Health Department Forms Folder 0065, 1999-2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

During the 1996-97 school year, the Department expanded the School Health Program, coordinating services with the Board of Education. Through its presence in the City's schools, the Department has launched two major public health collaborative initiatives — Open Airwaysfor Schools, an asthma-educational program designed to teach children ages 8 - 11 how to detect the warning signs to asthma and manage their asthma, and adolescent hepatitis B immunizations. The expanded school health program now provides a daily health presence in almost all elementary and intermediate schools. As of July 1999, DOH provided a daily health presence in 595 out of 647 (or 92 percent) public elementary schools/annexes and 151 out of 162 (or 93 percent) of public intermediate schools and annexes with adequate medical rooms that are not already served by DOH contracted school-based clinics.

0) Comprehensive Pest Control

The Mayor's Comprehensive Pest Control Initiative was launched in August 1997. The initiative has been conducted in three phases with each phase targeting specific neighborhoods and consisting of comprehensive inspection for rodent infestation, extermination and cleaning as needed. From August 1997 to June 1999, 33,049 initial inspections for rodent infestation in private properties and vacant lots were performed Citywide. Approximately 47 percent of owners remediated violation following the initial inspection.

P) Increased Efficiencies/Better Use of Technology

Electronic Birth Certificate (EBC) System: The Department has re-engineered the birth certificate reporting and issuance process by developing an electronic birth certificate system, redesigning office space, creating a new cash management system and emphasizing customer service. The electronic birth certificate reporting system is fully operational with more than 99 percent of all births now being reported electronically by hospitals and birthing centers. The time spent by the public in line waiting for birth and death certificates has dropped significantly, and the turnaround time for mailed in requests for birth certificates has dropped from 14 weeks to as low as 2 days.

Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS): In conjunction with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), the Department is developing the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS), which will permit the electronic filing of death certificates by physicians, hospitals, OCME, and funeral directors through a secure computer network. EDRS, which is partially funded through the Mayor's Office of Operations Technology Fund, provides faster and more efficient service to its users by eliminating the need for funeral directors to travel to DOH headquarters to file death certificates and obtain permits. Full implementation is scheduled for December 1999.

An Electronic Medical Chart: Person Registry Information Management Environ (PRIME) is a database that serves as an electronic medical chart. PRIME will track all tests that a person undergoes through DOH clinics, providing a more thorough medical history to the

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NYC-WTC 000137997