John Bernardo

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Minutes from the NTCA

• John Bernardo

John Bernardo President
2006
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Time Spent

• NTCA
• Mission Partnerships with CDC, NTNC
• Immigrant/refugee screening and B-notification
• Budget and Advocacy
• Laboratory
• Education and Research
• Working groups
• Program Representation to NTCA
• Annual Meeting

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NTCA Mission

• to advance the elimination of tuberculosis in
  the U.S. through the collective, concerted action
  of the officials of state, local, and territorial
  government who are empowered by their
  jurisdiction with the responsibility for carrying
  out programs to prevent and control TB

NTNC
Carol Pozsik, RN, MPH Executive Director
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Overseas Screening

• Hmong resettlement, 2004 -
• Missed cases
• High burdens of disease (MDR) to Domestic
  Programs
• Technical Instructions for Panel MDs Revised,
  2006
• CDC Division of Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ)
• NTCA role (proposed)
• Follow-up of arrivals evaluation of
  screening/feedback
• Burmese resettlement 2006 - (anticipate n gt
  150,000/10yr)
• Electronic Disease Notification (EDN)
• Process in-development (DGMQ)
• NTCA panel (M. Arbese, D. Sodt DGMQ staff) to
  work start-up
• Proposed changes to screening criteria
• To expand screening to most 6 month-or-longer
  stays
• Capacity overseas?
• Roles and capacity of local TB programs?
• Proposed revision of CDC Guideline for TB Control
  in Foreign-Born

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Budget and Advocacy

• Budgetary crisis
• DTBE level funding 1993-2005
• Reduction in real dollars
• 5 (appr.) cut to TB Programs COAG in 2006
• Late arrival of funds
• Current program challenges to maintain services
• Anticipate another 5 cut for 2007
• NTCA responses
• Prioritization to essential program activities
  DTBE, ACET
• IMPACT of FUNDING CUTS
• Discussions with DTBE re funds distribution
• Formula committee morbidity-based/non-punitive
  
• Advocacy
• Results Domestic TB issues now agenda item
• Support Comprehensive TB Elimination Act of 2006,
  reincarnate (HR5836)

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Laboratory

• Association of Public Health Laboratories Task
  Force NTCA
• Systems Approach to Laboratory Services (MMWR
  2005)
• Revision of Laboratory Self Assessment Manual
• Education and training for Clinicians and Public
  Health
• Collaborations on Diagnostics working groups
• QFT (TBESC), NAA (TBTC)
• Concurrent regional meetings
• Concurrent National meetings

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Education and Research

• Participation in educational activities at all
  levels
• RTMCCs
• Regional TB Control and Program conferences
• Assessment of program relevance of CDC Clinical
  and Epidemiologic Research activities
• Turning Research into Practice working group,
  TBESC
• Program participation in new TBESC STAR process
• To define TBESC research agenda
• External review of TBTC agenda

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Working Groups/Surveys

• QuantiFERON-G
• Communicate among users/potential users
• Advocate for implementation of testing
• Explore operational performance of QFT testing
  (?TBESC)
• TB Nurses Manual Committee
• Revision of popular manual for TB Nurses
• Genotyping Database
• Surveys
• Impact of federal funding cuts
• Use of Medicaid waiver for TB treatment
• Adverse events from treatment of LTBI

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Program Representation

• To define channels of communication between NTCA
  Board and Constituents
• Board members assigned to constituent programs
• Mechanism tbd
• Purpose to facilitate identification of program
  issues
• Directly engage NTCA and CDC leadership
• Provide dialog/program participation in
  new/ongoing activities

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Eliminating TB Fighting the Enemy
2006 National TB Controllers Workshop
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Annual Meeting

• Collaborate with CDC to create agenda of value to
  program staff
• Confront relevant issues, identified by programs
• Provide education
• Encourage communication/networking
• Utilize programs, their staff and their
  experiences
• Expand understanding of TB control
• Engage partners (laboratories, RTMCCs, research
  groups)
• Satisfy mission of NTCA/NTNC

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Enjoy the Ride !!!
Just Dont Hit Bottom!!