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Public Health Surveillance and Communications Using Regional Emergency Medicine Internet (REMI)

An Effective Practice

Description

Milwaukee hospitals established a Regional Emergency Medicine Internet (EMSystem®) to securely share real-time ambulance diversion information. Participating in the governance and use of REMI allows the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) to issue 24/7 alerts to all area emergency departments and ambulances (e.g., for heat waves, an E. coli outbreak, West Nile, Homeland Security level, SARS); monitor diversion to detect and respond to health system crowding; provide ready access to reference materials (heat wave plan, bioterrorism agent recognition, West Nile tests); and perform syndromic surveillance (e.g., heat-related morbidity, bioterrorism sentinel syndromes, SARS).

Goal / Mission

The goal of this program is to provide real-time information about fast-breaking environmental hazards, communicable outbreaks, or terrorist events.

Results / Accomplishments

All county hospital and EMS providers are connected to the system and can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Voluntary SARS syndromic surveillance now involves 11 hospitals.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
City of Milwaukee Health Department
Primary Contact
Seth Foldy, Commissioner of Health
(414) 286-3521
sfoldy@milwaukee.gov
http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/display/router.asp
Topics
Community / Social Environment
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Organization(s)
City of Milwaukee Health Department
Source
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Date of publication
2005
Location
Milwaukee, WI
For more details
Additional Audience
Public Health Officials