Tuberculosis Program

Information for Physicians

How do I refer a client to the Multnomah County TB Program?

A physician can refer any client to the TB clinic that meets the eligibility requirement.

How do I report a case of active TB to the Multnomah County TB Program?

It is state law (OAR 333-018-005) that all active TB cases be reported to the local health department. A physician must report both suspect and confirmed cases. You may call the MCHD TB Program at 503 988-3417 to report your case. Please have the following information available when calling the TB program:

• Case/suspect’s identification and demographics (name, address, phone numbers, race, date of birth, sex, and place of birth)
• Clinical information (hospitalizations related to current diagnosis, smear and culture results, x-ray reports results, biopsy results, client treatment plan (if available)
• Site of suspected of active disease (lung, pleura, lymph, abdominal, etc…)
• Physician’s contact information.

After a TB case report is made it is assigned to a registered nurse case manager. The assigned case manager will contact your office to discuss the treatment plan. The TB clinic has a medical director on staff that can manage your patient’s treatment. If a client has co-existing medical conditions it is recommended that their managing physician direct TB treatment with consultation from the TB medical director as needed. The TB Program case manager will work with the treating physician to provide follow up, directly observed medication management and side effects management.

How do I ransfer TB case or Latent TB treatment to Multnomah County TB Program?

Please complete the appropriate interjurisdictional transform form and fax to Multnomah County TB clinic at 503 988-3917.

Shelter Screening

All dormitory style shelter residents in Portland are required to present a shelter clearance card, issued by the TB clinic, in order to reside in a shelter. The Tuberculosis Program assists the homeless population in providing free Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing at the Salvation Army Harbor Lights.

Location: Salvation Army
131 SW Ankeny
Portland, OR
Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Note: The TB Program only provides skin tests to residents or/and employees of dormitory style shelters. If you need a skin test for school, work clearance or just because, please contact your family doctor. The Multnomah County Health Department Community Immunization provides TB skin tests. They are located at 5329 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard. For further information please call phone 503 988-3828 or go to http://www.mchealth.org/immunizations.

History and Outcomes

In the early 1990’s Multnomah County TB Program and the local homeless shelters created the “Blue Card Project”. It was created to help prevent TB outbreaks in the Portland metro area’s dormitory style shelters, as 60% of the active TB cases were coming from the homeless community. The project was designed to reduce the number of cases of TB by providing testing, evaluation, early diagnosis and treatment. Persons who were cleared from having active TB disease were provided a “blue card” as clearance. The “blue card” enables a person to reside at any Portland shelter.

Since the launch of the “Blue Card Project”, active TB cases have decreased considerably among the homeless community to 2 to 3 cases per year. By providing free TB screening to homeless residents the TB Program has been able to prevent TB from spreading not only in the shelter, but also in the community as a whole.

Page updated August 20, 2008