2013 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshop: Track 1: Public Health Surveillance for Beginners

Date/Time: December 11, 2013 - 8:00am - 4:15pm

Location: Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, LA

Target Audience
The target audience of this Workshop is healthcare and public health professionals new to public health surveillance practice, as well as graduate students and researchers interested in obtaining a better understanding of public health surveillance.

Description
This Workshop will provide exposure to key topics central to public health surveillance and serve to orient those who are new to the field. The objective of this Track is to "bridge the knowledge gap" in order to enable participants to better understand and apply public health data for informed and meaningful decision-making and to communicate outcomes or results. It includes the following: an overview of public health surveillance; demonstrations of syndromic surveillance systems and their integration with novel data sources (Emergency Medical Services (EMS) runs, school absenteeism, poison control, etc.); anomaly detection methods and utility (an inside look at algorithms and their parameter settings); investigation techniques (a "how to" approach, showing the integration of multiple data systems/sources); and communication to stakeholders (creation of surveillance reports and communicating findings). This Track is being developed based on feedback from participants who attended the 2012 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshops, and, as such, is sure to be a high quality training opportunity relevant to the practical needs of those who are new to public health surveillance.


Learn more about the 2013 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshops here.

Webinar: Global Public Health Surveillance, Governance, and Viral Sovereignty

Hosted by the ISDS Global Outreach Committee
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Presenters

• Affan Shaikh, M.P.H, Senior Epidemiologist, Public Health Practie, LLC
• Scott McNabb, Ph.D., M.S., Research Professor, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health | Managing Partner, Public Health Practice, LLC 

Contributors

• Qanta Ahmed, M.D., Attending Sleep Disorders Medicine, Winthrop University Hospital | Associate Professor of Medicine, State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, New York
• Ziad Memish, M.D., Deputy Minister of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

 

Description

Microbes carry no national passports; neither do they recognize geo-political boundaries or state sovereignty. Yet a recent violation of viral sovereignty has brought up unresolved governance issues, challenged ethical public health practice, and added unnecessary global security risk.  Viral sovereignty refers to a sovereign state’s ownership rights over pathogens found within national borders.  First coined in the wake of tensions rising from the Indonesian government’s decision to conditionally withhold samples of H5N1 avian influenza virus in early 2007, viral sovereignty has been interpreted both in a positive light as a guiding, ethical rule to govern control of modern pandemics on the one hand and a potential risk to global health security on the other.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) revised the International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]) to provide a global framework to prevent, protect against, control, and facilitate a public health response to the global spread of disease, its success firmly rests on the delicate balance of trust and transparency.  Current disputes now highlight the imbalance between respecting and trusting legitimate national sovereignty while complying with global transparency in reporting.

This webinar reviews the history and role of the IHR 2005.  In it, we discuss the rights and responsibilities of various parties for public health surveillance and global health security.  We also discuss the origins and implications of viral sovereignty. And through two case studies, we point out the critical and current issues to be discusses and weigh the pros and cons of various options to move forward to greater global health security.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the history and role of the International Health Regulations (IHR [2005])
• Review the authority and obligations of National Ministries of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) for public health surveillance
• Delineate national and global rights and responsibilities for public health surveillance
• Define viral sovereignty and its impact on global health security
• Illustrate a way forward

Register here to attend!

Join the conversation on twitter! Use the hashtag #ViralSovereignty

Executive-level Job Opportunity at the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recruiting for a Director for the new Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS) (proposed). The new Director will lead public health actions to promote surveillance, informatics, epidemiology, public health workforce development and laboratory services. CSELS has a budget of over $200 million and a workforce of approximately 650 employees and contractors. The position of Director, CSELS, is located in HHS, CDC, Office of Public Health Scientific Standards (proposed) and reports to the Deputy Director for Public Health Scientific Standards (proposed), who reports to the Director, CDC.

Responsibilities

The CSELS Director will have broad operating authority and responsibility for overall planning, direction and management of the Center. S/he will:

• Lead and manage the various Center programs to achieve the agency and Center goals and objectives. Establish partnerships with other CDC centers/offices and serve as a resource for the agency’s public health surveillance and prevention programs, and applied research and services activities.
• Provide scientific guidance and leadership to international, national, state, tribal and/or local government agencies, universities, health-related organizations, private and public foundations, and professional associations, in activities to improve critical public health problems and issues. 
• Provide consultation and maintain liaison with other state and federal health agencies as well as foreign countries.

Skills and expertise required

Applicants should possess proven, senior-level experience leading and directing the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects in surveillance, epidemiology or laboratory services. Applicants must also demonstrate a successful record of innovation, coordination and collaboration in advancing efforts to improve the public’s health.

Degree Requirements: MD, PhD or equivalent degree.
Salary: $118,846 – $199,700
*Note: Executive level compensation package is commensurate with qualifications and experience, which may result in a higher salary than reflected above.

How to Apply

Applications are NOT accepted via email. To be considered, apply before midnight EDT on 9/13/2013 using the appropriate link from below.

• MD’s, PhDs, and equivalent: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/345885600?share=email
• MD’s only: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346215600?share=email

Questions may be directed to Vicki Hunter at vhunter@cdc.gov or 404.808.8321.

2013 ISDS Swap Meet: Opportunity to Present a System Demonstration

Date/Time: December 11, 2013 - 4:30 - 6:30pm (tentative)
Location: Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana

2012 ISDS Swap Meet, Sheraton San Diego Hotel
and Marina (December 3, 2012).

The ISDS Swap Meet is an exciting opportunity for 2013 ISDS Pre-Conference and Conference attendees to walk around to tables and informally discuss particular topics or systems with system developers, system users, and experts. Previous Swap Meet presentations have included: HealthMap, FirstWatch, ESSENCE, Suite for Automated Global Electronic bioSurveillance (SAGES), NACCHO Informatics, BioSense 2.0, and Data Quality, among others.

If you are interested in presenting a system demonstration, please complete and submit the Swap Meet application by Monday, September 9, 2013 in order to be considered. All applications will be reviewed, and acceptance will be based on space and relevance of topic. Applicants will be notified of the final status of their application by October 4, 2013 (both letters of acceptance and rejection will be sent). Learn more.

If you are interested in attending, please register for a 2013 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshop and/or the Conference - the Swap Meet is included in the registration fee.

Winners of ISDS's 2013 Awards for Outstanding Research Articles in Biosurveillance

The ISDS Research Committee developed the Awards for Outstanding Research Articles in Biosurveillance (Award) in order to recognize disease surveillance scientists and professionals for contributions to their fields of research.

The initial Award candidate pool consisted of articles summarized by members of the ISDS Literature Review Subcommittee between July 2012 and June 2013. A nomination period was open from May 29, 2013 through June 25, 2013, during which any interested stakeholder was invited to nominate one or more of the articles in the initial pool or write-in any relevant article published in July 2012 or later. The Award Committee then reviewed all nominated articles and narrowed the list down to 3-4 finalist articles in each award category. The ISDS membership voted to determine the final Award winners. 

The ISDS Research Committee is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 Awards for Outstanding Research Articles in Biosurveillance:

Impact on Field Category 

First Prize: Schirmer PL, Lucero-Obusan CA, Benoit SR, et al. Dengue Surveillance in Veterans Affairs Healthcare Facilities, 2007–2010. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2040. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002040.

Second Prize: Paterson BJ, Durrheim DN. The remarkable adaptability of syndromic surveillance to meet public health needs. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health. 2013;3(1):41–47. doi:10.1016/j.jegh.2012.12.005.

Scientific Achievement Category   

First Prize: Shaman J, Karspeck A. Forecasting seasonal outbreaks of influenza. PNAS. 2012;109(50):20425–20430. doi:10.1073/pnas.1208772109.   

Second Prize: Conway M, Dowling JN, Chapman WW. Using chief complaints for syndromic surveillance: A review of chief complaint based classifiers in North America. Journal of Biomedical Informatics. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2013.04.003.

We congratulate all of the authors of the winning articles for this achievement.

For more information about the award, please visit the Award webpage.

Webinar: Discover the 2013 ISDS Conference

Whether you are planning on attending the ISDS Conference for the first time this December or you have been attending since 2002, the ISDS Scientific Program Committee invites you to discover the 2013 ISDS Conference! This webinar will highlight the abstract submission process, new abstract submission types, and the Pre-Conference Workshops. The webinar will include brief overviews by Scientific Program Committee Chair, Wayne Loschen, and Pre-Conference Workshop Planning Chair, Bill Storm, and will be followed by an informal question and answer session. 

Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET

To attend, register here.

The ISDS annual conference is the premier event dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of biosurveillance. The theme for this year's conference — Translating Research and Surveillance into Action — highlights one of the salient topics voiced by the biosurveillance community, and will focus on strategies for incorporating the latest in biosurveillance approaches, methodologies, and results into data-driven public health practices, programs, and policies. The conference will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, LA, December 12-13, 2013, with Pre-Conference Workshops on December 11th.

Have comments on PHIN Guide? Submit them through our new feedback form!

In the months since ISDS and CDC published the expanded PHIN Messaging Guide for Syndromic Surveillance, Release 1.9 (Guide) in April 2013 we’ve received several comments and questions as well as suggestions for future versions.

To streamline the process for gathering comments we’ve created a google form through which you can submit feedback. We’ll also keep track of who submits comments and invite you to participate in conversations on future Guide revisions.

You can also now access a list of feedback ISDS has already received on the Guide. This spreadsheet will be updated periodically (and anonymously) as feedback is submitted. ISDS and CDC responses and status updates are also included for your information.

For additional details on this project see the PHIN Messaging Guide Project Webpage.

For any questions on the PHIN Messaging Guide for Syndromic Surveillance, Release 1.9, please contact Becky Zwickl at bzwickl@syndromic.org.