Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority, 73024-73026 [07-6130]
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73024
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 26, 2007 / Notices
ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS
Number of
respondents
Form
Referral/Consent to Contact Form (Patient) ................................................................................
CATI Detailed Telephone Interview .............................................................................................
Health Care Utilization/Sense of Community (for adult) .............................................................
Health Care Utilization (for parent of adolescent) .......................................................................
Economic Impact (adult) ..............................................................................................................
Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (for adult subjects) ....................................................
Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ–4+) (for adults) ......................................................
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (for adult subjects) ................................................................
Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (for adult subjects) ...........................................................
Life Experiences Survey (for adult subjects) ...............................................................................
Adolescent Subject Fatigue Questionnaire .................................................................................
Adolescent Health Questionnaire ................................................................................................
Symptoms Inventory ....................................................................................................................
Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 ....................................................................................
Multi-dimensional Fatigue Inventory ............................................................................................
Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale ............................................................................................
Illness Perception Questionnaire .................................................................................................
Davidson Trauma Scale ..............................................................................................................
Ironson-Woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index .........................................................................
Illness Management Questionnaire .............................................................................................
Ways of Coping Questionnaire ....................................................................................................
Social Support Questionnaire ......................................................................................................
Dated: December 14, 2007.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. E7–24933 Filed 12–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Statement of Organization, Functions,
and Delegations of Authority
Part C (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention) of the Statement of
Organization, Functions, and
Delegations of Authority of the
Department of Health and Human
Services (45 FR 67772–76, dated
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR
69296, October 20, 1980, as amended
most recently at 72 FR 67308, dated
November 28, 2007) is amended to
reflect the reorganization of the Division
of Healthcare Quality Promotion,
National Center for Preparedness,
Detection and Control of Infectious
Diseases, Coordinating Center for
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Section C–B, Organization and
Functions, is hereby amended as
follows: Delete in their entirety the
functional statements for the Division of
Healthcare Quality Promotion (CVKD),
and insert the following:
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Division of Healthcare Quality
Promotion (CVKD). The mission of the
Division of Healthcare Quality
Promotion (DHQP) is to protect patients;
protect healthcare personnel; and
promote safety, quality, and value in
both national and international
healthcare delivery systems. In carrying
out its mission, DHQP: (1) Measures,
validates, interprets, and responds to
data relevant to healthcare processes
and outcomes, healthcare-associated
infections, antimicrobial resistance,
adverse drug events, and other related
adverse events or medical errors in
healthcare affecting patients and
healthcare personnel; (2) investigates
and responds to emerging infections and
related adverse events among patients
and healthcare providers, or others
associated with the healthcare
environment; (3) collaborates with
academic and public health partners to
design, develop, and evaluate the
efficacy of interventions for preventing
infections and reducing antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or
medical errors; (4) develops and
disseminates evidence-based guidelines
and recommendations to prevent and
control healthcare-associated infections/
antimicrobial resistance, and related
adverse events or medical errors; (5)
promotes the nationwide
implementation of Healthcare Infection
Control Practices Advisory Committee
(HICPAC) recommendations and other
evidence-based interventions to prevent
healthcare-associated infections,
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246
246
246
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246
Number of
responses per
respondent
Average hours
per
response
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
12/60
42/60
20/60
20/60
20/60
20/60
42/60
25/60
20/60
20/60
8/60
20/60
12/60
20/60
12/60
20/60
20/60
12/60
8/60
20/60
33/60
20/60
antimicrobial resistance, and related
adverse events or medical errors among
patients and healthcare personnel;
evaluates the impact of these
recommendations and interventions
across the spectrum of healthcare
delivery sites; (6) develops, implements,
and evaluates the effectiveness and
impact of interventions to prevent
transmission of healthcare-associated
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
and other bloodborne pathogen
infections; (7) develops and evaluates
diagnostic instruments and novel
laboratory tests to detect and
characterize antimicrobial-resistant
bacterial pathogens and the infections
that they cause; (8) promotes high
standards of water quality in healthcare
settings and tests and assures the water
quality for CCID laboratories; (9)
conducts epidemiologic, and basic and
applied laboratory research to identify
new strategies to prevent infections/
antimicrobial resistance, and related
adverse events or medical errors,
especially those associated with medical
or surgical procedures, indwelling
medical devices, contaminated
products, dialysis, and water; (10)
establishes evidence-based data for
bioterrorism preparedness, and building
and site remediation by performing
laboratory research on surface sampling,
detection of bacterial bioterrorist agents
by non-culture methods, and rapid
detection of antimicrobial resistance in
category A and B bacterial bioterrorist
agents; (11) serves as the National
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26DEN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 26, 2007 / Notices
Reference Laboratory for the
identification and antimicrobial
susceptibility testing of staphylococci,
anaerobic bacteria, and those gramnegative bacilli causing healthcareassociated infections; (12) develops and
maintains the National Healthcare
Safety Network (NHSN), a tool for
monitoring healthcare-associated
infections, for measuring healthcare
outcomes and processes, and for
monitoring healthcare worker
vaccination and selected health
measures in healthcare facilities; (13)
continually assesses rates of infections
caused by resistant-bacteria in the U.S.
through active surveillance, review of
national healthcare data sets, and
laboratory surveillance programs; (14)
promotes the integration of the
healthcare delivery system in federal/
state/local public health preparedness
planning; (15) coordinates activities,
guidance, and research related to
infection control across the agency and
with national and international
partners; (16) collaborates with other
CDC National Centers (NC) and partners
to assure quality clinical microbiology
laboratory practices through proficiency
testing, educational programs, and
training of personnel; (17) trains
Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers
and other trainees; (18) coordinates
antimicrobial resistance activities at
CDC; (19) represents CDC as co-chair of
the federal Interagency Task Force on
Antimicrobial Resistance; (20) works in
a national leadership capacity with
public and private organizations to
enhance antimicrobial resistance
prevention and control, surveillance
and response, and applied research; (21)
coordinates blood, organ, and other
tissue safety at CDC; (22) represents
CDC on the Advisory Committee on
Blood Safety and Availability and the
Advisory Committee on Organ
Transplantation; and (23) works in a
national leadership capacity with other
public and private organizations to
enhance blood, organ, and other tissue
safety through coordination of
investigation, prevention, response,
surveillance, applied research, health
communication, and public policy.
Office of the Director (CVDK1). (1)
Manages, directs, and coordinates the
activities of the DHQP: (2) provides
leadership and guidance on policy,
communications/media, program
planning and development, program
management, and operations; (3)
provides DHQP-wide administrative
and program services and coordinates or
ensures coordination with the
appropriate NC’s and CDC staff offices
on administrative and program matters;
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(4) provides liaison with other
governmental agencies, international
organizations, and other outside groups;
(5) coordinates, in collaboration with
the appropriate NC and CDC
components, global health activities
relating to the prevention of healthcareassociated infections/antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or
medical errors; (6) coordinates
activities, guidance, and research
related to infection control across the
agency and with national and
international partners; (7) works with
other federal agencies, state
governments, medical societies, and
other public and private organizations
to promote collaboration and to
integrate healthcare preparedness in
federal/state/local public health
preparedness planning; (8) develops and
conducts healthcare preparedness
exercises and drills; (9) leads and staffs
the Healthcare Delivery and the
Infection Control/Clinical Care
functional seats in the CDC Director’s
Emergency Operations Center; (10)
coordinates antimicrobial resistance
activities at CDC and represents CDC as
co-chair of the federal Interagency Task
Force on Antimicrobial Resistance; (11)
works with other agencies, state
governments, medical societies, and
other public and private organizations
to enhance antimicrobial resistance
prevention and control, surveillance
and response, and applied research; (12)
coordinates blood, organ, and other
tissue safety at CDC and represents CDC
on the Advisory Committee on Blood
Safety and Availability and the
Advisory Committee on Organ
Transplantation; (13) works with other
federal agencies, state governments, and
other public and private organizations
to enhance blood, organ, and other
tissue safety through coordination of
investigation, prevention, response,
surveillance, applied research, health
communication, and public policy; (14)
provides program and administrative
support for HICPAC; and (15) advises
the Director, NCPDCID, on policy
matters concerning DHQP activities.
Clinical and Environmental
Microbiology Branch (CVKDB). (1)
Collaborates with the Prevention and
Response Branch to provide laboratory
response to outbreaks and emerging
threats associated with infections/
antimicrobial resistance and related
adverse events throughout the
healthcare delivery system; (2) provides
comprehensive laboratory support and
expertise for investigations of
recognized and emerging bacterial
agents in healthcare settings; (3)
develops methods to assess
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73025
contamination of environmental
surfaces with bacterial agents of
bioterrorism, the effectiveness of various
water treatment strategies to control the
intentional introduction of agents of
bioterrorism into municipal water
systems, and develops molecular
methods for rapid assessment of
antimicrobial resistance in agents of
bioterrorism; (4) investigates novel and
emerging mechanisms of antimicrobial
resistance among targeted pathogens
found in healthcare settings; (5) detects
the toxins/virulence factors of bacteria
causing healthcare-associated infections
to understand their transmission and
pathogenicity; (6) conducts research in
collaboration with partners to develop
new, accurate methods of detecting
antimicrobial resistance in bacteria and
to improve reporting of antimicrobial
susceptibility testing results to
physicians to improve antimicrobial
use; (7) conducts laboratory research to
identify new strategies to prevent
infections/antimicrobial resistance,
related adverse events, and medical
errors, especially those associated with
invasive medical devices, contaminated
products, dialysis, and water; (8)
evaluates commercial microbial
identification and antimicrobial
susceptibility testing systems and
products and facilitates their
improvement to provide accurate
patient test results; (9) provides
leadership in reducing microbiology
laboratory errors that affect patient
outcomes by evaluating laboratory
proficiency and promoting laboratory
quality improvements; (10) investigates
the role of biofilms, particularly those
detected in indwelling medical devices
and medical water systems, in medicine
and public health, and identifies novel
methods to eliminate colonization and
biofilm formation on foreign bodies; (11)
investigates the role of the water
distribution systems in healthcare
facilities in order to understand and
prevent waterborne healthcareassociated infections; (12) provides
expertise, research opportunity,
training, and laboratory support for
investigations of infections and related
adverse events to those in other CDC
NCs and to our partners in areas related
to quality clinical microbiology
laboratory practices, investigation of
emerging pathogens, environmental
microbiology and bioterrorism
preparedness.
Prevention and Response Branch
(CVKDC). (1) Coordinates rapid and
effective epidemiologic response to
strategically selected outbreaks and
emerging threats caused by healthcareassociated infections, related adverse
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26DEN1
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73026
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 26, 2007 / Notices
healthcare events, related infections in
the community, and antimicrobial
resistance; communicates the results
and findings of response activities with
federal and state agencies in order to
alert healthcare providers and educate
the public to prevent similar adverse
events in the future; (2) strategically
supports local, state, national, and
international efforts to prevent
healthcare-associated infections, related
infections in the community,
antimicrobial resistance, and related
adverse events or medical errors using
evidence-based recommendations and
effective health communications
strategies that enhance rapid and
reliable information dissemination and
exchange; (3) develops and/or evaluates
the effectiveness of both experimental
and applied interventions to prevent
healthcare-associated infections, related
infections in the community,
antimicrobial resistance, blood-borne
virus transmission, and related adverse
events or medical errors across the
spectrum of healthcare delivery sites; (4)
provides epidemiology support to
laboratory branch for investigation and
study of both recognized and emerging
bacterial healthcare pathogens and
related community pathogens, including
antimicrobial resistant forms of these
pathogens; (5) develops, promotes, and
monitors implementation of guidelines/
recommendations, and other proven
interventions to prevent healthcareassociated infections, related infections
in the community, blood-borne virus
transmission, antimicrobial resistance,
medical errors, and occupational
infections/exposures among healthcare
personnel; (6) develops and/or evaluates
the effectiveness of both experimental
and applied interventions to promote
healthcare worker safety; (7) develops,
promotes, and monitors implementation
of interventions to prevent transmission
of healthcare-associated HIV infections
and conducts case investigations of
occupational HIV infections; (8)
conducts research, including applied
epidemiologic and clinical, to prevent
healthcare-associated infections and
antimicrobial resistant infections; (9)
provides expert consultation, guidance,
and technical support to other branches
in the division, across the agency, to
domestic and international partners,
and the U.S. public on the epidemiology
and prevention of healthcare-associated
infections, related community
infections, antimicrobial resistance, and
exposures/injuries among healthcare
personnel; and (10) provides
epidemiology support to clinical and
environmental microbiology branch to
identify new strategies to prevent
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adverse events due to infections
associated with indwelling medical
devices, contaminated products,
dialysis, and water.
Surveillance Branch (CVKDD). (1)
Monitors and evaluates on the national
level the extent, distribution, and
impact of healthcare-associated
infections, antimicrobial use and
resistance, adverse drug events,
healthcare worker safety events, and
adherence to clinical processes and
intervention programs designed to
prevent or control adverse exposures or
outcomes in healthcare; (2) provides
leadership and consultative services for
statistical methods and analysis to
investigators in the Branch, Division,
and other organizations responsible for
surveillance, research studies, and
prevention and control of healthcareassociated infections and other
healthcare-associated adverse events; (3)
improves methods and enables wider
use of clinical performance
measurements by healthcare facilities
and public health entities for specific
interventions and prevention strategies
designed to safeguard patients and
healthcare workers from risk exposures
and adverse outcomes through
collaborations with extramural partners;
(4) collaborates with public and private
sector partners to further standardize,
integrate, and streamline systems by
which healthcare organizations collect,
manage, analyze, report, and respond to
data on clinical guideline adherence,
healthcare-associated infections,
including transmission of multi-drugresistant organisms and other
healthcare-associated adverse events; (5)
coordinates, further develops, enables
wider use, and maintains the NHSN, (a
web-based system for healthcare
facilities throughout the U.S. to collect
and analyze their own data and share
data with DHQP and other organizations
on healthcare-associated adverse events
and process-of-care measures) to obtain
scientifically valid clinical performance
indices and benchmarks that promote
healthcare quality and value at the
facility, state, and national levels; (6)
conducts applied research to identify
and develop innovative methods to
detect and monitor healthcareassociated infections and antimicrobial
resistance; (7) conducts special studies
and provides national estimates of
targeted, healthcare-associated adverse
events, antimicrobial use and resistance
patterns, and the extent to which
prevention and control safeguards are in
use to protect at-risk patients across the
spectrum of healthcare delivery sites;
and (8) uses NHSN and other data
sources to conduct special studies and
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provide national estimates of targeted
occupational illnesses and injuries
among healthcare workers and the
extent to which preventive safeguards
are in use across the spectrum of
healthcare delivery sites.
Dated: December 13, 2007.
William H. Gimson,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 07–6130 Filed 12–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–18–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Title: National Survey of Child and
Adolescent Well-Being-Second Cohort
(NSCAW II).
OMB No.: 0970–0202.
Description: The Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS)
intends to collect data on a new sample
of children and families for the National
Survey of Child and Adolescent WellBeing (NSCAW). The NSCAW was
authorized under Section 427 of the
Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunities Reconciliation Act of
1996. The original survey began in
November 1999 with a national sample
of 5,501 children, ages 0–14, who had
been the subject of investigation by
Child Protective Services during the
baseline data collection period, which
extended from November 1999 through
April 2000. Direct assessments and
interviews were conducted with the
children themselves, their primary
caregivers, their caseworkers, and, for
school-aged children, their teachers;
agency directors also were interviewed
at baseline. Follow-up data collections
were conducted 12 months, 18 months,
and 36 months post-baseline, and a fifth
data collection is currently under way.
The NSCAW is the only source of
nationally representative, firsthand
information about the functioning and
well-being, service needs, and service
utilization of children and families who
come to the attention of the child
welfare system. Information is collected
about children’s cognitive, social,
emotional, behavioral, and adaptive
functioning, as well as family and
community factors that are likely to
influence their functioning. Family
service needs and service utilization
also are addressed in the data collection.
The current data collection plan calls
for selecting a new cohort of 5,700
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73024-73026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-6130]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of
Authority
Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as
amended most recently at 72 FR 67308, dated November 28, 2007) is
amended to reflect the reorganization of the Division of Healthcare
Quality Promotion, National Center for Preparedness, Detection and
Control of Infectious Diseases, Coordinating Center for Infectious
Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as
follows: Delete in their entirety the functional statements for the
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (CVKD), and insert the
following:
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (CVKD). The mission of the
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) is to protect patients;
protect healthcare personnel; and promote safety, quality, and value in
both national and international healthcare delivery systems. In
carrying out its mission, DHQP: (1) Measures, validates, interprets,
and responds to data relevant to healthcare processes and outcomes,
healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, adverse
drug events, and other related adverse events or medical errors in
healthcare affecting patients and healthcare personnel; (2)
investigates and responds to emerging infections and related adverse
events among patients and healthcare providers, or others associated
with the healthcare environment; (3) collaborates with academic and
public health partners to design, develop, and evaluate the efficacy of
interventions for preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors; (4) develops
and disseminates evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to
prevent and control healthcare-associated infections/antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors; (5) promotes
the nationwide implementation of Healthcare Infection Control Practices
Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommendations and other evidence-based
interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections,
antimicrobial resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors
among patients and healthcare personnel; evaluates the impact of these
recommendations and interventions across the spectrum of healthcare
delivery sites; (6) develops, implements, and evaluates the
effectiveness and impact of interventions to prevent transmission of
healthcare-associated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other
bloodborne pathogen infections; (7) develops and evaluates diagnostic
instruments and novel laboratory tests to detect and characterize
antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens and the infections that
they cause; (8) promotes high standards of water quality in healthcare
settings and tests and assures the water quality for CCID laboratories;
(9) conducts epidemiologic, and basic and applied laboratory research
to identify new strategies to prevent infections/antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors, especially
those associated with medical or surgical procedures, indwelling
medical devices, contaminated products, dialysis, and water; (10)
establishes evidence-based data for bioterrorism preparedness, and
building and site remediation by performing laboratory research on
surface sampling, detection of bacterial bioterrorist agents by non-
culture methods, and rapid detection of antimicrobial resistance in
category A and B bacterial bioterrorist agents; (11) serves as the
National
[[Page 73025]]
Reference Laboratory for the identification and antimicrobial
susceptibility testing of staphylococci, anaerobic bacteria, and those
gram-negative bacilli causing healthcare-associated infections; (12)
develops and maintains the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), a
tool for monitoring healthcare-associated infections, for measuring
healthcare outcomes and processes, and for monitoring healthcare worker
vaccination and selected health measures in healthcare facilities; (13)
continually assesses rates of infections caused by resistant-bacteria
in the U.S. through active surveillance, review of national healthcare
data sets, and laboratory surveillance programs; (14) promotes the
integration of the healthcare delivery system in federal/state/local
public health preparedness planning; (15) coordinates activities,
guidance, and research related to infection control across the agency
and with national and international partners; (16) collaborates with
other CDC National Centers (NC) and partners to assure quality clinical
microbiology laboratory practices through proficiency testing,
educational programs, and training of personnel; (17) trains Epidemic
Intelligence Service Officers and other trainees; (18) coordinates
antimicrobial resistance activities at CDC; (19) represents CDC as co-
chair of the federal Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial
Resistance; (20) works in a national leadership capacity with public
and private organizations to enhance antimicrobial resistance
prevention and control, surveillance and response, and applied
research; (21) coordinates blood, organ, and other tissue safety at
CDC; (22) represents CDC on the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and
Availability and the Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation; and
(23) works in a national leadership capacity with other public and
private organizations to enhance blood, organ, and other tissue safety
through coordination of investigation, prevention, response,
surveillance, applied research, health communication, and public
policy.
Office of the Director (CVDK1). (1) Manages, directs, and
coordinates the activities of the DHQP: (2) provides leadership and
guidance on policy, communications/media, program planning and
development, program management, and operations; (3) provides DHQP-wide
administrative and program services and coordinates or ensures
coordination with the appropriate NC's and CDC staff offices on
administrative and program matters; (4) provides liaison with other
governmental agencies, international organizations, and other outside
groups; (5) coordinates, in collaboration with the appropriate NC and
CDC components, global health activities relating to the prevention of
healthcare-associated infections/antimicrobial resistance, and related
adverse events or medical errors; (6) coordinates activities, guidance,
and research related to infection control across the agency and with
national and international partners; (7) works with other federal
agencies, state governments, medical societies, and other public and
private organizations to promote collaboration and to integrate
healthcare preparedness in federal/state/local public health
preparedness planning; (8) develops and conducts healthcare
preparedness exercises and drills; (9) leads and staffs the Healthcare
Delivery and the Infection Control/Clinical Care functional seats in
the CDC Director's Emergency Operations Center; (10) coordinates
antimicrobial resistance activities at CDC and represents CDC as co-
chair of the federal Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial
Resistance; (11) works with other agencies, state governments, medical
societies, and other public and private organizations to enhance
antimicrobial resistance prevention and control, surveillance and
response, and applied research; (12) coordinates blood, organ, and
other tissue safety at CDC and represents CDC on the Advisory Committee
on Blood Safety and Availability and the Advisory Committee on Organ
Transplantation; (13) works with other federal agencies, state
governments, and other public and private organizations to enhance
blood, organ, and other tissue safety through coordination of
investigation, prevention, response, surveillance, applied research,
health communication, and public policy; (14) provides program and
administrative support for HICPAC; and (15) advises the Director,
NCPDCID, on policy matters concerning DHQP activities.
Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch (CVKDB). (1)
Collaborates with the Prevention and Response Branch to provide
laboratory response to outbreaks and emerging threats associated with
infections/antimicrobial resistance and related adverse events
throughout the healthcare delivery system; (2) provides comprehensive
laboratory support and expertise for investigations of recognized and
emerging bacterial agents in healthcare settings; (3) develops methods
to assess contamination of environmental surfaces with bacterial agents
of bioterrorism, the effectiveness of various water treatment
strategies to control the intentional introduction of agents of
bioterrorism into municipal water systems, and develops molecular
methods for rapid assessment of antimicrobial resistance in agents of
bioterrorism; (4) investigates novel and emerging mechanisms of
antimicrobial resistance among targeted pathogens found in healthcare
settings; (5) detects the toxins/virulence factors of bacteria causing
healthcare-associated infections to understand their transmission and
pathogenicity; (6) conducts research in collaboration with partners to
develop new, accurate methods of detecting antimicrobial resistance in
bacteria and to improve reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility
testing results to physicians to improve antimicrobial use; (7)
conducts laboratory research to identify new strategies to prevent
infections/antimicrobial resistance, related adverse events, and
medical errors, especially those associated with invasive medical
devices, contaminated products, dialysis, and water; (8) evaluates
commercial microbial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility
testing systems and products and facilitates their improvement to
provide accurate patient test results; (9) provides leadership in
reducing microbiology laboratory errors that affect patient outcomes by
evaluating laboratory proficiency and promoting laboratory quality
improvements; (10) investigates the role of biofilms, particularly
those detected in indwelling medical devices and medical water systems,
in medicine and public health, and identifies novel methods to
eliminate colonization and biofilm formation on foreign bodies; (11)
investigates the role of the water distribution systems in healthcare
facilities in order to understand and prevent waterborne healthcare-
associated infections; (12) provides expertise, research opportunity,
training, and laboratory support for investigations of infections and
related adverse events to those in other CDC NCs and to our partners in
areas related to quality clinical microbiology laboratory practices,
investigation of emerging pathogens, environmental microbiology and
bioterrorism preparedness.
Prevention and Response Branch (CVKDC). (1) Coordinates rapid and
effective epidemiologic response to strategically selected outbreaks
and emerging threats caused by healthcare-associated infections,
related adverse
[[Page 73026]]
healthcare events, related infections in the community, and
antimicrobial resistance; communicates the results and findings of
response activities with federal and state agencies in order to alert
healthcare providers and educate the public to prevent similar adverse
events in the future; (2) strategically supports local, state,
national, and international efforts to prevent healthcare-associated
infections, related infections in the community, antimicrobial
resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors using
evidence-based recommendations and effective health communications
strategies that enhance rapid and reliable information dissemination
and exchange; (3) develops and/or evaluates the effectiveness of both
experimental and applied interventions to prevent healthcare-associated
infections, related infections in the community, antimicrobial
resistance, blood-borne virus transmission, and related adverse events
or medical errors across the spectrum of healthcare delivery sites; (4)
provides epidemiology support to laboratory branch for investigation
and study of both recognized and emerging bacterial healthcare
pathogens and related community pathogens, including antimicrobial
resistant forms of these pathogens; (5) develops, promotes, and
monitors implementation of guidelines/recommendations, and other proven
interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections, related
infections in the community, blood-borne virus transmission,
antimicrobial resistance, medical errors, and occupational infections/
exposures among healthcare personnel; (6) develops and/or evaluates the
effectiveness of both experimental and applied interventions to promote
healthcare worker safety; (7) develops, promotes, and monitors
implementation of interventions to prevent transmission of healthcare-
associated HIV infections and conducts case investigations of
occupational HIV infections; (8) conducts research, including applied
epidemiologic and clinical, to prevent healthcare-associated infections
and antimicrobial resistant infections; (9) provides expert
consultation, guidance, and technical support to other branches in the
division, across the agency, to domestic and international partners,
and the U.S. public on the epidemiology and prevention of healthcare-
associated infections, related community infections, antimicrobial
resistance, and exposures/injuries among healthcare personnel; and (10)
provides epidemiology support to clinical and environmental
microbiology branch to identify new strategies to prevent adverse
events due to infections associated with indwelling medical devices,
contaminated products, dialysis, and water.
Surveillance Branch (CVKDD). (1) Monitors and evaluates on the
national level the extent, distribution, and impact of healthcare-
associated infections, antimicrobial use and resistance, adverse drug
events, healthcare worker safety events, and adherence to clinical
processes and intervention programs designed to prevent or control
adverse exposures or outcomes in healthcare; (2) provides leadership
and consultative services for statistical methods and analysis to
investigators in the Branch, Division, and other organizations
responsible for surveillance, research studies, and prevention and
control of healthcare-associated infections and other healthcare-
associated adverse events; (3) improves methods and enables wider use
of clinical performance measurements by healthcare facilities and
public health entities for specific interventions and prevention
strategies designed to safeguard patients and healthcare workers from
risk exposures and adverse outcomes through collaborations with
extramural partners; (4) collaborates with public and private sector
partners to further standardize, integrate, and streamline systems by
which healthcare organizations collect, manage, analyze, report, and
respond to data on clinical guideline adherence, healthcare-associated
infections, including transmission of multi-drug-resistant organisms
and other healthcare-associated adverse events; (5) coordinates,
further develops, enables wider use, and maintains the NHSN, (a web-
based system for healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. to collect
and analyze their own data and share data with DHQP and other
organizations on healthcare-associated adverse events and process-of-
care measures) to obtain scientifically valid clinical performance
indices and benchmarks that promote healthcare quality and value at the
facility, state, and national levels; (6) conducts applied research to
identify and develop innovative methods to detect and monitor
healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance; (7)
conducts special studies and provides national estimates of targeted,
healthcare-associated adverse events, antimicrobial use and resistance
patterns, and the extent to which prevention and control safeguards are
in use to protect at-risk patients across the spectrum of healthcare
delivery sites; and (8) uses NHSN and other data sources to conduct
special studies and provide national estimates of targeted occupational
illnesses and injuries among healthcare workers and the extent to which
preventive safeguards are in use across the spectrum of healthcare
delivery sites.
Dated: December 13, 2007.
William H. Gimson,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 07-6130 Filed 12-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M
