Communicable Disease Control 
&
Prevention Division

The purpose of the Communicable Disease Control & Prevention Division is to protect the public from communicable disease, provide immunizations to people of all ages, provide rural school nursing, inspect restaurants and other public accommodations, and prepare the health department for an external emergency.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL & SURVEILLANCE
Communicable disease has the potential to affect every county resident. The most susceptible people are those who are unimmunized or under-immunized, those with weakened immune systems (caused by stress, age, disease, alcoholism, or homelessness), and those whose work or leisure activities put them at risk for disease. 

Public health nurses investigate reports of communicable disease they receive from doctors, nurses, and hospitals.  Other staff members investigate illnesses that may have been caused by contaminated food or water, or by infected insects.  These investigation help prevent communicable disease from spreading through the community.  Communicable disease staff does immunizations of infants, children, teens, and adults against vaccine-preventable diseases.  They also do tuberculosis case control; HIV/AIDS testing, counseling, and prevention education; rural public health nursing; hepatitis B infant immunization outreach; and travel immunizations.

DENTAL SCREENING
A public health nurse coordinates a countywide screening program that uses school nurses, dental hygienists and dentists to screen elementary school children (grades 3 and 4) for dental decay. The local dental society arranges to assess children who are unable to pay for needed treatment.  Children are seen in local dentists' offices and at the CHC Dental Clinic.  The dental hygienists and school nurses provide dental education for children in grades one and five.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The purpose of the health department’s emergency preparedness program is to improve the department’s ability to respond to threats to public health, including bioterrorism, earthquakes, and potential disease outbreaks.

Staff’s work includes improving surveillance of communicable diseases; updating emergency response plans, improving communications with state agencies, St. Peter’s Hospital, health care providers, and the public; and maintaining accurate lists of first responders, so that those in critical positions can be offered protection quickly, if needed.

HIV/AIDS COUNSELING AND TESTING SERVICES
The Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department is one of 14 HIV/AIDS Education, Counseling, and Risk Reduction sites (CTS) funded by DPHHS across the state.  Through a contract, the DPHHS provides funds for this service and trains all department staff members who provide testing.  This service is provided to clients anonymously on a sliding scale fee if they qualify.  Additionally, public health nurses are available to do HIV prevention education with school and community groups.

IMMUNIZATIONS
Nurses provide immunization services for people of all ages; assess records for families, schools and day cares for immunization status; educate the public about immunizations; and immunize people of all ages.

Immunization clinics are held at the health department as part of the walk-in clinic (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11am to 4:30 p.m.).  During each clinic, nurses provide information and administer vaccines.  Off-site clinics are provided for flu immunizations.  Special clinics are also held annually to immunize all children needing vaccines before school entry.

LICENSED ESTABLISHMENT INSPECTION
The purpose of the licensed establishment program is to protect public health by investigating and preventing communicable disease from food and water, animals, and insects and providing eduction.  Sanitarians issue permits for selling food at special events such as craft and street fairs.  They offer classes for food handlers, daycare providers, and housekeepers.

Sanitarians inspect licensed facilities to educate operators and to ensure compliance with state regulations.  Licensed facilities include restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, hotels, motels, bed and breakfast facilities, public swimming pools and spas, campgrounds and trailer courts, daycares, and group homes.

RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING & RURAL SCHOOL NURSING
Augusta is covered by a part-time public health nurse who lives in the community.  She manages communicable disease, maternal childcare, provides immunizations, public assistance, adult care information, first aid, and community education.  She is also available to the community on an as-needed basis and works as a liaison between Augusta residents and the Cooperative Health Center (CHC). 

Public health nurses teach prevention-oriented health lessons, conduct health screenings and referrals, and assess health concerns for rural schoolchildren.  Once a month during the school year, a county health department public health nurse travels to Wolf Creek and Canyon Creek schools to provide nursing services on contract.  About 25 - 30 children are enrolled in these schools.  Health screening and referral for vision, hearing, dental, and scoliosis are conducted yearly.  Assessment of immunization records each September ensures that all enrolled children are protected against childhood diseases as defined in state law.  Age-appropriate health education lessons are presented each month.  Teachers consult with the school nurse about health questions, concerns, and student conditions. A public health nurse also offers health screenings for vision, hearing, and scoliosis at Lincoln School, and checks immunization records for approximately 200 students there.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Public health nurses perform investigation and partner notification of all cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported by providers in the county. Providers report cases of syphilis, Chlamydia, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, and HIV/AIDS. To perform follow-up work, public health nurses interview the case (the person who is reported to have an STD), notify all sexual and needle sharing partners of the case, and make sure that all partners get medical testing and treatment.

TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL
In fiscal year 1992, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) began supplying TB medications at no cost for clients with active TB disease, and for those with TB infection. The medication program is administered at each local health department. Public health nurses monitor completion of medication therapy for both disease and infection so that clients are appropriately treatment and cured.