UIC Students with Communicable Illnesses Notification Protocol

Identification

• Identification of a student with a communicable illness is typically disclosed to the campus in one of the following ways:
  • Self-reported
  • Department of Public Health (city, county or state)
  • Campus diagnosis (Family Medicine, UI Hospital Emergency Room or other clinic)
• If the case is diagnosed at UIC, Infection Control must notify Department(s) of Public Health. (Infection Control has contacts with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, City and State Health Departments, UIC School of Public Health and other Infectious Diseases specialists throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the U.S. and internationally.)
• If the case is confirmed by a Department of Public Health, they file a case report and conduct an investigation. During the investigation, once it is disclosed that the individual is a UIC student, notification will most likely be made to Infection Control at UIC.

Notification

• Confirmed cases may require a follow-up notification alert from the campus to students, employees, residence hall, etc. depending on the severity of the organism, the nature of the exposure and outbreak concerns.
• Suspected cases should not activate the full protocol until the illness is confirmed.
• Suspected cases may trigger a notification alert to educate and inform the campus community until a diagnosis is confirmed, based on the severity of the organism, the nature of the exposure and outbreak concerns.

Examples of Communicable Diseases

• Pertussis
• Meningitis (Neisseria meningitides is the organism of concern most likely to occur in student populations)
• Tuberculosis
• Chicken Pox
• Other emerging diseases (e.g. SARS, swine flu)
• (Influenza-like illnesses are not reportable to Public Health departments unless there is a widespread outbreak)

Cases Reported to UIC from Department(s) of Public Health (city, county or state)

• Notification is made to UIC Department of Infection Control (IC)
• IC notifies Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA)
• OVCSA notifies Campus Housing (if relevant), the students' college and/or department (if emergency); Chancellor (if necessary)
• If necessary, OVCSA convenes a meeting with staff from Infection Control, Family Medicine, University Health Service, Environmental Health & Safety, Public Affairs, UIC Police; the student's college; and Campus Housing (if relevant)
• Public Affairs shares information with campus community: update UIC "Health & Safety" page on web site; Urgent/Official e-mail; SMS

Cases Reported by the Student or Family Member

• Student and/or family member notifies the university
• Notification should be made to OVCSA
• OVCSA notifies Infection Control
• OVCSA notifies Campus Housing (if relevant), the students' college and/or department (if emergency)
• If necessary, OVCSA convenes a meeting with staff from Infection Control, Family Medicine, University Health Service, Environmental Health & Safety, Public Affairs, UIC Police; the student's college; and Campus Housing (if relevant)
• Public Affairs shares information with campus community: update UIC "Health & Safety" page on web site; Urgent/Official e-mail; SMS

Cases Reported by UIC Medical Center (Hospital, ER, Family Medicine)

• Notification is made to UIC Department of Infection Control (IC)
• IC notifies the Board of Health
• IC notifies OVCSA
• OVCSA notifies Campus Housing (if relevant), the students' college and/or department (if emergency); Chancellor (if necessary)
• If necessary, OVCSA convenes a meeting with staff from Infection Control, Family Medicine, University Health Service, Environmental Health & Safety, Public Affairs, UIC Police; the student's college; and Campus Housing (if relevant)
• Public Affairs shares information with campus community: update UIC "Health & Safety" page on web site; Urgent/Official e-mail; SMS

Other Cases

• If the student does not live in the residence halls, notification to neighbors is the responsibility of the Department of Public Health.
• If the student is a member of an Athletics team or student organization, notification will be made by OVCSA.

Campus Contacts

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA)

Michael Ginsburg, Associate Vice Chancellor
6-7614
ginsburg@uic.edu

Linda Deanna, Associate Vice Chancellor/Dean of Students
6-4857
ldeanna@uic.edu

Infection Control (IC)

Maryann Gierloff, Associate Director
6-8953
mgierlof@uic.edu

Family Medicine

Dr. Patrick Tranmer, Head
6-9118 (office) or 312-656-5633 (pager)
tranmer@uic.edu

Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHSO)

Richard Anderson, Associate Director
3-2140, 312-636-2489 (cell) or 312-996-7233 (on-call phone)
safe@uic.edu

Public Affairs

Bill Burton, News Bureau Director
6-2269
burton@uic.edu

University Health Service

Dr. David Marder, Director
6-7420
davidm@uic.edu

Campus Housing

Susan Teggatz, Director
5-6320
steggatz@uic.edu

UIC Police

David Peters, Commander of Support Services
6-0047
dpeters@uic.edu

OVCSA 3-22-11

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