Indiana Department of Health (IDOH)

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Clinician Updates

The IDOH offers regular Clinician Updates on Friday afternoons. Information about past updates can be found below.

October 25, 2024
Indiana Department of Health Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Guy Crowder, hosted clinician update on Friday, Oct. 25. 

Topics included Marburg virus in Rwanda with guest presenter Haley Beeman, MPH, senior healthcare associated infections epidemiologist; and updates on Baxter fluid, respiratory infections, syphilis and congenital syphilis, and other public health topics.

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).


August 23, 2024
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Guy Crowder and Medical Director Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi hosted a clinician update on Friday, Aug. 23.  The webcast featured two guest speakers:  

  • Folic Acid Supplementation: Dr. Kaitlyn G. Edwards, IU Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
  • Test results via LimsNet: Amanda Berlon, Communications Specialist, IDOH Laboratory Services Commission

Additional topics included:

  • Congenital Syphilis Update
  • Upcoming viral respiratory season – strategies, reporting requirements
  • COVID-19 update
  • Recent CDC health alerts (you can access the CDC alerts by clicking the links below)
  • Other public health updates of clinical importance

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

A follow-up to questions posed during the webcast can be found below:

  1. If you need a vaccine, including mpox, and cannot find it, please feel free to reach out to Tracy Brunette, Vaccine Manager, at the Indiana Department of Health. Her phone number is 317-606-5091 and her e-mail is [email protected]  

  2. Also, Dr Crowder spoke to the CDC about the need for a second dose of nirsevimab in the second season if a child had previously received during the first season and is still less than 8 months old. Per the CDC, this decision would be based on the child’s risk factors. See the guidance below in red. For more information please reference this website or feel free to contact Dr. Crowder at [email protected]

Children at increased risk for severe RSV disease are recommended to receive nirsevimab if all the following apply:

  • They meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • Chronic lung disease of prematurity who required medical support (chronic corticosteroid therapy, diuretic therapy, or supplemental oxygen) any time during the 6-month period before the start of the RSV season
    • Severe immunocompromise
    • Cystic fibrosis who have either
      • Manifestations of severe lung disease (previous hospitalization for pulmonary exacerbation in the first year of life or abnormalities on chest imaging that persist when stable)

Or

      • Weight-for-length <10th percentile
    • American Indian and Alaska Native children
  • They are younger than age 20 months on the day of immunization
    • Children at increased risk younger than age 8 months and entering their second RSV season should receive a dose of nirsevimab. For example, a child born in March should receive their first nirsevimab dose shortly after birth; they may be entering their second RSV season at 7 months of age in October and should be given a second dose of nirsevimab (dose: 50 mg if less than 5kg and 100 mg if 5kg or more).


June 28, 2024
IDOH Medical Director Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi hosted a clinician update on Friday, June 28. The webcast had two guest speakers:

  • Quit Now Indiana: Holly Simpson, Quitline Director with Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
  • Birthing hospitals: How to enroll in VFC program: David McCormick, Director, Immunization Division

Additional topics included:

  • Resources on antibiotic awareness
  • Heat related illnesses
  • Doxy PEP for STI prevention
  • Update on Bicillin shortage
  • Early safety findings on RSV vaccine
  • Emerging drugs and toxic substances

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

 
May 24, 2024
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Guy Crowder and Medical Director Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi hosted a clinician update on Friday, May 24. The webcast had three guest speakers.

  • Water Safety and Drowning Prevention: Reducing Fatalities in Indiana by Allie Houston, Fatality Prevention Programs Director
  • School Immunizations by David McCormick, Immunization Director
  • Lead Update by Paul Krievins, Lead and Healthy Homes Director

Additional topics included:

  • Congenital and adult syphilis update and website review
  • Other infectious diseases of public health importance
  • Useful resources
  • Updated breast cancer screening recommendations
  • Miscellaneous public health topics

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

April 26, 2024
Dr. Guy Crowder, chief medical officer, and Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi, medical director, provided a clinician public health update on Friday, April 26. There were two guest speakers. Brian Pope, director of the IDOH Laboratory Virology and Biological Preparedness Division, discussed the new lab courier system, and Lee Green, senior medical entomologist in the IDOH Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Disease Program, spoke about tick borne diseases.

This month’s update included:

  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
  • Measles
  • Respiratory virus update 
  • Mpox
  • Meningococcus
  • Heat related illness
  • Other infection updates and reminders
  • Miscellaneous topics and updates

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

March 22, 2024
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Guy Crowder and Medical Director Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi provided a clinician update on Friday, March 22. The webcast had two guest speakers.

  • Zachary Adams, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and clinical psychology at Indiana University School of Medicine shared information about the Indiana Behavioral Health Access Program (BeHappy).
  • IDOH Vaccine-Preventable Disease Epidemiologist Makayla Culbertson, CHES, gave a measles update. It was covered on the call, but in case you have not seen, the CDC released on March 18 an advisory to discuss that global and domestic measles situation.

Additional topics included:

  • Respiratory virus update 
  • Other infection updates and reminders
  • Additional public health updates

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

February 23, 2024
Dr. Guy Crowder, Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi, Medical Director at the Indiana Department of Health presented a Clinician Update on Friday, February 23.

Topics included:

  • Respiratory viral update
  • Other infections – including syphilis, salmonella, mpox, Cipro resistant meningococcus, possibly others
  • TB update
  • Viral hepatitis update
  • Miscellaneous

Guest speakers:

  • Roxanne Krepper, IDOH Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, providing a Viral Hepatitis Update
  • Kelly White, IDOH TB Prevention and Care Director, providing a TB Update

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).
IDOH News Letter Viral Hepatitis Provider Letter 2024 (PDF file).
Measles Provider FAQ 2-23-24 (PDF file).

January 26, 2024
Dr. Guy Crowder, IDOH Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Shireesha Vuppalanchi, IDOH Medical Director, and other IDOH staff presented the following topics on today's Clinician Update:

  • Respiratory infection update (COVID-19, Influenza, RSV)
  • Other infections update (Syphilis, Mpox, others)
  • Recalls
  • Trauma and Injury Updates
  • Solar eclipse
  • Oral health program updates and Give Kids a Smile event
  • Public Health Day

The presentation from this Clinician Update can be accessed here (PDF file).

December 18, 2023
Slides from a Special Clinician Update on TB can be accessed here (PDF file).

More clinician update slides will be added as they are available.