TB News - August 2026

Washington State Department of Health sent this bulletin at 08/14/2026 03:15 PM PDT

August 2026

👥Update on DOH TB Program Staffing

The DOH TB Program has transitioned to a new staffing structure following the loss of 4 positions since March 31, due to federal and state funding cuts. At the end of March, we said goodbye to Administrative Assistant Tyra Shaw and TB epidemiologist Moon Choi-McInturff. More recently, at the end of June, we said goodbye to Soyeon Lippman and Shawn McBrien due to the elimination of Foundational Public Health Services TB Program funding. Each of these TB team members served critical roles in our Program, had a significant impact on TB prevention and care in our state, and we miss them greatly. Although they cannot be replaced, essential duties of theirs that could not be stopped will be carried on by the remaining DOH TB Program team members. Despite these significant losses, team members continue to host a vast understanding of and remain available for technical assistance on all clinical, laboratory, epidemiologic, and public health practice aspects of TB.

While our updated organization chart is below, partners who are already working directly with remaining TB Program staff should continue reaching out to those usual contacts. If you were previously communicating with Tyra, Moon, Soyeon, or Shawn, and were not given an alternative TB Program team member to redirect to, please consider reaching out to TBServices@doh.wa.gov for support. If you are ever unsure whom to contact, the shared inbox at TBServices@doh.wa.gov remains a good option, as it is monitored by multiple team members. Please note that response times may be slower than usual as the team adjusts to reduced capacity and updated internal processes. We appreciate your understanding and value your continued partnership.

💼Job Opportunity

Epidemiologist Research Scientist Staff, California Department of Public Health. Applications will be accepted through at least August 21, 2026

Information for Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs)

🆕Cohort Review: 2025 Report & 2026 Updates

The 2025 Cohort Review Report is now available on our TB Partners Data Resources SharePoint page! This report summarizes the Cohort Review sessions conducted in fall 2025 and highlights key takeaways from discussions on the following NTIP indicator topics:

Known HIV Status: Percent of TB Patients with Positive or Negative HIV Test Result Reported
Treatment Initiation: Percent of TB Patients with Positive Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) Sputum Smear Initiating Treatment Within 7 Days of Specimen Collection
Sputum Culture Conversion: Percent of TB Patients with Documented Sputum Culture Conversion within 60 Days of Treatment Initiation
Universal Genotyping: Percent of TB Patients with a Genotyping Result Reported

The WA DOH TB Program has reached out to the LHJs selected to participate in Cohort Review in 2026. If you did not hear from us, your program was not selected to participate in Cohort Review this year.

However, all LHJs will receive updated NTIP Snapshot Reports and accompanying materials this fall. We encourage you to use these resources to conduct your own internal review and identify opportunities for program improvement. As always, we are here to help answer questions and support you throughout your review process.

If you have questions about Cohort Review, NTIP or program evaluation more generally, please reach out to the TB Services Inbox at tbservices@doh.wa.gov.

📦Shipping TB Sputum Specimens: Tips During the Transition to Commercial Carriers

As your programs shift from local courier services to commercial carriers, a few simple steps will help ensure sputum specimens arrive at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory (PHL) safely and within required timelines. These reminders support CLIA standards and help prevent delays or rejected samples.

❗Attention WDRS TB Data Users

WDRS TB Workgroup - Call for Participants

The DOH TB Program and WDRS team are seeking WDRS TB data users to help shape upcoming changes to WDRS TB Contact and TB Infection events.

What’s Changing – A suite of WDRS changes has been drafted that will combine the current TB Contact and TB Infection event types. These changes are intended to simplify and improve the end-user experience, reduce data entry burden, and support documentation of contact identification, source case investigations, LTBI treatment, and other TB-related activities within a single event type.

Workgroup Details – To support this transition, we will be hosting a weekly 1-hour workgroup starting in late summer 2026 to review the proposed WDRS changes and gather feedback. Participation is flexible; you are welcome to attend as your schedule allows. Meeting summaries will be shared with workgroup participants so those who cannot attend can stay informed and provide feedback.

Who Should Participate? – We encourage WDRS TB data users to participate, including those that enter data, manage records, monitor workflows, run reports and analyze data. If you routinely enter TB Contact and/or TB Infection data in WDRS, your perspective will be especially valuable, and we encourage you to join if your schedule allows.

Sign Up – Please complete this survey to sign up and help us identify the best time to meet.

We look forward to collaborating with you on these updates. Your feedback will help improve the WDRS data entry experience and support more complete documentation of TB screening, contact identification, and LTBI treatment efforts.

📱How Much Does the Washington vDOT Program Save Your LHJ?

The DOH TB Program offers SureAdhere to LHJs and their patients with TB. SureAdhere is a vDOT application that has both recorded and live functions as well as a number of features which can help your team track treatment regimens and remind patients of their scheduled doses.

After collaboration with members of the DOH TB Program team, colleagues from CDC presented new analyses demonstrating the video directly observed therapy (vDOT) cost and time savings using a prototype vDOT Cost Calculator at the 2026 National TB Conference. The analysis found substantial differences between the vDOT and field DOT (FDOT). Average vDOT cost per session was $12.69, compared with $46.01 for FDOT. On a per patient basis, vDOT was estimated at $2,132, while FDOT averaged $5,337. These differences translated into meaningful savings: $33.32 per session and $3,205 per patient completing treatment. Staff time requirements showed similar contrasts. Staff spent 2.14 hours on vDOT and 11.68 hours on FDOT, suggesting that statewide adoption for all LHJ-managed patients in 2025 could save more than 2,600 staff hours annually. The findings reinforce the operational advantages of vDOT.

Ever wonder how much vDOT is saving your agency? Find more information about CDC's vDOT cost calculator here.

🔄 Updated DOH TB Resources

TB Follow Up Worksheet Reference Guide (PDF) now features an interactive TB Follow-Up Worksheet on page 8, in addition to updated guidance.

Upcoming Events and Education Opportunities

June 15 – August 28, 2026 | Level 2: TB Case Management

The Curry International TB Center (CITC) has updated its Tuberculosis Case Management and Contact Investigation Intensive by shifting from a series of live virtual trainings to a hybrid format. This includes six online self-paced modules, and one live interactive session. This online, asynchronous training for TB case managers working with persons with TB disease can be accessed, started, and revisited at any time during the course term.

August 31 – November 6 | Level 1: TB Basics, Contact Investigation, and Latent TB Infection

The CITC online, asynchronous training for nurses and public health/disease control investigators can be accessed, started, and revisited at any time during the 10-week course term.

August 27, 2026 | Case Studies in Correctional Tuberculosis - Lessons from the Frontline

This interactive, case-based session from the National Institute of Corrections brings TB management in correctional settings to life by exploring real-world examples of outbreaks and individual patient cases.

August 20, 2026 | TB Contact Investigations: Family, School, and Community Cases

This Mayo Clinic Center for TB webinar outlines the process of conducting TB contact investigations and highlights effective school coordination and follow-up practices.

September 3, 2026 | TB Champions Network

Stop TB USA and Mayo Clinic Center for Tuberculosis are partnering to build a network of frontline clinicians as "TB Champions" to raise awareness, serve as resources, and empower peers to "think TB." This four-week orientation is designed to build foundational knowledge, foster peer connections, and introduce key TB resources.

September 8, 2026 | TB Nurse Case Management Level 1

This Mayo Clinic TB Center course equips nurses new to TB case management with a strong foundational understanding of the principles, practices, and responsibilities necessary to effectively manage patients with tuberculosis.

September 17, 2026 | Integrating TDM into Pediatric Care: Practical Strategies

This Mayo Clinic Center for TB webinar reviews therapeutic drug monitoring, focusing on pediatric candidates and practical strategies for routine integration.

October 12, 2026 | Focus on LTBI - Oakland, California

This in-person CITC training is intended as an introductory training covering the basics of latent TB infection (LTBI) diagnosis and treatment for physicians, nurses, and other licensed medical care providers who manage patients at risk for TB.

October 13 – 15, 2026 | Tuberculosis Clinical Intensive - Oakland, California

This in-person CITC training is intended as an advanced training for physicians and clinical care providers who diagnose and/or treat patients with active tuberculosis. 

October 15, 2026 | Clinical Management of Tuberculosis in Older Adults

This Mayo Clinic Center for TB course is designed for allied health professionals, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants, resident/fellows, and healthcare professionals working in a public healthcare setting.

October 15 – 16, 2026 | International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of Tuberculosis Drugs

This abstract-driven workshop has been a leading annual meeting in the field of tuberculosis (TB) pharmacology since 2008. The aim of the meeting is to contribute to the optimization of TB treatment by providing an independent platform for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific developments in TB pharmacology.

November 17 – 20, 2026 | 2026 Union World Conference on Lung Health

The Union World Conference on Lung Health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil brings together researchers, practitioners, advocates, policymakers and communities from around the world to share knowledge, exchange ideas and accelerate progress in lung health.

Washington's TB Project ECHO

On select Tuesdays 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. PT, join the lunch-time virtual discussion about real TB cases with your peers. This free interactive event is guided by a panel of local TB experts. Click here for more information about this local project and our partners who make this ongoing event possible.

SEATRAC Seminar Series

SEATRAC hosts and promotes seminars, one Friday session per month from 12 –1 p.m., focused on TB basic and clinical sciences by local trainees', local and visiting faculty, and special guests.

Video Recordings and Education Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Center for TB

Recorded Webinars (credits not available)
Foundations in Tuberculosis Course (credits available)
LTBI 101 for Healthcare Professionals (credits not available)

CITC Archived Webinars
CME/CE units not available for most of these trainings.

*New* Taking Side Effects Seriously | Drug-induced Liver Injury: Who, What, and When?

Rutgers TB Institute Webinar Archives
CE units are not available for these archives.

SNTC Archived Webinars
CME/CE units are not offered for these trainings.

SNTC Online Courses
CME units are offered for these trainings. .

The Union

TB ECHO Recorded Archives
Missed a TB ECHO^® session? TB ECHO^®has didactic presentations available for viewing on YouTube. Handouts related to the presentation are included where appropriate. Watch recorded TB ECHO®.

Tools and Resources

Minnesota's Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health

Access helpful tools, trainings, and updates for newcomers and refugee health here.

CDC

CDC Learning Connection.
CDC TRAIN is a comprehensive catalog of free public health training opportunities from the Public Health Foundation. For TB-related trainings, click here.
Visit Everyday Words for Public Health Communication to find plain language alternatives for public health jargon.
TB Personal Stories patient videos to help raise awareness about TB in the US.
we are TB offers comprehensive peer support for current TB patients and TB clinics, including weekly live support group sessions.

DOH Refugee and Immigrant Health Program

Afghan Health Resources - Fact sheets, webinars, videos, and other health resources (scroll down for TB resources).
Ukrainian Health Resources - Fact sheets, webinars, videos, and other health resources to support new arrivals from Ukraine (scroll down for TB resources).

Southeastern National TB Center

Individualized Country Guides

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