2009 Update: Please note that the Partners in Prevention course is currently under review in order to be updated. The course updates will be available in Spring 2009.

This course is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease Prevention, Response and Services, and the Local Public Health Institute of Massachusetts. Updated in February 2007, this interactive web-based training is designed to prepare public health professionals to respond to infectious disease cases and emergencies. It was developed to complement the Infectious Disease Surveillance, Reporting, and Control: What is it all about? classroom training that has taken place annually since 2001.

Target Audiences
The course is designed for those who are mandated by Massachusetts law and regulations to participate in infectious disease surveillance and reporting, and may be called upon to implement isolation and quarantine measures. It is also for individuals who have been unable to attend the classroom training but still require a foundation in infectious disease surveillance, including:

• State and local public health professionals: health directors/agents, sanitarians, and public health nurses
• Healthcare providers: physicians, infectious disease specialists, nurses, and emergency room staff
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
• Infection control professionals
• Laboratorians
• Community-based healthcare providers: including staff of HMOs, VNAs, community health centers, and private practices
• School health professionals
  

Learning Objectives
After taking this course, participants should be able to:

• Describe the principles of infectious disease surveillance, reporting and control.
• Describe the infectious disease reporting requirements and legal authority as defined in the Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) and in 105 Code of Massachusetts Regulation 300.000.
• Describe the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule for public health activities.
• Explain isolation and quarantine strategies, and how they may differ depending on the disease.
• Identify appropriate infection control measures to minimize the risk of exposure to infectious diseases.
  

Training Level
Awareness

Other Information
To register for this course, click on the registration button below. For more information, download a copy of the flyer. If you need additional information or have questions, please contact Kathleen Gilmore at 617-839-6919 or Kathleen.Gilmore@state.ma.us.

NOTE - How to Access the Course:
After you register for this course the link to it will be available to you in two ways:
1. If you want to take the course immediately after you register, you will find the link on your registration confirmation page, which appears after you click "Register Now."
2. If you decide to take the course in stages, or need to visit the course at any other time, you will find the link to it in your "Course Tracker" OR "Course History" under "Learner Profile." (Access your Learner Profile by clicking the link in the top right-hand corner of this website.)
If you have any questions about how to access the course, please contact Kathleen MacVarish at kmacvar@bu.edu.

Note that the course can only be accessed by logging into the Local Public Health Institute website.