In the News
Indiana Health Department Receives Two Major Awards
Indiana's Division of HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis received the Health Commissioner Award and Charles C. Shepard Award for their heroic work during the Scott County HIV/Hepatitis outbreak. Way to go Hoosiers!
Indiana Health Commissioner Award
The Indiana State Department of Health’s Division of HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis received a State Health Commissioner Award from Dr. Jerome Adams, the current State Health Commissioner of Indiana and newly confirmed US Surgeon General. The award to the division was given for dedicated efforts to curtail and protect Hoosiers during the Scott County Outbreak from HIV and Hepatitis. In 2015 and 2016, Scott County Indiana experienced the largest outbreak of HIV and Hepatitis in the history of the state. As of 8/31/2017, there have been 213 confirmed cases linked to this outbreak, with the primary cause of transmission linked to injection drug use.
Ongoing testing and recovery efforts are currently underway to ensure that HIV testing, prevention and services are continued in the community. The Division has worked in tandem with CDC, state, and local resources to implement interventions such as HIV testing opportunities, a Syringe Exchange Program, improving substance abuse referral access and continued improvement to access to HIV care coordination and medical services. By improving these efforts, the division has been able to assist locals in reducing the spread of HIV and Hepatitis in the community and improve care for those who have tested positive.
CDC Charles C. Shepard Science Award in Prevention and Control
On June 28th, 2017, members of the Indiana Outbreak Investigation team received the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Prevention and Control. Members of the investigation team wrote an article that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, HIV Infection Linked to Injection Use of Oxymorphone in Indiana, 2014-2015. This article was published on July 21st, 2016 and included authorship from CDC, the Indiana State Department of Health Staff, and Local Health Department staff from Clark County Health Department and Scott County Health Department. The Charles C. Shepard Science Award is an annual award presented to the best manuscript founded in original research published by a CDC employee or ATSDR scientist in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal.
Authors on the NEJM Article
Philip J. Peters, M.D. (CDC), Pamela Pontones, M.A. (Indiana State Department of Health), Karen W. Hoover, M.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Monita R. Patel, Ph.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Romeo R. Galang, M.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Jessica Shields, B.S. (Clark County Health Department), Sara J. Blosser, Ph.D. (Indiana State Department of Health), Michael W. Spiller, Ph.D. (CDC), Brittany Combs, R.N. (Scott County Health Department), William M. Switzer, M.P.H. (CDC), Caitlin Conrad, B.S. (Indiana State Department of Health), Jessica Gentry, M.A. (Indiana State Department of Health), Yury Khudyakov, Ph.D. (CDC), Dorothy Waterhouse, B.S. (Clark County Health Department), S. Michele Owen, Ph.D. (CDC), Erika Chapman, M.P.H. (Indiana State Department of Health), Jeremy C. Roseberry, M.A. (Health Care Education and Training), Veronica McCants, M.S.A. (CDC), Paul J. Weidle, Pharm.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Dita Broz, Ph.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Taraz Samandari, M.D., Ph.D. (CDC), Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H. (CDC), Jennifer Walthall, M.D., M.P.H. (Indiana State Department of Health), John T. Brooks, M.D. (CDC), and Joan M. Duwve, M.D., M.P.H. (Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana University), for the Indiana HIV Outbreak Investigation Team*