The State Department of Health says it needs to have people in the state on all islands available, if needed, to do contact tracing when people contract COVID-19. State Health Director Bruce Anderson and State Epidemiologist Sarah Park spoke at a hearing of the State Senate Committee on COVID-19.
Contact tracers would work primarily by telephone to contact people who’ve tested as positive for COVID-19. The contact tracers talk with them about symptoms, answer questions, and work with them to try to trace their movements over the previous days when they would have been contagious. The contact tracers would then be able to advise people they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and find out if they have symptoms and should be tested, and ask them to isolate during the potential incubation period. The State health officials said the job requires people with empathy and good listening and questioning skills, an understanding of privacy laws, and an understanding of COVID-19. The skills will be taught in the course.
Public health officials have used contact tracing for decades, in outbreaks of tuberculosis, measles, previous coronavirus outbreaks like SARS and MERS, and HIV/AIDS. For more on contact tracing, the CDC website has an explanation.
State DOH has partnered with University of Hawaii to offer online training for people to become qualified as contact tracers. The online training is being fully funded by the CARES Federal Coronavirus response funding, so there is no cost to participants. UH has opened applications now. The first track, offered through UH Manoa School of Nursing, is for those who are already trained in some capacity as healthcare professionals.
Participants who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate of completion and will be asked to join the DOH’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Professional credentialing information will be maintained in the MRC database. Should the number of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii rapidly expand beyond the contact tracing capacity of the DOH, those who complete the program may be called to serve as contact tracers for the State.
Current licensed professionals as well as new, unlicensed graduates from healthcare professions across the State in the below categories are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility
- Undergraduate degree and a clinical health background (registered nurse, nurse practitioner, social worker, pharmacist, physician and physician assistant).
- Must be a full-time Hawaii resident.
Training The training is 1.5 days and is highly interactive. Participants must attend both days of training. Since class will be delivered online via Zoom, participants must have a computer with speakers, microphone and internet access to participate. The training program will be repeated over a period of 6-weeks starting June 8, 2020.
Apply Complete the online form at go.hawaii.edu/AQX. If you are a new graduate, enter the profession for which you were educated.
Questions Contact UH Manoa Nursing at trackone@hawaii.edu with questions or if you have disability-related access needs. Their phone number is 808-956-8522.