Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Program
Communicable Disease Prevention Program
The mission of the Communicable Disease Program is to provide comprehensive epidemiology services for Washoe County residents to detect, investigate, and respond to communicable diseases in order to reduce their incidence.
Services provided by the Communicable Disease (CD) Program include:
- Coordinating with countywide communicable disease reporting system
- Conducting investigations of communicable disease cases
- Detecting, controlling, and preventing communicable disease in the community
- Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating communicable disease data and reports
- Conducting surveillance programs
- Designing, implementing, and conducting epidemiologic activities in response to an epidemic
- Educating the public about risk reduction and how it relates to communicable diseases
- Providing a timely response to inquiries on communicable diseases from healthcare providers.
- Developing communicable disease investigation protocol
For more information, call (775) 328-2447.
Epidemiology Program
MISSION: Develop and integrate public health data available to the Washoe County District Health Department to better support the core functions of public health: assessment, policy development, and assurance.
GOALS:
Quantification of Disease and Injury Burden in Our Community
Through use of all available data sources within and outside the Northern Nevada Public Health, we will continually monitor morbidity and mortality for infectious, chronic and environmental disease and injury. By evaluating the relative importance, susceptible populations, and temporal trends of these health problems, using data obtained preferentially from our community, we aim to better understand and establish priorities for action and research.
Development, Prioritization, and Evaluation of Programs and Policy
By using objective and systematic methods (evidence-based) integrated with the realities of the Health Department and broader environments we will inform the Health Department on the effectiveness of current and future approaches to improving the publics' health.
Public Health Preparedness and Response
Through education, surveillance and emergency response capability for public health emergencies, be they naturally occurring or clandestine, we aim to support the Health Department in successfully responding to any and all situations.
Northern Nevada Public Health Data and Epidemiological Resource
Through our knowledge of, familiarity with, and accessibility to local community health data, we aim to provide a service to all internal customers in the Northern Nevada Public Health of assistance with data collection, analysis and interpretation. We also aim to provide a service to external customers (e.g. public or private agencies, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and the general public) to provide relevant data and analysis to assist them in their endeavors.