Department of Health Services Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control Services

To protect the public from communicable diseases, such as hepatitis, HIV, and tuberculosis, the Bureau of Epidemiology collects, analyzes, and disseminates information about these and other diseases. However, incomplete and late reporting by physicians and laboratories hampers the Bureau’s ability to identify outbreaks. The report recommends that the Bureau routinely review its records to identify non-reporters and do more to encourage reporting by laboratories and hospital and health provider staff authorized to report on behalf of physicians. The Bureau could also raise awareness of the importance of reporting by disseminating more technical disease surveillance information to health care providers. We also found that the Bureau could more effectively gauge immunization rates by improving its computerized registry and more thoroughly verifying school immunization records. Finally, the report recommends that the Bureau review the more than 40 separate activities required of the Office of Environmental Health, and allow it to focus on the functions most important to protecting public health.