The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is soliciting applications from local health departments (LHDs) that would like to receive supplemental contractual field support in communities that have high burden and risk for pregnant women (or children born to mothers) with hepatitis C, syphilis, and Zika virus and could use additional support to build their capacity to support surveillance efforts.

CDC is hosting an informational webinar regarding application and eligibility guidelines for the field support opportunity. The webinar will take place on Thursday, November 7 (3:00-3:30pm EST). To join the meeting, visit https://adobeconnect.cdc.gov/rlrwv1c3z8vp at the meeting time, type your first/last name, and click ‘Enter Room.’ To dial in to the meeting, call 866-880-0098 and use passcode 39802800.

Additional information regarding the field support opportunity is available on the CDC website at: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/aboutus/pregnancy/emerging-threats.html. The application period is from Nov. 13 to Dec. 13.

About the Field Support

The supplemental field support is an additional, and optional, opportunity for local jurisdictions with state and large-city/territory grantees (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, US Virgin Islands, LA County and New York City) that have already been selected to conduct surveillance through the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) program (ELC CK19-1904: Project W).

Field support will be provided by locally-placed contractual staff. The purpose of field support is to assist local health department capacity to: 1) collect and report accurate, timely, and complete data on pregnant women and infants with evidence of the selected exposure to an emerging threat during pregnancy, and 2) help pregnant women and children affected by emerging threats get the services they need. Support will be tailored to local health department needs and existing capacity and will be provided on-site by trained personnel who can provide assistance in one or more of the following areas:

1. Assistance with timely data sharing, reporting, and coordination among providers, state health departments, laboratories, and CDC.
2. Assistance with data collection and reporting processes, including medical chart abstraction and pregnancy and birth defects
3. Use of surveillance data to predict, plan, and prepare for increased demand for services
4. Support of case management so that pregnant women affected by emerging threats and their families receive the services they need.
5. Assistance with the HIPAA-compliant sharing of patient health information among different service providers to ensure coordinated
6. Assistance with coordination of emerging threats response efforts targeting pregnant women and
7. Assistance with clinical outreach to healthcare providers to improve adherence to clinical

Have Questions or Want More Information? To contact your state about this opportunity, please reach out to the listed primary investigator from the table below:

*Los Angeles County, CA and New York City, NY are also funded for SET-NET (ELC CK19-1904: Project W)