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DPH reports rise in shigella among people living outdoors; announces Northeast Medical Services partnership
Summary
The DPH director told commissioners of a recent rise in shigella cases affecting people living in the street, outlined outreach and sanitation work, and announced a new partnership with Northeast Medical Services to expand primary-care access into the San Francisco Health Network.
Director Garcia opened the departments report noting long service by Dr. Joe Goldenson and presenting acknowledgements; she then turned to public-health issues of immediate concern.
Garcia said the city saw a "significant increase" in Shigella cases in the prior month, affecting both homeless and non-homeless people, and that the outbreaks have concentrated impact among people sleeping on the street with limited access to handwashing and sanitation. She said the departments homeless outreach team is using a new medical outreach model to reach people on the street, and that the department is working with city shelters and meal programs to improve sanitation and handwashing access.
The director also announced that the San Francisco Health Network had entered a partnership with Northeast Medical Services (NEMS), effective Dec. 30, so that NEMS patients could access primary care and the networks hospital and specialty services; specialty and hospital access were to be available as of Jan. 2. Garcia thanked Eddie Chen and others for facilitating the arrangement and noted membership is available to medical-managed-care and Healthy Kids populations.
She highlighted behavioral-health operations, noting a mental-health triage warm line that had taken more than 1,400 calls since opening in August 2014, and described philanthropic support: a $1 million Kaiser Permanente grant to a Bayview program and $400,000 for primary-care chronic disease education. Garcia closed by noting Project Homeless Connect activities and a winter drive that collected several hundred coats and hoodies.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about environmental monitoring at the old Naval/Candlestick site; Dr. Ottergund (air quality) said the planning departments environmental-impact report is complete and that the health department will meet with Planning to determine what further information is needed to assess health risks. The department said it expects several weeks before definitive recommendations are available.
