surveillance data and tools. Various techniques to improve surveillance were employed, including: the implementation of enhanced hospital syndromic surveillance with area hospitals; initiation and improvement of the “Cite and Fine” system to track delays in the submission of reportable disease data by health care practitioners; the creation of a geographic information systems (GIS) library to augment the ability to respond rapidly with detailed spatial information during a public health crisis; and the addition of spatial analyses, using a GIS, to analyze the enhanced hospital and physician reported data. These techniques add capabilities to collect and process information and will help in creating a more effective and time-sensitive disease-detection system.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• Describe Kern County’s process of improving public health preparedness.
• Discuss the challenges and opportunities encountered in implementing the different programs.
• Assess the appropriateness of Kern County’s strategies for other local health departments.

Keywords: Surveillance, Bioterrorism

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.