Download Infectious Diseases-HAI, Infectious Diseases Los Angeles County

Infectious Diseases-HAI, Infectious Diseases
Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health / Acute Communicable Disease Control Program
Los Angeles, California
Assignment Description
The fellow will work primarily in the Healthcare Outreach Unit on issues related to healthcareassociated infections (HAIs). The Healthcare Outreach Unit is housed within the Acute Communicable
Disease Control Program, which is the lead program for most infectious disease public health
activities and is the designated public health program responder for emerging infectious diseases,
such as Ebola and Zika Virus. The fellow will work on a variety of activities and projects with LAC DPH
physicians, epidemiologists and nurses. This will include outreach, surveillance, and infection
prevention and control activities with approximately 100 acute care hospitals, 450 skilled nursing
facilities, 250 ambulatory surgical centers, and other outpatient facilities in LAC.
Day-to-Day Activities
The fellow will investigate outbreaks in both healthcare and community settings, maintain
surveillance of HAI and communicable disease in the community; collect, analyze and interpret data,
conduct research projects, conduct infection control assessments in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities
and ambulatory surgery centers, participate in HAI meetings and conferences, including hospital
infection control committee and disaster resource center meetings.
Potential Projects
Surveillance
Activity
Healthcare Facilities and HAI
Outreach, surveillance, infection control management to prevent and control HAI in hospitals,
ambulatory surgical centers and skilled nursing facilities. CSTE fellow has conducted site investigations
to look for gaps in infection control.
Surveillance
Evaluation
CRE/MDROS in LAC
Assess existing CRE surveillance and response activities, identify surveillance gaps and response
activities, document strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in existing systems and make
recommendations.
Major Project
Antibiotic Stewardship
Assist healthcare facilities to identify gaps and improve AS practices across LAC. Improve and foster
inter-facility coordination and communications to reduce the spread of MDROs and improve patient
outcomes. Work on research proposals to better study the efficacy of antimicrobial oversight in the
long-term care setting.
Major Project
Outbreak Investigations
Participate in HAI and other infectious disease outbreak investigations to obtain hands on experience
with epidemiology including the design, implementation and analysis of case control and cohort
studies. Past examples include: CRE Outbreak Involving Endoscopes, Stenotrophomonas Dialysis
Outbreak, Plague in Yosemite National Park.
Surveillance
Activity
Disease Surveillance
Epidemiologic investigation and surveillance of communicable disease to monitor disease trends,
detect outbreaks, and improve the timeliness of mandated reporting of suspected cases of
communicable disease.
Preparedness Role
The follow will receive training in Incident Command as other County personnel do, and participate in
an emergency response that may arise, including point of dispensing clinics. The fellow will be
expected to participate in scheduled disaster drills and exercises as appropriate.
Additional Activities
Increasing Influenza Vaccine Rates in Healthcare Personnel
Communicable Disease Outbreak Management in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Facilities
Member of the HAI-Antibiotic Resistance Committee
Mentors
Primary
Dawn Terashita, MD, MPH
Medical Epidemiologist, Interim Deputy Director
Secondary
Benjamin Schwartz, MD
Interim Chief Acute Communicable Disease Control Program