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CDC Grand Rounds: Unsafe Medical Injections
On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, CDC will host a Grand Rounds on unsafe injection practices in the United States. Representatives from CDC, CMS, and New York State will speak during the live webcast, which is scheduled for 1:00 PM EDT. For additional information, visit CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds webpage.
Multistate Outbreak of Meningitis
CDC continues to monitor the multistate outbreak of meningitis and stroke associated with potentially contaminated steroid medication. Stay informed by visiting CDC's Health Alert Network webpage. On the FDA Voice blog, Dr. Margaret Hamburg discusses why state and local partnerships are crucial during a multi-state outbreak of illness.
NACCHO has developed two documents that summarize over 30 LHDs' experiences with the multistate fungal meningitis outbreak. The first summary is intended for media, policy- and decision-makers, national partners, and other stakeholders. It provides talking points in response to inquiries from this target audience. The second summary, intended for LHD staff, gives more in-depth information about what LHDs are experiencing.
If your LHD has conducted any activities related to the outbreak, please e-mail infectiousdiseases@naccho.org. NACCHO will de-identify responses and continue to compile incoming information. NACCHO will also update these documents as needed.
Clinician Telephone Consultation for Fungal Meningitis Cases
CDC established the Clinicians Consultation Network (CCN) to support clinicians in treating patients associated with the multistate fungal meningitis outbreak. The CCN is a free, telephone-based service of experts in fungal disease treatment and management. To access the service, physicians should call 1-800-CDC-INFO and then select the appropriate prompts. A CDC-INFO call agent will verify each physician's role in direct patient management before directing him or her to the CCN. Call operating hours are 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM EDT, Monday through Friday, except for federal holidays.
Control of Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Course
CDC and Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health will sponsor an environmental microbiology course, Control of Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases, in Atlanta, Georgia (January 7-12, 2013). This six-day course on the surveillance of foodborne and waterborne diseases is designed for public health practitioners and other students interested in the safety of food and water.
Dialogue4Health Webinar: Public Health and the Prevention Fund
The Public Health Institute, Trust for America's Health, Policylink, the Prevention Institute, and the American Public Health Association are sponsoring an important Dialogue4Health web forum on November 14, 2012 (2:30-4:00 PM EDT). The presentation, Where We Stand and What's Ahead: Public Health and the Prevention Fund, will examine the post-election landscape for the prevention fund, the looming threat of the "fiscal clicff," and provide recommendations for promoting national commitment to community-based prevention. Registration is available now.
Whooping Cough Webinar The Virtual Immunization Communication (VIC) Network will host a pertussis webinar on November 14, 2012 (2:00 PM EDT). In addition to information about pertussis, webinar participants will receive information on materials and resources to promote flu shots during National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 2-8, 2012). Registration is available here. Johns Hopkins' Infectious Disease Virtual Education Congress Game Changers in Infectious Disease: A Focus on Important Changes in the ID Field is a free, online training that includes Continuing Medical Education (CME) units. Live streaming video will be available on November 29 and 30, 2012, at IDCareLive. Choose from nine 1-hour interactive CME sessions on topics such as novel treatment strategies, emerging infections, multi-resistant pathogens, immunocompromised host and opportunistic infections, vaccine research, antiretroviral therapies in HIV, and emerging therapies in hepatitis C. NACCHO Mentorship Program for the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards NACCHO invites your LHD to submit an application to participate as a mentor in the second cohort of the NACCHO Mentorship Program. Selected mentors will work with peer LHDs to share experiences and provide guidance, tools, and resources related to the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Program Standards). The overall objective of the mentorship program is to match LHD practitioners experienced in applying the Program Standards with LHDs currently or newly enrolled in the program standards and looking for guidance, tools, resources, and recommendations for achieving a standard or standards. The anticipated amount awarded to each selected LHD is $8,000-18,000, depending on the number of mentees that are paired with the mentor. The application deadline was extended to November 14, 2012, at 8:00 PM EST. Your Feedback on CIFOR Resources is Needed The RAND Corporation is conducting an external evaluation of the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response & Toolkit. As part of the evaluation, NACCHO is surveying state and local public health professionals involved in foodborne disease outbreak activities. Please participate in this brief survey to help the RAND Coportation understand the use and impact of the CIFOR Guidelines and Toolkit. The survey only takes approximately 15 minutes. Search for LHDs Engaged with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) Is your LHD involved with the ACO initiative? Has your LHD developed a role within your area's ACO? Dr. Paul Etkind, Director of Infectious Diseases at NACCHO, is working with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to identify LHDs that are working to integrate public health with clinical care. Please e-mail petkind@naccho.org with your contact information if this applies to your LHD. Intersectoral Collaboration for Health: Reports from Local Health Departments Increasingly, local communities throughout the United States are adopting a Health in All Policies framework, based on the recognition that policy and program decisions of "non-health" agencies impact health in significant and lasting ways. The Public Health Institute will host a web forum on the Health in All Policies approach and include examples from Baltimore and Sonoma. Register now for the webinar, which will be held on November 15, 2012 (2:30 PM EDT). Open Staff Positions at NACCHO NACCHO is currently hiring for multiple positions in emergency preparedness, chronic diseases, and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit the NACCHO Career Network. Submit a Tool to NACCHO's Immunization and Infectious Disease Toolkits NACCHO's Immunization and Infectious Disease Toolkits are intended to provide LHDs with resources related to immunization and infectious disease prevention and control practices. Examples of tools include templates, guides, community resources and much more. Log in to submit your own resources to the Toolkit to share with other LHDs. | 
