Northeastern Spotlight

Fall 2020 Volume 15 – Number 2

News and Announcements

National TB Controllers Association (NTCA) Award Recipients from the Northeastern Region
During the National TB Controllers Association’s 2020 Virtual Conference, nominated individuals were recognized for their outstanding dedication to TB prevention and elimination efforts, including three TB clinicians from the Northeastern region. The Global TB Institute would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge these individuals for their contribution to TB research and patient care as well as leadership roles. We are fortunate to work with these TB champions through the provision of consultations, planning and coordination of training activities, and development of educational materials, and we thank them for all the work they do!

William Stead TB Clinician Award – John Bernardo, MD

Dr. John Bernardo from Boston University School of Medicine was the recipient of the 2020 William Stead TB Clinician award for his unwavering dedication to TB elimination. Dr. Bernardo is a Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and TB Control Officer at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. He is also a volunteer medical consultant for the Global TB Institute where he also frequently serves as faculty for TB courses and workshops. Congratulations to Dr. Bernardo for his well-deserved recognition and award!

Carol Pozsik Award – Pat Iyer, RN, MSN

Pat Iyer from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health was the recipient of the Carol Pozsik Award. Pat Iyer is the Director of Disease Investigation and Case Management at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences and has over 20 years of experience working in TB as a public health nurse. Pat is very active within the NTCA and served on the NTNC board for over 8 years and is highly engaged with educational initiatives in Massachusetts and the New England region. Pat truly embodies the qualities of exemplary care, service, and leadership and we congratulate her on receiving this merited award!

Robert Koch TB Researcher Award – Maunank Shah, MD, PhD

Dr. Maunank Shah from Johns Hopkins University was the recipient of this year’s Robert Koch TB Researcher Award for his ongoing contributions to TB research.
Dr. Shah is an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University and Medical Director of the Baltimore City Health Department TB Program. He has dedicated his research to the evaluation of new TB diagnostics in resource-limited settings, infectious disease modeling, and health economics. Dr. Shah is also the brains behind the creation of the ID Crowd system which GTBI uses for TB medical consultation. Congratulations to Dr. Shah for this well-deserved award and we look forward to his future innovations!

The Global Tuberculosis Institute was invited to participate in the first annual 2020 TB Summit: Eliminating TB Together on November 18-19. This two-day virtual conference focused on outreach to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities with high TB burdens and highlighted innovative projects and strategies for TB elimination. The training provided an opportunity for participants across the country to connect through networking events and participate in educational presentation sessions. Representatives from the four TB Centers of Excellence (COE) were in attendance, as well as from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA), Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other regional TB programs.

Participants celebrate the conclusion of the first TB Summit during the conference closing session.

Several representatives from TB programs in the Northeastern region were highlighted in the Summit, including Ms. Shaila Rao and Dr. Edward Zuroweste. Shaila Rao, Director of Outreach at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Bureau of Tuberculosis Control, presented the conference session “Community and Provider Initiatives towards TB Prevention in NYC," in which she highlighted ways the Bureau works collaboratively with non-DOHMH healthcare providers and communities to prevent TB. Shaila and her co-presenter Mon Yuck Yu, MPA, from the Academy of Medical and Public Health Services, discussed how their two organizations collaborated to tackle a Brooklyn TB outbreak in 2015.

Dr. Edward Zuroweste, founding Medical Director of the Migrant Clinicians Network, provided the closing remarks for the conference. Dr. Zuroweste gave an overview of the conference and its achievements, thanked speakers and panelists, and emphasized the importance of our continued efforts to eliminate TB. He also announced that the next TB Summit would take place in 2021.

Learn more about the 2020 TB Summit and the TB Engagement Network here: https://www.aapcho.org/projects/tb-community-engagement-network/

TB and COVID-19 Resources

You can find resources with information about TB and COVID-19 on our website: http://globaltb.njms.rutgers.edu/Resources/TBPPResources.php