111 Westfall Rd., Rochester, NY 14620 Heather Essig, MPH, Manager
Phone: 585 753-5164 Fax: 585 753-5188
The Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control provides expertise in epidemiology and data analysis to the Department and the community by analyzing and disseminating public health data. The Division publishes community health assessments, develops community health improvement plans with input from stakeholders, and provides public health data for community organizations to utilize for grant writing, education and policy development. The Division also conducts surveillance, epidemiological investigations and community intervention to prevent and control communicable diseases in accordance with New York State Department of Health requirements.
Division responsibilities:
- Investigate all laboratory confirmed cases of more than 30 communicable diseases.
- Attempt to determine the source of infection to facilitate prevention of further disease transmission.
- Report cases and investigation results of communicable diseases to the New York State Department of Health electronically via the Health Information Network (HIN).
- Analyze communicable disease data to determine the presence of disease trends.
- Monitor Rochester Area hospital emergency department data daily for changes in emergency department use or disease patterns that might indicate a health problem in our community e.g. influenza.
- Serve as information source about disease and infection control to area hospitals, schools, day care centers, long term care facilities, and the general public.
- Respond to community need for information about specific health concerns such as West Nile virus, Anthrax, Smallpox, and Hepatitis A.
- Partner with the Food Protection Unit to investigate and control foodborne illness outbreaks.
- Partner with Rabies and Housing to investigate Rabies exposures and determine if prophylaxis treatment is required.
- Partner with the Immunization Program to immunize people identified through disease investigations as being “at risk” for vaccine preventable disease, e.g. Hepatitis A.
- Produce Communicable Disease Fact Sheets used for community education.
- Publishes community health assessments
- Develops community health improvement plans
- Provides public health data for community organizations to utilize for grant writing, education and policy development.
- Collaborate with area universities in research on: Emerging infections, Pneumonia vaccination and Bioterrorism planning.
