Mission Statement
To prevent and control communicable disease in Los Angeles County utilizing the tools of surveillance, outbreak response, education, and preparedness activities.
Vision Statement
Los Angeles County residents are free of preventable communicable disease. Public Health
is prepared to meet the challenge of emerging diseases.
ACDC Focus Areas
About ACDC
ACDC's mission is to reduce the incidence of communicable disease (other than
TB,
STDs, and
AIDS) in Los Angeles County through prevention, surveillance, and outbreak control. The ongoing goals of ACDC include the following:
Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control
- conduct surveillance for over 60 diseases and disease syndromes
- investigate disease outbreaks and recommend control measures
- conduct special studies and projects
- produce annual reports, special analyses, and procedure manuals
Communicable Disease Policy and Coordination
- set policy and make procedure recommendations for Department activities related to infectious and communicable diseases
- interpret and enforce state and federal laws and regulations
- interface with other local (cities, universites), state, national, and federal agencies, and programs concerned with public health (see
Links), and participate in national forums.
Communicable Disease-Related Training
- serve as a consultant to the medical community on issues of communicable and infectious diseases
- provide professional education to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals
- train medical doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), and preventive medicine residents from UCLA, California Department of Health Services training programs, health care professionals, and others
Public Education
- proactively educate and address concerns and inquiries of the news media on communicable disease
Funding
- apply for additional funding from outside agencies in order to support mission
Control of communicable disease can only occur through collaboration. ACDC serves as the lead unit for surveillance and investigation of certain suspected and confirmed communicable (CD) cases and disease syndromes. ACDC examines the population distribution of disease, specifically in relation to seasonality, geographic occurrence and demographic factors. ACDC also sets policy and provides guidance and assistance to field staff who handle the bulk of case investigations. This field staff includes area health officers, public health nurses, registrars, and investigators based in 24 districts and eight service planning areas (SPAs) throughout Los Angeles County.
California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2500, et seq., mandates healthcare providers and others to report
diseases or conditions to their local health departments.
Dedicated professional staff: (1) provide expert consultation and policy recommendations on communicable disease control, and (2) offer in-service training for healthcare professionals and selected community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles County.
View Organization Chart
ACDC Brochure
