Pia DM MacDonald, PhD, MPH¹, Andrew C. Voetsch, MPH¹, Michelle R. Torok, MPH¹, William Fowler, RS², Sue-Ellen Morrison, RN³, Pamela Jenkins, MSN, EdD⁴, Martha Salyers, MD, MPH⁵, Penelope Padgett, PhD, MPH¹, and Jeffrey Engel, MD⁴. (1) Department of Epidemiology/NC Center for Public Health Preparedness, UNC School of Public Health, CB 8165, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165, 919 843 3415, pia@email.unc.edu, (2) Buncombe County Health Center, Environmental Health Services, 35 Woodfin St, Asheville, NC 28801, (3) Buncombe County Health Center, Disease Control Division, 35 Woodfin St, Asheville, NC 28801, (4) NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, 1915 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699, NC 27699, (5) Public Health Regional Surveillance Team Six, 35 Woodfin St, Asheville, NC 28801

Partnerships between health departments and academic centers, such as schools of public health, are mutually beneficial. We describe the experience of collaboration during an outbreak investigation in North Carolina. In September 2003, sixteen laboratory-confirmed cases of Hepatitis A infection were reported to the Buncombe County Health Center (BCHC). Personnel at BCHC conducted initial case and contact interviews that identified 2 local restaurants as a common exposure among case-patients and provided immune globulin to over 3,500 people who were potentially exposed. Public Health Regional Surveillance Team (PHRST-6) consulted with the BCHC Epi-Team, acted as liaison with the CDC Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, and assisted in the immunization clinic. The state epidemiologist requested that the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness (NCCPHP) at the UNC School of Public Health perform an epidemiologic study to determine the source of this outbreak as part of a CDC directed multi-state investigation. NCCPHP mobilized Team Epi-Aid, a volunteer organization created to provide applied public health experience for students and assistance to state and local health departments during emergencies. Nine student volunteers, in collaboration with the state health department, designed the case-control study, wrote the questionnaire, conducted interviews, analyzed data, and wrote a summary report. State officials forwarded the report to the CDC where it supported the need to conduct an international trace-back of an implicated food item. During this outbreak, UNC students were able to provide surge capacity and epidemiologic knowledge and received valuable experience in applied public health in return.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant (learner) will be able to

• discuss the characterists of the Team Epi-Aid academic-practice partnership,
• describe an example where Team Epi-Aid was untilized, and
• articulate the benefits of this joint partnership to the academic and practice communities.

Keywords: Outbreaks, Public Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.