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Show EPICENTER 2002 Winter Olympic Games Introduction For three weeks in February 2002, Salt Lake City became the host to thousands of visitors from around the world. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) prepared for the inevitable increase in exposure to colds, influenza, injuries, and food poisoning. Furthermore, chemical and biological terrorism became a viable threat following the events of September 11th. To closely monitor these concerns, the UDOH operated the interagency EPICENTER throughout the duration of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. However, the EPICENTER program is not necessarily terminated following the Olympics. The program is being organized as an Emergency Operation Center that can be activated long after the Olympics are over. What is the EPICENTER? According to Dr. Scott Williams, State Health Olympic Officer and Deputy Directory of the Utah Department of Health, the EPICENTER is "the collector, coordinator and communicator of multi-agency public health concerns and responses during the games." The name "EPICENTER" embodies the synthesis of epidemiology with a coordinated and centralized effort of all public health agencies during the games. The EPICENTER collected daily public health information gathered from local health departments, emergency rooms, Olympic venues, health clinics, pharmacies, and other sites throughout the entire duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The information was subsequently analyzed to quickly identify and prevent disease trends or outbreaks in the early stages. In addition to monitoring disease, the EPICENTER proved a vital means in conducting food service inspections and regulating mass gatherings. Six local health departments conducted hundreds of food and sanitation inspec- tions at Olympic venues, community events, and receptions. What were the roles of the EPICENTER? The role of the EPICENTER was threefold: to collect and analyze public health data, to coordinate all monitoring and regulations activities, and to communicate findings in a daily report. In the event of bioterrorism or other large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, these three roles of the EPICENTER are designed to facilitate a rapid and extensive identification of both initial symptoms and confirmed diagnosis. Furthermore, Utah's public health system was better prepared to recognize and respond to natural or unintentionally caused diseases such as influenza and food poisoning. Collect and Analyze Throughout the Olympics, the EPICENTER staff analyzed information gathered from local health departments, Salt Lake Organizing Committee medical clinics, emergency medical services, hospitals, and environment regulators. The EPICENTER gathered further information from the State Medical Examiner, the Utah Poison Control Center, health care providers, pharmacists, veterinarians, the University of Utah's Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, and many others. In addition, Utah's public health agencies asked key health care workers in the community to report any unusual or suspicious health concerns. Employers with essential work forces such as emergency medical technicians or police officers were asked to review and report unusual absenteeism rates. The EPICENTER was not only concerned with confirmed diagnosis of contagious diseases, but also with suspicious presenting symptoms such as severe respiratory, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and skin complaints. In all, the EPI- 106 Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume VIII |