Practice Title: Mobile field assessment of low-risk travelers from Ebola-affected areas
Department: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Size: Large (Population of 500,000+ people)
State: California
Summary of Practice:
Since 2015 the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has partnered with Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (KPLAMC) to fill a gap to clinically assess travelers from Ebola-affected areas without activating and Ebola treatment or assessment center.
Los Angeles County (LAC) is the most populous county in the United States with over 10 million residents and includes 88 cities. LAC is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the U.S. Beginning the week of October 10, 2022, CDC and Department of Homeland Security implemented funneling of air passengers traveling to the U.S. who had been to Uganda.
Since low-risk travelers most likely have illnesses (e.g. malaria) unrelated to Ebola, in the absence of exposures to persons with Ebola virus disease (EVD), potential delays in care could occur when concerns exist in evaluating patients without ruling out EVD. Activating an Ebola treatment or assessment center for a clinically stable patient that does not need hospitalization is a heavy burden on the healthcare system. The KPLAMC mobile field assessment team has been operational since 2015 with protocols (including testing for malaria) developed in conjunction with LACDPH and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and has been activated in an actual situation and continues to conduct drills to assess any operational gaps.
Partnerships among EMS, healthcare, and public health that led to the success of this practice which has implications to decrease burden on our healthcare system when Ebola in returning travelers is of concern. KPLAMC team responds to any resident in LAC when requiring activation regardless of Kaiser membership or health insurance status.
Mobile field assessment of low-risk travelers from Ebola-affected areas
Category
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control
Description