Communication, Disease Reporting and Collaboration

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Communication, Disease Reporting and
Collaboration
Brigid OConnor Lake County Health
Department Flathead Reservation and Lake County
TERC/LEPC
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Lake County Who we are

• 26,000 residents
• 25 Native American (approximately)
• 80 rural population
• Open Reservation
• Polson with 4,041 residentslargest community
• Salish Kootenai College
• Largest Employers
• 1 Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
• 2 Lake County

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Lake County, Montana
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Tribal Areas in Lake County
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Internal Develop a
comprehensive Communicable
Disease program in the Lake County
Health DepartmentExternal
Partner PH with local disaster responders
through the TERC/LEPC
Create/foster regional PH connections.
Goals
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Develop Communicable Disease Position within
Health Department

• Part time position to be primary CD contact for
  Health Dept. and PH Emergency Preparedness
  Coordinator
• Improve communication between HD and local
  medical providers
• Build on the current team-work between LCHD and
  Tribal Health

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Question

• Does your Health Department have a
  Communicable Disease position supported by
  local funding?
• A. Totally funded
• B. More than 50 local funding
• C. Less than 50 local funding
• D. No local funding

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Improve Communication Between HD and Local
Medical Providers

• Develop relationship betweenproviders and HD
• Offer useable information to them regularly
• Expect information from them

HD
Providers

• Be a conduit for info from other sources directly
  to providers
• Identify how to best get infoto the NURSES!

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TERC/LEPC

• TERC began in 1990
• 1995 TERC/LEPC meeting monthly
• Spring 1996 Epi-Team created
• Autumn 2001 Health Subgroup of the TERC/LEPC
  born
• Early autumn 2002 CDC Emerg. Prep. Grants
• Late autumn 2002 Health Subgroup expanded
• Tribal/County Charter

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Strengthen Regional Communication

• Send Communicable Disease notes to both providers
  and neighboring Health Departments
• Coordinate on significant press releases
• Collaborate on deliverables
• Share plans and templates

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Challenges

• Policy issues
• Jurisdictional issues
• Meshing DES and PH

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Successes

• Strengthened coordination between LCHD and THHS
• Established valued advisory groupHealth Subgroup
  of the TERC/LEPC
• Managed Communicable Disease events as a team
• Assured a Public Health position in the TERC/LEPC
  Charter
• One joint PHERP
• One DES Response Plan