About Us
Local health departments (LHDs) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) TB Control Branch (TBCB) staff work together to develop strategies and practices to improve TB diagnosis and treatment in California, for TB disease and TB infection. With approximately 2,000 people diagnosed with TB disease each year in California and an estimated 2 million Californians living with TB infection, collaborations between local and state staff keep policies and practices in California grounded in the work being done in LHDs across the state to identify, treat, cure and prevent TB. CTCA connects TB program staff from LHDs across California with CDPH TBCB staff in workgroups and committees to advance TB prevention and treatment policies and practices in California.
Staff turnover in local health departments is an ongoing challenge. Those new to TB rely on colleagues with expertise in TB care and prevention to get up to speed quickly to reduce the impact of TB in their local health jurisdictions. To build and share TB care and prevention expertise in California, CTCA plans and produces an educational conference each year, alternating between Northern California in the odd numbered years and Southern California in the even ones. The CTCA conference shares the latest advances in TB prevention and treatment and provides a vital networking opportunity for experts and those new to TB.
Local health departments need in-house expertise, partnerships with medical providers outside of public health and policies to shift toward elimination efforts to reduce the impact of TB in their jurisdictions. CTCA supports committees and workgroups in each of these areas.
CTCA is led by a volunteer, elected Executive Committee (EC), made up of
Governed by the CTCA Bylaws, volunteer leaders work together to advance TB prevention and control efforts. At the beginning of the EC cycle a Work Plan is created. Prioritized items are identified to work on each year. Workgroups and Committees are formed. The EC meets monthly to advance the work. TB Controllers are invited onto these monthly calls. Contact us to find out more or to join a Committee or Work Group.
Ongoing work includes:
- An annual educational conference, usually in the Spring, and two TB Controllers Meetings, each year, in the Fall and Spring. Our upcoming events and archived meeting materials can be found under the Events tab.
- CTCA and the California Department of Public Health TB Control Branch co-produce and update guidelines, as resources allow and need determines. Guidelines not being updated are still available on the Additional Resources page, the second submenu, under Guidelines.
- Additional work shared on this website include
- Resources for medical PROVIDERS and PATIENTS
- defining the Responsibilities of Public Health Departments to Control Tuberculosis
- California TB Legal Resources: Learn about legal resources for public health departments.
- TB Control Staff in California Directory: We work to keep this statewide TB staff directory current. Questions from the public are directed to local public health department TB control staff. The California Department of Public Health TB Control Branch
staff are also provided in this directory .
Any questions? Feel free to contact us!