Tuberculosis Program [TB]

Supporting the Vision and Mission of HSA

The TB Program supports and contributes to the HSA Mission by providing population based interventions across the spectrum of individual, community and system wide focus. Individual focus interventions are the primary goal of our clinics. Community focus interventions are driven by continued community assessment and collaboration with community providers. System interventions include participation on statewide, regional and local boards in addition to participation in international, national organizations and professional groups. We strive to establish our program as a respected community resource.

Current Interventions

Individual Focused Interventions/Clinical Operations Skin test clinic
The TB Control Program administers and evaluates approximately 5000 TB skin tests per year. The majority of these patients are screened related to employment requirements.

TBII Clinic:

• The TB Control Program screens approximately 1000 patients for active disease related to positive skin tests. These patients are either uninsured or Medi-Cal insured and referred to our clinic from various clinics throughout the community.
• The TB Control program treats approximately 500 patients per year throughout their six-month course of treatment Latent TB Infection. This is the cornerstone of our prevention program.

TBIII Clinic:

• The TB Control Program follows the diagnosis/rule-out process on approximately 250 persons suspected of having active TB disease each year. The resulting surveillance includes the development of approximately 40 discharge plans of care per year.
• The TB Control program conducts Contact Investigations when exposure to active TB occurs. This results in the approximately 800 screenings for TB disease per year.
• The TB Control program provides medical management and clinical care for Medi-Cal and uninsured patients. Typically about 20 patients per year are treated throughout their 6-24 month regimen.
• The TB Control Program provides Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) in accordance with CDC/CTCA guidelines. This involves the personal delivery of over two thousand daily doses of TB medicines per year.

Community Focused Interventions

• The TB Control Program initiated and coordinates the Stanislaus County Communicable Disease Task Group. The group provides a forum for infection control professionals to discuss current issues and collaborate on appropriate interventions.
• The TB Control Program provides community education regarding tuberculosis to families, friends and employers of active and/or latent tuberculosis. Community education is provided to various target groups within the community as well as to individuals who contact the program requesting information.
• The TB Control Program conducts outreach clinics in Turlock and Patterson each month to bring, our services closer to the communities we serve. This increases our treatment completion rate, thus reducing future cases of TB disease.
• The TB Control Program provides educational and procedural assistance to community providers with the clinical management of tuberculosis. Assistance ranges from telephone support, to educational materials distribution, to in-service seminars.
• e TB Control Program participates in the leadership of Valley Sierra Regional TB Group. This group is a collaboration of public health TB professionals throughout Northern California to share information regarding challenges and interventions that have been successful for their respective programs.
• The TB Control Program participates in the STOP-TB Forum.
  This is an international collaboration of TB professionals sharing information regarding challenges and interventions that have been successful for their respective programs. Participation provides staff with a global perspective of TB control.

Target Population:

1. People who have active TB.
2. People who are suspected of having active TB.
3. People who have had close contact with active TB disease.
4. People who have latent tuberculosis infection.