Hurricane Helene: Public Health Department Closures

Latest updates: Hurricane Helene

Our public health departments' hours of operation may be affected by power and staffing outages. This means that some closures may not appear on the state government office delays and closings map. The health and safety of our employees and our clients remains our highest priority. We are working to get services restored as safely and quickly as possible.

Learn more about DPH's role with hurricanes, floods, and weather emergencies.

Disease Reporting by Laboratories, Health Care Providers, Hospitals, Clinics, Other Health Care Facilities
 

Download and Print the Reportable Conditions List
The List of Reportable Conditions can be printed as a poster or a two-page flyer. The poster is in a 12x24 format. To print the poster on your personal or local printer, choose 11x17 paper and adjust print settings to shrink/fit to this page size. The two-page flyer can be printed locally to 8.5x11 size paper.


South Carolina Law (44-29-10) and Regulations (61-20) require reporting of specified contagious and infectious diseases and conditions to the local health department "in the form and manner as prescribed by DHEC in regulations concerning infectious diseases. The reports must be made to the Bureau of Disease Control in the manner required in the regulations. When available, clinical information supporting the diagnoses, including results of specific diagnostic tests, must be included."

In South Carolina, these diseases and conditions are specified in the List of Reportable Conditions (pdf), published annually. The list also includes outbreaks of disease or unusual clusters of illness, events such as animal (mammal) bites and pesticide poisoning, and findings suggestive of disease (e.g., hemolytic uremic syndrome).


Diseases do not have to be confirmed to be reported - actions to prevent further spread of disease may be necessary while confirmatory tests are pending.

HIPAA

Federal HIPAA legislation allows disclosure of protected health information, without consent of the individual, to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease. (HIPAA 45 CFR §164.512)

FERPA

For schools subject to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), FERPA allows reporting of illnesses without specific parent permission if a "health or safety emergency" exists. SC DHEC and the SC Department of Education have jointly determined that conditions where reports are requested immediately or within 24 hours by phone, including all clusters or outbreaks of illnesses, may be reported to SC DHEC by name, without parental consent. Disclosure of this information is documented in the student's/students' record(s) per local policies for FERPA compliance.

How and When to Report

Submit reports by one of the following methods:

To learn more about electronic disease reporting, call 1-800-917-2093.

  • HIV, AIDS, and STDs (excluding Hepatitis): To report these conditions
  • Lead - Mail to:
    Bureau of Health Improvement & Equity, Lead Surveillance
    Sims-Aycock Building
    2100 Bull Street
    Columbia, SC 29201
    or
    Fax: (803) 898-3236
    Email scionlead@dhec.sc.gov to establish electronic reporting.
  • Tuberculosis:
    Report to the tuberculosis division in the regional public health department in the region in which the patient resides. (See list of reportable conditions.)

 

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Public Health Laboratory