Compendium of Budget Information for the 2010 General Session
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Group: Health & Human Services - Department of Health Line Item: Epidemiology and Laboratory Services Function The Division of Epidemiology and Laboratory Services encompasses a director's office, four programs within the State Health Laboratory and two programs associated with communicable disease investigation and control. The names of these programs are: Director's Office, Communicable Disease Control, Microbiology, Epidemiology, Chemical and Environmental Services, Forensic Toxicology, and Laboratory Improvement. Statutory Authority The Division of Epidemiology and Laboratory Services is governed by the Utah Health Code in Title 26 of the Utah Code.
Intent Language
Funding Detail For analysis of current budget requests and discussion of issues related to this budget click here.
Function The Division of Epidemiology and Laboratory Services provides administration of public health and environmental health programs. These programs include environmental testing, toxicology, laboratory licensure, microbiology, communicable disease control, and epidemiology. Funding Detail
Program: Communicable Disease Control Function The Bureau of Communicable Disease Control focuses its efforts on providing technical assistance and capacity building expertise to the community and to local health departments in the areas of HIV disease prevention, counseling/testing services, surveillance, treatment and care; tuberculosis (TB); hepatitis C; sexually transmitted disease (STD) control and elimination; and refugee health assessment. Services include consultation, direct client programs and contract monitoring provided by Bureau staff and through contracts with other governmental agencies, local health departments and community-based organizations. Funding sources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), and the Utah Department of Workforce Services. The mission of the Bureau is to protect the public health by:
HIV Prevention The goals of the HIV Prevention Program is to provide education and training programs which emphasize reduction and prevention for diverse populations, including individuals at high risk (men who have sex with men, youth, women, injecting drug users, and ethnic populations). Additionally, the program provides confidential or anonymous HIV pre- and post-test counseling, testing and referral services to individuals at publicly-funded sites (local health departments and community-based organizations). Counseling and testing efforts attempt to support individuals in making behavior changes that will reduce their risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV through 'client-centered' pre-and post test counseling, and partner counseling and referral services. The program also provides information on services available in the community to those who test positive or to those that might be considered 'high-risk' and have tested negative including those individuals in occupational exposures. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Program The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Program does the following: (1) conducts surveillance of HIV infection and AIDS in coordination with local health departments to provide population-based data for public health policy development and evaluation; (2) maintains, analyzes, and disseminates non-identifying demographic information from the confidential registry of HIV/AIDS cases; (3) monitors HIV-related morbidity and mortality and the use of federal Public Health Services recommendations for prevention and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS; (4) promotes uses of surveillance data for prevention and evaluation; (5) conducts surveillance of special populations of epidemiologic importance; (6) conducts population-based surveillance of HIV-related risk behaviors in coordination with local health departments; (7) evaluates the reporting system for HIV and AIDS and modifies surveillance methodologies as needed to meet changing needs; and (8) manages funding of surveillance activities and provides consultation and technical assistance on surveillance activities to local health departments. The Surveillance Program also documents tuberculosis infection and disease in Utah. The program works closely with laboratories and health providers in order to encourage disease reporting to the Health Department. HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Program The goal of the federal Part B program from the Ryan White Care Act is to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of a more effective and cost-effective system for the delivery of essential services to individuals and families with HIV disease. Individuals infected with HIV are provided essential health and support services if they are not covered or are underinsured by private health insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or other State or local programs. These activities are accomplished primarily through supportive services, a home and community based care program, an AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and the Health Insurance Continuation Program. The home health program, established in 1990, provides durable medical equipment and on a case-by-case basis may provide the following services: health aide, personal care, and routine diagnostic tests administered in the home. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), established in 1987, assists people living with HIV/AIDS to access AIDS-related medications. The Health Insurance Continuation Program pays all or part of a person's health insurance premium if the person has HIV disease and is eligible through COBRA for their health benefits. A premium payment program assists individuals with HIV disease who are not eligible for other insurance coverage, to obtain insurance through the Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool, by providing monthly premium payments. Supportive services provide individuals with HIV the following services: ambulatory care, dental services, mental health counseling, emergency funding, transportation, and case management. Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program The goal of the Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program is to reduce the incidence of TB in Utah through prompt identification and treatment of active TB cases, and the investigation and treatment of those who may have been in contact with someone with active TB. Medications, medical expertise, and public health nursing are provided at no charge to the client. The program also provides preventive treatment to those with TB infection that has not progressed to the disease. Refugee Health Program The federally-funded Refugee Health Program provides health screening and follow-up to newly arriving refugees in the State. Health screenings are conducted to protect Utah's resident population from exposure to communicable diseases and related problems. Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Program Utah's Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Control Program is responsible for the detection, treatment, and control of sexually transmitted diseases throughout the State. The STD Control Program coordinates with local health departments, Indian tribal governments, federal government, as well as communicating with STD Control Programs in other states. STDs can cause harmful, often irreversible health complications such as reproductive health problems, fetal and perinatal health problems, and cancer. Women are biologically more susceptible to infection and suffer more frequent, serious complications than do men. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain are among the more serious of STD complications. Program efforts include screening, examination, diagnosis, education, case management, data management, treatment, partner notification, technical assistance, and epidemiological studies, analysis, and research. The majority of reportable STD infections occur among persons 15 - 24 years of age. Utah's STD Control Program provides screening, treatment, and education in high-risk youth detention centers, homeless youth populations, and substance abuse youth treatment centers. Hepatitis C Program The Hepatitis C Program activities include efforts to prevent and control hepatitis C virus (HCV) that are integrated with HIV Prevention, STD Control and Substance Abuse Programs. The focus is on managing, networking, and building technical expertise and capacity within the programs to control the spread of HCV. Funding Detail
Function The Bureau of Microbiology provides laboratory support services for local health departments; hospitals, clinics, labs, and physicians throughout Utah; the Utah Department of Agriculture; State Mosquito Abatement; the Department of Environmental Quality; the Division of Community and Family Health Services; and the State Medical Examiner. The areas of support include newborn screening, HIV, sexually-transmitted diseases, agents of bioterrorism surveillance, arbovirus surveillance, virology, rabies testing, bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, parasitology, as well as outbreak control (food and waterborne), and communicable disease outbreak support, i.e. - influenza and pertussis. The Bureau works in close support with the Bureau of Epidemiology to provide test data for disease surveillance and statistics across the entire State. The Bureau also works closely with State partners such as health care workers, local public health, fire, law enforcement, military, and Indian tribes to provide training on safe handling and shipping of specimens for testing, interpreting microbiology results, and emergency preparedness functions that the microbiology laboratory provides. Funding Detail
Function The Bureau of Epidemiology is responsible for: (1) the detection, investigation, and control of communicable and infectious diseases, (2) surveillance and investigation of health effects associated with environmental hazards, (3) coordinating a statewide environmental sanitation program including 15 sanitation rules, and (4) managing a program to reduce deaths and other harm from prescription opiates used for chronic, noncancerous pain. The Bureau operates four programs: the Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program, the Environmental Epidemiology Program, the Environmental Sanitation Program, and the Prescription Pain Medication Management and Education Program. The programs have adapted the U.S. Healthy People 2010 Goals and Objectives, and activities are established to meet Health Department goals of protecting the public health, improving quality of life, preventing disease and premature death, and promoting healthy lifestyles for the residents of the State. The Bureau is responsible for developing and operating surveillance systems to detect bioterrorism and for assuring epidemiological preparedness to respond to an incident of bioterrorism or the similar threat of pandemic disease. Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program (CDEP) The Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program (CDEP) conducts communicable disease surveillance and management. The responsibilities of the CDEP include assisting with the identification, investigation, and management of communicable diseases and outbreaks. Epidemiological investigations are conducted in conjunction with local health departments to identify risk factors and implement appropriate control measures and prevention strategies. The program also responds rapidly to suspect and confirmed cases of diseases of public health significance, aiding local health departments, healthcare workers, and the public in implementing control and prevention measures. In addition, the program provides consultation regarding communicable diseases to healthcare professionals, healthcare facilities, and a variety of local, State, and federal agencies, and acts as a liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for disease investigations in Utah. The program conducts regular analyses of surveillance data as well as generating and evaluating daily reports. These reports incorporate statistical methods to interpret disease trends over time to identify clusters of disease that may indicate an outbreak. The program also develops surveillance reports that provide communicable disease trend data to the public, healthcare professionals, and local, State, and federal partners on a regular basis and as requested. The program is responsible for maintaining the current National Electronic Telecommunication System for Surveillance (NETSS) and providing support to local health departments in using this system to store and manage communicable disease data. The program is also responsible for building, implementing, and maintaining the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) in Utah as part of a national effort to improve mechanisms for disease reporting, public health surveillance, and disease control practices. NEDSS will replace NETSS, providing a web-based system for storing and managing communicable disease data, as well as a mechanism for allowing case management functions to be monitored and evaluated by local and State Health Department staff simultaneously. Environmental Epidemiology Program The Environmental Epidemiology Program addresses environmental hazards and diseases in Utah. The mission of the program is to develop and support programs to prevent or reduce the potential for acute and chronic morbidity and mortality associated with environmental and occupational factors, including exposure to toxic substances, reproductive hazards, unsafe work environments, and agents responsible for debilitating diseases. The program conducts epidemiological investigations, cooperates with local, State, and federal agencies in problems related to hazardous substance exposure, and researches environmental and occupational health problems. Environmental Sanitation Program The food safety and environmental health programs' goal is to reduce premature death and disability due to the effects of secondhand smoke, contaminated food, and poor sanitation at public swimming pools, public lodging, schools, and many other public places. With the focus to decrease premature death and disability due to contaminated food served to the public, this program provides consultation to food and restaurant inspectors. This program also seeks to establish and maintain a consistent approach statewide to environmental health regulation across the 12 local health departments in Utah. Prescription Pain Medication Management and Education Program The Prescription Pain Medication Management and Education Program's mission is to reduce deaths and other harm from prescription opiates. The Prescription Pain Medication Management and Education Program is being led by the Utah Department of Health in collaboration with the Utah Attorney General, the Labor Commission, and the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensure. Funding Detail
Program: Chemical and Environmental Services Function The Bureau of Chemical and Environmental Services provides testing of water, soil, and air to monitor the environment to assure compliance with health and safety standards, and to respond to emergencies such as chemical spills and contaminated drinking water. The tests, requested primarily by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources, assist those departments in assessing the safety of the environment. The laboratory is able to test for chemical agents in clinical samples in response to chemical terrorism incidents as a result of federal funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The laboratory also is able to analyze for heavy metals and cyanide in samples to determine exposure of these chemicals to humans. The Bureau is also working on a BioMonitoring project funded by the CDC. The goal of this study is to build collaborative capacity for BioMonitoring and collaboration with the Bureau of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Program to assess human exposure to environmental chemicals. The Bureau's Chemical Preparedness Program is funded by the CDC's Bioterrorism Program. Funding Detail
Function The Bureau of Forensic Toxicology provides drug and alcohol analysis for law enforcement agencies to determine driving under the influence violations, including automobile homicide. In addition, the Bureau provides testing for drug, alcohol, and other poisons in autopsy specimens to assist the Office of the Medical Examiner in determining the cause and manner of death. Funding Detail
Program: Laboratory Improvement Function The Bureau of Laboratory Improvement sets and enforces standards for those laboratories that perform tests that impact public health. The Bureau provides two types of laboratory classification certification, clinical and environmental. The Clinical Lab Certification is under the authority and direction of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Environmental Lab Certification is under the authority of the Utah Code and the United States Environmental Protection Agency and works closely with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to maintain adequate certified laboratory capacity. Additionally, the Bureau provides quality assurance assistance, safety training, and technical services within the Utah Public Health Laboratory. Funding Detail
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