TB Notes Newsletter

No. 3, 2011

NEWS FROM THE 2011 NATIONAL TB CONFERENCE

National TB Conference Poster Contest Winners

This year, for the National TB Conference fifth annual poster contest, 58 posters were developed and submitted by TB program staff from throughout the country, and were available for viewing during most of the meeting. A panel of judges reviewed and rated the posters on three criteria areas.

Relevance to TB control or elimination
Topic provides information that can potentially be transferred to another program; addresses or identifies high priority area of TB program or problematic area; provides strategy for better use of resources.

Clarity of information
Information is clearly written, short sentences, bulleted points to enhance readability; adequate amount of information provided to understand project, but not a complete journal article!

Graphic presentation
Graphics utilized to clearly present information (photographs to demonstrate or model, graphs and charts to display data); graphics are appealing to the viewer (not crowded, colors are used appropriately).

The poster judges for this year were Pennan Barry, Dawn Farrell, Roque Miramontes, Wanda Walton, Jon Warkentin, and Mark Wolman. A special thanks to them for their diligence.

This year the judges gave one first-place, one second-place, and two third-place awards because of ties among the entrants.

The first-place award was given to:

Deborah Lee
CDC/DGMQ
“U.S. Destinations of Newly Arriving Immigrants and Refugees with TB Classifications for 2009 and 2010”

The second-place winner was:

Ann Scarpita
Wisconsin State Department of Health Services
“Costs and Challenges Associated with Management of a Multidrug-Resistant TB Patient in Wisconsin”

The two third-place winners were:

Bianca R. Perri, MPH
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
“Using TB Cluster Investigation to Identify High-Risk Populations – A New York City Example”;
and
Brian Baker, MD
CDC/DTBE
“Evaluation of Tuberculosis Genotyping and the Tuberculosis Genotyping Information Management System in State and Local Health Departments – United States, 2010”

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s competition, and thank you to all submitters for sharing your data, experiences, and excellent solutions!

—Reported by Regina Bess
Div of TB Elimination

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Receipients of 2011 NTCA Awards

On June 15, the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA) presented awards for Exemplary Performance and Service in TB Prevention and Control. The winners of the 2011 awards were as follows. Photos were taken by Wanda Walton.

The President’s Award is given at the discretion of the NTCA President to acknowledge special accomplishments of an individual or organization who has contributed to the NTCA or the TB community in general. This year Sue Etkind, RN, MS, Director of the Massachusetts Division of TB Prevention and Control,was selected to receive the President’s Award by Kim Field, who served until May 2011 as the President of the NTCA. The nomination cites over 25 years of prodigious TB work, including serving as an officer in numerous TB control groups, participating on various writing committees and projects, and steering the Massachusetts TB Division through challenges related to health care coverage and access, decline of public health infrastructure, retirement of staff, and other issues. Sue also actively mentors the next generation of the public health workforce. In her remarks on selecting Sue for the President’s Award, Kim wrote: “I first knew of Sue at my first National TB Controllers Meeting in Atlanta. Sue and Massachusetts [TB control] held nationally recognized TB standards and polices and educational tools. I knew I was to keep working in leadership and advocacy for TB when Sue, along with Carol Pozsik, approached me in 2003 at a National TB Controllers meeting and stated, ‘You should be on the NTCA Board and consider the President Elect position.’ Thank you, Sue, for all of your dedication, leadership, and advocacy for TB elimination and control. Your career continues to lead the way. I am so proud to be able to recognize you with this award.”

The Carol Pozsik Nursing Award was presented to Mary Younge, RN, CIC (photo, center). Mary has been the TB Outreach Coordinator at NY State’s Monroe County Dept. of Public Health since 1993. As her nominators attest, she provides exemplary clinical care. In Monroe County, new TB cases are presented at Pulmonary Physician Rounds; Mary always presents the most complicated cases and never misses a clinical detail in her history. She is dedicated to TB control. In April 2011, the health department investigated an exposure at a daycare center that involved over 100 children and staff. She was there every morning at 6 am and was there every evening, talking to parents. Mary is also committed to serving the poor and needy. She has served on a hospice unit in a nursing home and in two homeless shelters. At the TB program, she provides individualized, patient-centered care for the most difficult patients. And she is a leader in nursing. She has converted numerous young nurses to be fanatical fans of TB control, and has inspired many young students to consider a career in community health.

The William Stead Clinician Award was given to Dr. Lee Reichman (photo, right). This award recognizes outstanding commitment and performance by a clinician providing TB care, leadership, or mentoring. Dr. Reichman was the Director of the Bureau of Tuberculosis in the New York City Health Department from 1971 to 1973 and the Director of the Pulmonary Division of the New Jersey Medical School - Newark from 1974 to 1993. He is presently a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at the same institution. He serves as the Executive Director of the Global Tuberculosis Institute at the NJ Medical School. He has been involved since 1982 with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. He is an author of over 100 journal articles, as well as numerous other publications; his CV is 78 pages long! For nearly 50 years, Dr. Reichman has worked tirelessly towards the control and elimination of TB around the globe. He has been actively involved in patient care and in the mentoring of innumerable students, and he is a relentless advocate for TB care everywhere on the globe.

The Robert Koch TB Researcher Award was presented to Dr. Timothy Sterling. When he taught at Baltimore’s 3-day “TB Today” program, Dr. Sterling was an immediate favorite of the students, able to make the treatment of TB and the interactions of medications not only understandable to novices, but enjoyable. His interest in research and his commitment to the patients whose care he directed were evident to everyone. Moving on to Vanderbilt, he remained a strong advocate for TB and HIV research, working with both the TB Trials Consortium (TBTC) and the TB Epidemiologic Studies Consortium (TBESC). As chair of TBTC Study 26 (the PREVENT TB study) he guided that large and important study to its successful completion. He is known for his generosity in sharing his knowledge, his sense of humor, and his commitment to the patients he sees, the people he teaches, and those with whom he works to eliminate TB in the world. Dr. Sterling was not at the conference.

The Dixie Snider Award was presented to Dr. Thomas Navin (photo, right). This award is bestowed on a CDC employee who has rendered outstanding support, through partnership, to the state or local level TB community in the interest of improving TB control and prevention programs. Dr. Navin is the Chief of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Outbreak Investigations Branch, DTBE, CDC. He oversees the epidemiologic and surveillance research agenda for preventing TB in the United States, the National TB Surveillance System, and the conduct of TB outbreak investigations. The nominator wrote, “Dr. Navin does render outstanding support to the state and local TB community through partnership. I have witnessed and had the experience of Dr. Navin coming to the state/local level to really understand the challenges the state and local staff face in the day-to-day work of TB prevention and control. I have also always felt that Dr. Navin addresses each individual as a peer and that we are all on the same team, fighting the battle of sustaining and maintaining TB prevention and control battle. I most admire the support he has given to his scientists regarding the advancement and application of genotyping to TB prevention and control.”

The Charles DeGraw Advocacy Award was won by Cynthia Tschampl. This award is given to an organization or individual who has rendered outstanding efforts and achievements in advocating for increased support of TB prevention and control efforts. She is a doctoral student and teaching assistant at the Heller School for Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She is also a research consultant for the Crittenden Women’s Group, and the Boston global group leader for RESULTS. Cynthia has received awards including training fellowships, scholarships, and the RESULTS Grass Roots Service Award. Her nominators write that “She is an absolute dynamo, whose passion is domestic and global TB and grass roots advocacy. She schedules legislative visits each year and arms herself (and her students) with targeted lobbying materials and that same passion to move mountains that gets results. Largely through her efforts, key members of the Massachusetts Senate and House receive TB and public health messages, and those efforts have resulted in increases in the state budget for TB control when economic times have been lean. She is the advocate that we in TB control all dream of having. Her advocacy work has had an impact on TB patients, the Massachusetts TB Prevention and Control Program, students, legislators, the media, and the public at large.” Cynthia was not at the meeting to receive the award.

Ken Jost (photo, right) of DTBE’s Laboratory Branch won the Ed Desmond Lab Award. This award is given to a TB laboratorian for outstanding TB laboratory services. As the previous Manager of the Mycobacteriology Laboratory and the current Tuberculosis Applications Scientist for the Texas Department of State Health Services Mycobacteriology Laboratory, he helps ensure the provision of excellent service and diagnostic capacity of the laboratory. His nomination states, “He has a long history of providing extraordinary service to heath care providers and public health workers in the state of Texas in their care of TB patients and contacts. He works diligently, including working long and late hours when needed, to ensure that providers have the most rapid access to lab services possible. He takes a sincere interest in TB patients and their outcomes. He has an impressive understanding of TB, and the approach that health care provides take to manage it. He understands the impact of a diagnosis of active TB, drug resistance, or treatment failure. He cares about the service the lab provides, understands how important it is, and is willing to provide that help even when it means going the extra mile to get lab results. He is known nationally for his dedication and leadership as evidenced by his participation on numerous workgroups.” Please note that Ken’s award is also described in an article from Frances Tyrrell later in this issue.

The TB Controller of the Year Award was presented to Kim Field, Washington State TB Controller until her recent retirement in May 2011. The award recognizes an outstanding contribution and impact on TB prevention and control. Kim has had a 35-year career in public health, with the last 18 devoted to TB prevention and control at the state and national levels. Kim’s TB experience began in rural San Diego County where she administered streptomycin and hearing tests to immigrants and ranch hands. Her stellar career culminated with her recognition as a nationally known leader, educator, and advocate for TB programs. During her tenure in the Washington State TB Program, Kim faced many challenges, including three complex and large outbreaks. Under her leadership, she and her staff met these challenges in an open and collaborative manner.  In addition, Kim implemented cohort review in her state as a way to improve case management outcomes, and tirelessly educated many other state staff in the cohort review process. Kim’s passion for sharing and mentoring resulted in her teaching many courses for the Francis J. Curry International TB Center and providing numerous guest presentations at national and regional TB meetings.  Kim also actively participated in many state and national TB workgroups and committees, including serving as President of NTCA twice. It is truly fitting that Kim’s passionate and tireless advocacy for TB programs and patients everywhere be recognized through NTCA’s highest award. Kim was not at the meeting to receive this honor.

In addition, Dr. Richard Brostrom (photo, left) was recognized for having been selected for the 2010 Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award from the UNC (Chapel Hill) Gillings School of Global Public Health. Established in 1975, the Barr award is presented to an outstanding alumnus who is working full time in public health. Dr. Brostrom was named the Barr Award winner in April 2010 but was living in Saipan at the time; he received the award in June 2011 at the National Tuberculosis Conference. Dr. Brostrom earned a Master of Science in Public Health degree in 1987 from UNC's public health school and medical degree in 1991 from UNC's School of Medicine. In 1996 he relocated to Saipan, capital of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). He served as medical director of the Division of Public Health for the CNMI until 2010 when he moved to Hawaii to become DTBE’s Pacific Region TB Field Medical Officer and the TB Control Branch Chief with the Hawaii Department of Health. Some of his most groundbreaking work has been with diabetes and multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. "Dr. Brostrom was one of the first people to sound the alarm of this emerging problem of MDR TB on the island state of Chuuk," said Sapna Bamrah, MD, a DTBE medical epidemiologist. At the conference, the Barr award was presented to Dr. Brostrom by Dr. Terry Chorba, Chief, FSEB, who is also an alumnus of the UNC School of Global Public Health.

—Reported by Carol Pozsik and Denise Ingman, NTCA
and Ann Lanner, DTBE

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