XI. Epidemic Services

FY 2000 Performance Plan - Revised Final FY 1999 Performance Plan

The scope of CDC's epidemic services extends to acute and chronic infectious and noninfectious diseases, injuries, nutrition, reproductive health, environmental health, and occupational problems. When state, local, or foreign health authorities request help in controlling an epidemic or solving other health problems, CDC dispatches skilled epidemiologists from the Epidemic Intelligence Service to investigate and resolve the problem. As part of CDC's efforts to implement the Healthy People 2000 National Prevention Objectives, CDC conducts a program of scientific inquiry and applied research to solve public health problems and supports selected programs to assist states, health organizations, and others in the health field to achieve prevention goals. Resolving public health problems rapidly ensures cost effective health care and enhances health promotion and disease prevention. Activities involving rapid solutions range from local identification of food poisoning to national or even international investigations of deadly diseases, environmental hazards, or natural disasters. CDC efforts will continue to provide the U.S. with a trained professional staff able to investigate health problems affecting the U.S. population. Changing needs in public health require that the public health workforce in states, counties, cities, and other countries be trained to keep abreast of effective techniques for containing health threats.

Epidemic services cover a vast spectrum of activities: preventing and controlling epidemics and protecting the U.S. population from public health crises including biological and chemical emergencies; developing, operating, and maintaining surveillance systems, analyzing data, and responding to public health problems; training public health epidemiologists; developing leadership and management skills of public health officials at the federal, state, and local levels; carrying out the quarantine program as required by regulations; and publishing the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC's main channel for communicating public health news about disease outbreaks and trends in health and health behavior.

Performance Goals and Measures

Performance Goal: Maximize the distribution and use of scientific information and prevention messages through modern communication technology.

Performance Measure:

FY Baseline	FY 1999 Appropriated	FY 2000 Estimate
N/A		Complete the pilot study of the Multimedia Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) project in which information from the MMWR series of publications is distributed to the media, public, policy makers, and health professionals through multiple media channels --print, television, radio, interactive World Wide Web-- using advanced telecommunications technology.
N/A		Evaluate market penetration by analyzing data collected through Nielsen's Sigma encoding; reports of market rank (Nielsen), market area, air date and time, estimated viewing audience, and estimated advertising value; Internet hits; audio/video downloads; media contacts; and CIO-specific communications evaluation.
N/A	Critical findings will be implemented and performance measures for future years will be identified. Currently, the needs assessment is being conducted and critical findings have not yet been assessed.

Performance Goal: Encourage state health departments to develop efficient and comprehensive public health information and surveillance systems by promoting the use of Internet for surveillance and electronic data interchange, and by focusing on development of standards for data elements.

Performance Measures ^1,2:

FY Baseline	FY 1999 Appropriated	FY 2000 Estimate
14 states with a plan (1997).	The number of States with a plan for a comprehensive information network will be increased from 14 in 1997 to 18.	The number of states with a plan for a comprehensive information network will be increased from 18 in 1999 to 22.
Baseline 0 (1998).	The number of states who have implemented a comprehensive information network will be increased from 0 to 2 in FY 1999.	The number of states who have implemented a comprehensive information network will be increased from 2 to 4 in FY 2000.

¹ Two measures included in the August OMB budget submission regarding use of data elements, electronic data exchange, and standards for basic data elements have been deleted for FY 1999 based on changes in the Program's priorities.
² The Performance measure concerning the number of state health departments with a Website was achieved in FY 1998; therefore, it is being deleted in FY 1999.

Performance Goal: Efficiently respond to the needs of our public health partners through the provision of epidemiologic assistance.

Performance Measure:

FY Baseline	FY 1999 Appropriated	FY 2000 Estimate
N/A	Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers will respond to at least 95% of the requests for epidemic assistance from domestic and international partners that meet he minimum criteria for CDC participation.	Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers will respond to at least 95% of the requests for epidemic assistance from domestic and international partners that meet minimum criteria for CDC participation.

Performance Goal: Build expertise within CIOs to conduct prevention effectiveness studies of public health interventions.

Performance Measures:

FY Baseline	FY 1999 Appropriated	FY 2000 Estimate
24 Staff Fellows (1998).	Increase the number of professional prevention effectiveness staff fellows from 24 in 1998 to 32 in 1999. 1	Increase the number of professional prevention effectiveness staff and fellows from 32 in 1999 to 40 in 2000.
Number of CDC personnel who participated in the annual Prevention Effectiveness Course.	Increase the number of staff in CIOs who can use prevention effectiveness methods by 80 persons in 1999.2	Increase the number of staff in CIOs who can use prevention effectiveness methods by 80 persons in 2000.
Number of studies conducted in 1998.	Increase the number of prevention effectiveness studies conducted by CIOs by 60 in 1999.	Increase the number of prevention effectiveness studies conducted by CIOs by 60 in 2000.

¹ The revised numbers more accurately reflect the number of prevention effectiveness staff fellows enrolled at present. The target number is eight (8) prevention effectiveness staff fellows for each class.

² The revised number more accurately reflects the number of staff who have successfully completed the prevention effectiveness training and have submitted proposals to use prevention effectiveness methods in planning studies in 1999.

Performance Goal: As a long term objective, CDC will implement accessible training programs to provide an effective work force for staffing state and local health departments, laboratories, and ministries of health in developing countries. In FY 2000, CDC will:

• Analyze early implementation of the Public Health Prevention Service.
• Evaluate the impact of laboratory training on laboratory practice.
• Increase the number of health service providers participating in distance learning activities.
• Increase the number of state and regional leadership development programs.
• Increase the number of public health professionals trained in management who conduct training in developing countries.

Performance Measures:

FY Baseline	FY 1999 Appropriated	FY 2000 Estimate
		90% of the first class of the Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) will remain in public health and 50% will be working in state and local health departments.
N/A		By FY 2000, develop a plan to address needed changes in training methodologies identified in the 1999 evaluation study. Continue to evaluate the impact of selected training programs on practices of laboratorians.
	The second phase of EIS evaluation will be completed and the first phase findings will be implemented.
Baseline: Evaluation of training programs from Fiscal Years 1992-1995.	The impact of laboratory training on the adoption of improved clinical laboratory methods will be evaluated.	The impact of laboratory training on the adoption of improved public health laboratory methods will be evaluated.
100,000 Health Service Providers participating in distance learning (1997).	The number of health service providers participating in distance learning activities annually will be increased from 100,000 in 1997 to 105,000.	The number of health service providers participating in distance learning activities annually will be increased from 105,000 in 1999 to 110,000.
9 State and Regional Leadership programs (1997).	The number of states and regional leadership development programs will be increased from 9 in 1997 to 13.	The number of states and regional leadership development programs will be increased from 13 in 1999 to 14 in 2000.
86 Public Health Professionals trained (1997).	The number of public health professionals trained in management who conduct training in developing countries will be increased from 86 in 1997 to 142.	The number of public health professionals trained in management who conduct training in developing countries will be increased from 142 in 1999 to 160.
Total Program Funding	$85,916	$85,048

Verification/Validation of Performance Measures: Performance for objective one will be monitored through routine evaluation of data collected. Data for objective two will be validated by informal feedback from state partners, an Internet tracking system, and reports released by the CDC Health Information and Surveillance Systems Board (HISSB). All other data are monitored using unpublished and published studies and recommendations.

Links to DHHS Strategic Plan

These performance measures are related to DHHS Goal 5: Improve public health systems.

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