Small Scientific West Coast Epidemiology Conference

The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health's Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology is requesting funding from the FDA Scientific Conference Grant Program to enable Nevada to host the West Coast Epi Conference. This conference is an annual informal gathering that is held each October. The purpose of the conference is to allow public health professionals to share their recent experiences, current projects, and to discuss mutual problems and emerging issues. The attendees are made up of local, state, federal, and tribal health professionals on the front lines of food, biological, and communicable disease prevention, exposure assessment, emergency preparedness, and disaster epidemiology. Nevada has been unable to host the conference in previous years due to lack of funding availability. Each year the conference is hosted by different western regional states, mainly Washington, Oregon and California. If we receive this funding, it will enable Nevada, for the first time, to be able to host the West Coast Epi Conference. It is important that Nevada be part of the public health partnership and takes our turn in hosting this very essential conference. <p>Conference objectives:</p><p><ol><li> Develop an agenda that includes a wide scope of content related to foodborne illness, food safety, bioterrorism, and best practices for foodborne illness investigations. Methods: Invite public health representatives from the western region to present on foodborne illness topics in their region. </li><li> Create collaboration among agencies to provide solutions to common foodborne illness issues. Methods: Encourage agencies to share success stories involving enforcement and use of federal food safety regulations and recommendations. </li><li> Discuss scientific/technological advances related to foodborne illness. </li></ol></p><p>Methods: Invite agencies to present on and discuss new methods and techniques used in promoting food safety and foodborne illness investigations. </p>