Summaries of select practice articles published in the March 2022 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.

An Evaluation of Syndromic Surveillance Related Practices among Selected State and Local Health Agencies by Romano, Sebastian MPH; Yusuf, Hussain MD, MPH; Davis, Cassandra MPH; Thomas, Mathew J. MPH; Grigorescu, Violanda MD, MSPH

This report focuses on the recent practices of state and local health agencies around the use of syndromic surveillance data and systems for public health decision making. As it is an expanding source of data and means for assessing and monitoring population health, the paper can help to better understand how syndromic surveillance is being used locally and illustrate its value to meeting public health needs.

Outbreak Response Capacity Assessments and Improvements among Public Health Department Healthcare-Associated Infection Programs – United States, 2015-2017 by Franklin, Steven M. MPH; Crist, Matthew B. MD, MPH; Perkins, Kiran M. MD, MPH; Perz, Joseph F. DrPH, MA

The authors evaluated the capacity improvements of 49 state and 6 local public health departments to respond to Healthcare-associated Infection (HAI) outbreaks and Antimicrobial-Resistant (AR) threats as part of the of Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) activities in the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) cooperative agreement Domestic Ebola Supplement. The results provide insight into the ways in which HAI/AR programs enhanced their ability to detect, investigate, track, and coordinate outbreak response activities. Given that health department HAI/AR programs seek to improve capacity to response to HAI/AR outbreaks, these findings will allow public health professionals to improve public health practice and be better prepared for HAI/AR outbreaks.

Multi-pronged Approach to Controlling a Tuberculosis Outbreak Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness by Muloma, Eva MD; Stewart, Rebekah MSN, MPH, APRN; Townsend, Helen MPH, BSN, RN; Koch, Sarah MS, BSN, RN; Burkholder, Sarah MPH, BSN, RN; Railey, Shanica MPH; White, Kelly MPH; Redington-Noble, Rachel BSN, RN; Caine, Virginia MD

In the United States, 1% of the population experiences homelessness, but >5% of those diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) report being homeless. More than 30% of those cases are due to recent transmission compared to 13% overall, leading to disproportionate TB outbreaks. Ending these outbreaks is challenging and requires a coordinated approach among all those who serve and interact with this population. While many journal articles describe the epidemiology of tuberculosis among persons experiencing homelessness, recent publications do not describe extensive efforts needed to interrupt TB transmission and control an outbreak. This Practice Brief Report describes the successful approach, led by the local public health department, to put a stop to a large outbreak among persons experiencing homelessness, and the continued efforts to prevent future outbreaks from occurring. Others will find this useful as they design an effective TB outbreak response in their jurisdictions.

Other Practice Articles in the March Issue:

• Reporting of Latent TB Infection Among Non–US-Born Persons Adjusting Their Immigration Status to Permanent Residents: An Opportunity to Enhance TB Prevention
• Form Follows Function: A New Structure for a School of Public Health in the 21st Century
• Community Health Worker Initiatives: An Approach to Design and Measurement

New Columns in this Issue:

• New Directions in Public Health Surveillance: Using Electronic Health Records to Monitor Chronic Disease
• With Major Investments From Congress and Technology in Hand, What Will It Take to Make Public Health Data Modernization a Reality?
• Untapped Potential: Local Health Departments’ Involvement in Behavioral Health Preparedness Planning and Recovery Through a Population Behavioral Health Framework
• Imagining the Future: Leading Systems Change to Address Today’s Problems

Read the complete issue at https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/pages/currenttoc.aspx