Authors

  1. Baum, Sarah E. BA
  2. Reddy, Vasudha MPH
  3. Vora, Neil M. MD
  4. Balter, Sharon MD, MFA
  5. Daskalakis, Demetre MD, MPH
  6. Barbot, Oxiris MD
  7. Misener, Mark MD, MPH
  8. Rakeman, Jennifer PhD
  9. Rojas, John MPA
  10. Starr, David MIA
  11. Waechter, HaeNa MPH
  12. Zucker, Jane MD, MSc
  13. Lee, David MBA, MPH

Abstract

Context: While the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) can use agency-wide emergency activation to respond to a hepatitis A virus-infected food handler, there is a need to identify alternative responses that conserve scarce resources.

 

Objective: To compare the costs incurred by DOHMH of responding to a hepatitis A case in restaurant food handlers using an agency-wide emergency activation (2015) versus the cost of collaborating with a private network of urgent care clinics (2017).

 

Design: We partially evaluate the costs incurred by DOHMH of responding to a hepatitis A case in a restaurant food handler using agency-wide emergency activation (2015) with the cost of collaborating with a private network of urgent care clinics (2017) estimated for a scenario in which DOHMH incurred the retail cost of services rendered.

 

Results: Costs incurred by DOHMH for emergency activation were $65 831 ($238 per restaurant employee evaluated) of which DOHMH personnel services accounted for 85% ($55 854). Costs of collaboration would have totaled $50 914 ($253 per restaurant employee evaluated) of which personnel services accounted for 6% ($3146).

 

Conclusions: Accounting for incident size, collaborating with the clinic network was more expensive than agency-wide emergency activation, though required fewer DOHMH personnel services.