CDC - Director's Letter - TB Notes 4, 2014 - TB
TB Notes Newsletter
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- 1.58 MB)No. 4, 2014
Director's Letter
Dear Colleague:
Looking back over the changes and developments of 2014, I would like to thank the staff of CDC’s Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE) and our partners in public health for everyone’s collective efforts in closing out the year with satisfaction and pride. We have weathered a number of significant changes this past year or two. As you recall, it was a year ago, on December 31, 2013, that Dr. Ken Castro announced his decision to vacate the position of Director of DTBE. Dr. Castro was the Director of DTBE for 20 years, and his departure was unanticipated. Fortunately, a number of our well-qualified staff have been serving in acting capacities, allowing the Division to remain very productive. A round-up of the Division’s accomplishments and major activities of the year include the following:
When colleagues in state and local TB control programs struggled with shortages of drugs and diagnostics, DTBE staff developed and published reports in CDC’s Health Alert Network (HAN) and in the MMWR that provided guidance and interim recommendations. DTBE staff members continue to be involved in this challenging issue, because drugs and diagnostics remain vulnerable to supply interruptions.
On March 18, CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds focused on multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. This session included presentations by Sarita Shah of DTBE’s International Research and Programs Branch (IRPB) and Tom Shinnick, Associate Director for Global Laboratory Activities, in addition to two speakers from outside DTBE. Dr. Dalene van Delft, a survivor of MDR TB, was there to share her experiences. Also, the March 21 edition of the MMWR included its annual article on preliminary U.S. TB surveillance data for 2013. Later in October, the final surveillance report for 2013 indicated a total of 9,582 incident TB cases, reflecting our continued success in combatting TB.
In May, CDC held its annual honor awards ceremony. The Antibiotic Resistance Threat Report team, a group that included several DTBE staff, won the Excellence in Communication award. Kudos to the recipients of that award!
In August, DTBE welcomed three new EIS officers. Godwin Mindra joined the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Outbreak Investigations Branch, and the International Research and Programs Branch welcomed Hannah Kirking and Colleen Scott.
We have also had several retirements this year. Long-time DTBE senior staff who left CDC included Jose Becerra, Chief of the Data Management and Statistics Branch (DMSB); Lorna Bozeman, Data Management Team Lead in the Clinical Research Branch (CRB); Ken Castro, former Director, DTBE; Beverley DeVoe-Payton, Deputy Chief of CRB; and Bonnie Plikaytis, Acting Chief of the Laboratory Branch (LB).
In December we also say farewell to two long-time DTBE staff who have contributed a great deal to DTBE and worked in collaboration with many of you. Cheryl Tryon and Ann Lanner of DTBE’s Communications, Education, and Behavioral Studies Branch are both retiring at the end of this year. Cheryl, a Health Education Specialist, has worked on several award-winning projects and has helped make many of DTBEs educational products and training courses expertly organized and formatted so as to maximize user access and understanding. Ann, a Public Health Analyst, has served in a variety of editorial and communications projects, including serving as Managing Editor of TB Notes since 1995. Owing to her retirement, the next issue of TB Notes will be delayed somewhat. Please see the Personnel Notes section for these and many other items of staff news.
Philip LoBue, MD, FACP, FCCP
Director,
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Director,
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
 Director's Letter
Dear Colleague:
Looking back over the changes and developments of 2014, I would like to thank the staff of CDC’s Division of
Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE) and our partners in public health for everyone’s collective efforts in closing out
the year with satisfaction and pride. Read More
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS
2014–2015 NTCA Board
Guided by passion for what they do and a responsibility to the people they serve, with a commitment to their staff and colleagues in TB programs across the U.S., and holding the shared vision for a world free of TB, the members of the all-volunteer Board of the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA) donate their time guiding the organization. Over the last several years, as the organization has evolved, these voluntary positions are increasingly expanding in scope, time involvement, and potential for impact. Read More »
Review of Work by the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association’s (NTCA) Survey Committee
The National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA) is a professional member organization that brings together the leaders of TB programs from across the country. Most often, surveys or inquiries about TB control programs go through NTCA. However, requests occasionally go directly to the TB controllers and program staff. Over the last several years, the number of survey requests has increased. Read More »
 2014 Watsonian Society Banquet
Watsonian Society met for its annual banquet at the Marriott Century Hotel in Atlanta. The keynote speaker
at the event was Rear Admiral (Retired) Kenneth G. Castro, former Director of the Division of Tuberculosis
Elimination (DTBE). Dr. Castro also received the Honorary Public Health Advisor (PHA) Award from the
Watsonian Society, a CDC employee organization representing the contribution of PHAs to the nation’s and
the world’s public health. Read More »
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TB EDUCATION AND TRAINING NETWORK UPDATES
2014 TB ETN Conference
The TB Education and Training Network (TB ETN) held its 13th conference September 16–18, 2014,
in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with the 5th annual TB Program Evaluation Network (TB PEN)
Conference. Over 200 participants attended from all over the world, representing state and local TB programs,
nonprofit organizations, and academia. Read More »
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TB PROGRAM EVALUATION NETWORK UPDATES
5th TB Program Evaluation Network (TB PEN) Conference and Program EvaluationFocal Point Meeting
The TB Program Evaluation Network held its 5th annual conference September 16–18, 2014, in
conjunction with the TB Education and Training Network (ETN). A total of 38 Program Evaluation
(PE) focal points from TB control programs across the country attended. These PE focal points
have been assigned as part of DTBE efforts to develop and strengthen the capacity of state and local
TB programs to monitor and evaluate their programs and to enhance the effectiveness and
programmatic accountability of TB prevention and control activities. Read More »
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TB TRIALS CONSORTIUM (TBTC) UPDATES
CDC Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) Study 33 (IAdhere)
CDC’s Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) Study 26 trial, Prevent TB, demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the new 3-month, 12-dose regimen for latent TB infection (LTBI). The trial studied isoniazid (H) and rifapentine (P) given once weekly by directly observed therapy (DOT) for 3 months (3HP) compared with 9 months of daily, self-administered therapy (SAT) with INH alone (9H)(New Engl J Med 2011; 365: 2155). Read More »
Reasons LTBI Patients Declined or Enrolled in TBTC Study 33
As noted above, TBTC Study 33 assessed adherence to the 3-month, 12-dose once-weekly regimen of isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP) when given by DOT (directly observed therapy), SAT (self-administered therapy), or SAT with weekly short messaging service reminders. Read More »
COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION, AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES BRANCH UPDATES
2014 TB Program Managers’ Course
Overview of the TB Program Managers’ Course
The overall purpose of the TB Program Managers’ Course is to improve the planning and managerial
capabilities of new TB program managers throughout the country. The course is designed for TB
controllers, program managers, public health advisors, and nurse consultants with programmatic
responsibilities at the state, big city, territory, or region (within a state) level. Read More »
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DATA MANAGEMENT AND STATISTICS BRANCH UPDATES
TB Data Users Group
The TB Information Systems Team of DTBE’s Data Management and Statistics Branch (DMSB) performs all software development activities within the DTBE; provides helpdesk support for those applications that are in production; supports the state TB programs with IT advice and some support for the TB surveillance systems; and monitors the National TB Surveillance data to verify, validate and ensure the quality and completeness of the case data submitted. Read More »
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS BRANCH UPDATES
Handbook for Analysis of TB Surveillance Data
This fall, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a handbook, Understanding and Using Tuberculosis Data, to increase the capacity of TB program staff to analyze TB surveillance data and make data-driven decisions to improve their programmatic response. Country health information systems collect rich data on their burden of TB, but for a variety of reasons, TB program staff members tend to underuse these data. This in turn affects their ability to monitor the epidemic and assess progress towards TB targets. Read More »
 LABORATORY BRANCH UPDATESHistoric Microscope on Display at David J. Sencer CDC Museum
DTBE’s Laboratory Branch recently donated an original microscope used by Charles C. Shepard, MD,
for display at CDC’s David J. Sencer Museum. Dr. Shepard, who was Chief of the Leprosy and
Rickettsia Branch at CDC for more than 30 years, was an internationally recognized microbiologist
who contributed immensely to the scientific knowledge and characterization of
mycobacterial diseases. Read More »
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NEW CDC PUBLICATIONSCitations of recent TB-related publications by DTBE authors. Read More »
PERSONNEL NOTESBrief updates on arrivals, departures, retirements, awards, and other news about DTBE staff. Read More »
CALENDAR OF EVENTSListing of conferences, trainings, meetings, and other TB-related events. Read More »
TB Notes is a quarterly newsletter presented by the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE). It spotlights news about DTBE activities and provides highlights from state and local TB programs across the country. It also contains a calendar of events describing meetings, conferences, and other educational activities of potential interest to those working in TB.
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