The job of the Public Health Preparedness-Epidemiologist is to provide investigation and conduct surveillance for all assigned foodborne and waterborne reportable disease/conditions, according to protocol, for analysis and diagnosis by the local health department (LHD).
Public Health Preparedness also provides research information and guidelines from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS) on:
Disease prevention;
Intake and data collection,
Verification and establishing case definition,
Rapid lab services in support of an emergency response;
Keeping Health Department Administration persons notified of findings and/or potential public health threats, identifying contacts (treated and untreated), research and present state and national guidelines for disease prevention and control.
This Department is a 24/7 operation, with mandatory reportable disease surveillance system that receives and elevates urgent disease reports.
"Keeping our community safe and health is our goal."