Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern worldwide. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) Bureau of Chest Diseases (BCD), within the Division of Patient Care, is charged with protecting the public’s health in Suffolk County by preventing the spread of TB. The bureau operates a comprehensive tuberculosis control program, including the following state-mandated functions: TB case investigation, contact and source case investigation, nurse case management, directly observed therapy (DOT) for TB treatment, data reporting to the state, and arrangement of follow-up for immigration, civil surgeon, parolee and refugees requiring TB evaluation. The BCD also provides TB outreach and education to the public, as well as consultation and education to healthcare professionals.

The BCD receives reports from hospitals, physicians and medical laboratories of persons with suspected and confirmed TB disease and ensures that these persons receive appropriate treatment evaluation and treatment regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. The BCD ensures that persons with TB disease of the respiratory tract are rendered non-infectious by completion of a course of recommended anti-TB medications to prevent TB from spreading. The BCD also performs contact tracing to reduce TB transmission.

Suffolk County provides medical evaluation and treatment for TB cases/suspects and their contacts through contracts with the conveniently-located health centers operated by Sun River Health, and the Northwell Family Health Center.

• Nurse Case Management
  A registered nurse case manager follows each suspected or confirmed case of TB from initial report through completion of therapy to ensure that proper treatment protocols are followed. The registered nurse identifies high-priority contacts and ensures their evaluation.
• Directly Observed Therapy (DOT)
  DOT is the preferred means of ensuring adherence with TB treatment because it involves watching as the patient swallow their anti-TB medications. DOT is provided by appointment during normal weekday business hours, either daily or intermittently in the “field” (e.g., patient’s home, place of employment, school, or any other site that is mutually agreeable and deemed safe). DOT is administered by trained BCD personnel. DOT enables early identification of non-adherence with TB treatment, adverse medication effects, and possible worsening of TB.
• Contact Investigations
  TB contact investigations are an important part of TB control and are usually supervised by the local health department. TB contact investigations identify persons at risk of exposure to TB from a person with infectious TB disease. Since TB has a long incubation period of months or even years from exposure to development of disease, time is taken to carefully follow accepted medical and public health practices in identifying those persons at risk of exposure. Exposed contacts are usually persons who shared the same air space, in an enclosed environment, for a prolonged period of time (days or weeks, not minutes or hours) with a person with infectious TB disease. Exposed contacts are offered TB screening.
• Source Case Investigations
  Parents or guardians of children less than 2 years of age diagnosed with latent TB infection (LTBI) are interviewed in an attempt to identify their child’s close contacts in order to determine, if possible, the source of the child’s TB infection.
• Health Care Professional Consultation Services
• Nurse Case Management
  Healthcare professionals are encouraged to contact the BCD with any questions regarding management of persons with TB.
• Tuberculosis Registry
  The BCD maintains a registry of TB cases containing all necessary TB treatment and surveillance records in Suffolk County, as mandated by NYS Public Health Law. The TB registry contains demographic, epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory information of all individual TB cases in Suffolk County for the last 21 years.
• Community and Professional Education Programs
  The BCD is available to participate in community or professional education programs to improve TB education and awareness.

Bureau of Chest Diseases staff can be reached during working hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 631-854-2200.

After hours urgent Public Health issues can be reported to the after-hours number (631) 852-4820

Tuberculosis testing information (CDC)

Clinical Overview of Tuberculosis (CDC)

Guidelines for the treatment of latent TB infection