Passive disease surveillance is the primary tool for monitoring the health of communities. It relies on healthcare providers, laboratories and other entities to provide information to LHDs for all reportable conditions in the Commonwealth. LHD staff review and follow up on the reports, ensuring that appropriate public health measures are implemented to protect ill persons and their contacts. Information is also reported to the VDH central office, which provides technical assistance to LHDs and reviews and compiles data for the entire state. In addition, VDH has implemented electronic disease surveillance at LHDs across the state, which allows LHD staff to enter the reportable disease cases into the Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance
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VDH also uses the Early Aberration Reporting Systems (EARS) to analyze surveillance data entered into VEDSS for the detection of unusual patterns of illness. Data are analyzed daily by EARS and are available to district, regional and central office staff via the VDH intranet. VDH staff can view daily EARS reports that assess all reportable diseases by date of onset and date of report at the regional and statewide levels. Data flags are triggered when unusual patterns of disease are detected. District staff can drill down in the regional data views to examine district-specific data if unusual patterns are noted. Tools also exist within VEDSS to analyze district, regional and statewide surveillance data. Common reports generated with surveillance data in VEDSS include frequencies of demographics such as age group, sex, race, ethnicity and geographic location. This process may detect clusters or outbreaks or unusual events through the observation of increased levels of a condition compared to …show more content…
4.2.1 Background and Structure
DSI is led by the Director of DSI and is composed of Investigation and Surveillance Teams. Staff members from both teams who typically perform disease investigation and surveillance activities form DSI’s core ERT.
The Investigation Team staff includes one Medical Epidemiologist, two Senior Epidemiologists, one General Epidemiologist, one Foodborne Disease Epidemiologist, one Nurse Epidemiologist and one Epidemiology Consultant. The team is supported by interns, fellows and other part-time staff. The Surveillance Team Staff include a Surveillance Chief, an Enhanced Surveillance Coordinator and several Surveillance Epidemiologists. In addition, DSI and the core ERT also include five Regional Epidemiologists for the five public health planning regions (e.g., Northern, Northwestern, Southwestern, Central and Eastern Regions) and one Surveillance Specialist in the Eastern
VDH also uses the Early Aberration Reporting Systems (EARS) to analyze surveillance data entered into VEDSS for the detection of unusual patterns of illness. Data are analyzed daily by EARS and are available to district, regional and central office staff via the VDH intranet. VDH staff can view daily EARS reports that assess all reportable diseases by date of onset and date of report at the regional and statewide levels. Data flags are triggered when unusual patterns of disease are detected. District staff can drill down in the regional data views to examine district-specific data if unusual patterns are noted. Tools also exist within VEDSS to analyze district, regional and statewide surveillance data. Common reports generated with surveillance data in VEDSS include frequencies of demographics such as age group, sex, race, ethnicity and geographic location. This process may detect clusters or outbreaks or unusual events through the observation of increased levels of a condition compared to …show more content…
4.2.1 Background and Structure
DSI is led by the Director of DSI and is composed of Investigation and Surveillance Teams. Staff members from both teams who typically perform disease investigation and surveillance activities form DSI’s core ERT.
The Investigation Team staff includes one Medical Epidemiologist, two Senior Epidemiologists, one General Epidemiologist, one Foodborne Disease Epidemiologist, one Nurse Epidemiologist and one Epidemiology Consultant. The team is supported by interns, fellows and other part-time staff. The Surveillance Team Staff include a Surveillance Chief, an Enhanced Surveillance Coordinator and several Surveillance Epidemiologists. In addition, DSI and the core ERT also include five Regional Epidemiologists for the five public health planning regions (e.g., Northern, Northwestern, Southwestern, Central and Eastern Regions) and one Surveillance Specialist in the Eastern