Health Care Department Operations Manual

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Chapter 3 – Health Care Operations

Article 8 – Public Health

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3.8.1 Public Health Disease Reporting

  • Policy

    • California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) health care providers in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institutions shall report public health diseases to the Local Health Officer (LHO) and to the CCHCS Public Health Branch (PHB).

    • CCHCS health care providers at each institution shall comply with state regulations and requirements related to reporting diseases including timeliness and the mechanisms required for reports.  Reportable diseases shall be reported to the LHO for the county in which the patient is housed at the time of the diagnosis of the reportable disease.

    • Outbreaks and diseases of public health significance shall be reported to the CCHCS PHB.  The following must be reported to the PHB:

      • Outbreaks of any reportable communicable disease;

      • Outbreaks or individual cases of diseases of public health significance (e.g., chickenpox or acute hepatitis cases) that require investigation because they pose a risk of infection to patients or staff or because they may be sentinel events heralding outbreaks;

      • Tuberculosis suspect and confirmed cases; and

      • Additional diseases or conditions by request of the PHB.

    • Failure to report diseases as mandated by state regulations is a misdemeanor and is a citable offense under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Medical Board of California, Citation and Fine Program.

  • Purpose

    • To ensure that CDCR patients receive appropriate access to services for diseases of public health significance.

  • Responsibility

    • The Chief Executive Officer, or designee, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and the evaluation of this policy.

  • Procedure

    • Reporting Diseases of Public Health Significance to the LHO

      • All Title 17 reportable diseases, except TB, HIV, and AIDS must be reported to the LHO using the CDPH, Confidential Morbidity Report, 110a.

      • TB suspect and confirmed cases shall be reported to the LHO using the Correctional Facility Tuberculosis Patient Plan (CFTP). This form includes all of the information required to be reported to the LHO per the Health and Safety Code. The CFTP shall be updated and re-submitted whenever a TB suspect is confirmed with TB disease; is notified of new, crucial laboratory results; initiates, changes, discontinues, or completes TB treatment; is hospitalized in the community; or is transferred between institutions, paroled, or discharged. HIV infection and AIDS cases shall be reported by traceable mail or person-to-person transfer within seven calendar days by completion of the HIV/AIDS Case Report form available from the LHO.

    • Reporting Diseases of Public Health Significance to the CCHCS PHB

      • Outbreaks of any reportable disease shall be submitted to the PHB using the web-based Preliminary Outbreak Reporting System (PORS). Institutions new to PORS can submit an IT Solution Center ticket to gain workstation access to PORS. 

      • Individual cases or outbreaks of other diseases of public health significance that require investigation because they pose a risk of infection to patients or staff or because they may be sentinel events heralding outbreaks shall be reported to the PHB using PORS.

      • TB suspect and confirmed cases shall be reported by CFTP to the PHB whenever a TB suspect is identified; is confirmed with TB disease; is notified of new, crucial laboratory results; initiates, changes, discontinues, or completes TB treatment; is hospitalized in the community; or is transferred between institutions, paroled, or discharged.

      • Institutions shall report additional diseases or conditions by request of the PHB, and by the mechanism specified by the PHB.

  • References

    • California Health & Safety Code, Division 105, Part 1, Chapter 2,  Section 120130, Division 105, Part 1, Chapter 4, Section 120295, and Division 105, Part 5, Chapter 1, Sections 121361–121375.

    • California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 13, Article 6, Sections 1364.10–1364.11.

    • California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Division 1, Chapter 4, Sub Chapter 1,Article 1, Sections 2500 and 2641.5-2643.20.

    • California Department of Public Health, Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR) §2500, §2593, §2641.5-2643.20, and §2800-2812 Reportable Diseases and Conditions

    • California Department of Public Health/California Tuberculosis Controllers Association Joint Guidelines, “Guidelines for Coordination of TB Prevention and Control by Local and State Health Departments and California Correctional Health Care Services.”

  • Revision History

    • Effective: 06/2013
      Revised: 12/2016