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Newborn Screening Program Epidemiologist

What is Newborn Screening?
Newborn Screening is a public health program required by Michigan law to find babies with rare but serious disorders who require early treatment. All babies need to be tested in order to find the small number who look healthy but have a rare medical condition. Babies with these conditions seem healthy at birth but can become very sick in a short time. Each year approximately 300 Michigan babies - one in 350 births - are found to have a disorder detected by newborn bloodspot screening. 

The Newborn Screening Program is conducted jointly by the Bureau of Epidemiology & Population Health and the Bureau of Laboratories. The program has three main goals: 1) assure that all Michigan infants receive newborn screening; 2) provide follow-up for infants with positive screening tests, ensuring access to treatment; and 3) provide long-term follow-up and monitoring of health outcomes. The program is funded by fees collected from the newborn screening cards. For more information about the Newborn Screening Program, please click here.

Epidemiologist Roles & Responsibilities:
This position provides support on all epidemiological matters concerning the Newborn Screening (NBS) Program. The responsibilities include evaluation of the screening and follow-up services, epidemiologic study design and planning, statistical analysis, policy and program development, technical expertise and training. The position plays an important role in identifying and then advising on the epidemiological priorities in collaboration with the program staff and medical management coordinating centers, conducting these activities, and fostering active collaboration with other maternal and child health (MCH) programs, as well as other MCH epidemiologists. The position is also responsible for providing support toall federally-funded initiatives and grants related to the NBS Program.

Deliverables:
Newborn Screening Annual Reports can be found here: Newborn Screening - Resources for Hospitals and Health Professionals

Contact Info:
Epidemiologist: Isabel Hurden, MPH
Email: hurdeni@michigan.gov 

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