Pittsburgh’s Health Monitoring Systems Helping New Jersey Department of Health Monitor Effects of Superstorm Nemo

(Pittsburgh, PA)—While Superstorm Nemo is only expected to produce an inch of snow in Pittsburgh, areas to our north and east are bracing for the worst. North Side based Health Monitoring Systems is helping public health officials in New Jersey, which is preparing for 12-18 inches of snow, to proactively monitor this potential public health emergency.

Health Monitoring Systems collects data submitted by hospital Emergency Rooms and analyses it in real time, looking for potential public health threats. In the case of a snowstorm, Emergency Room admissions may increase due to traffic accidents or show shoveling exertion—but sometimes the data yield unexpected information.

In the past two years, Health Monitoring Systems has helped New Jersey to track Emergency Room admissions related to Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. During both of those storms, Emergency Room visits related to carbon monoxide poisoning jumped—leading the Department of Health to warn citizens of the dangers of using portable generators.

Health Monitoring Systems postponed a planned service update this weekend to keep New Jersey online for the duration of the storm.

Health Monitoring Systems is the largest syndromic surveillance provider in the United States. It maintains syndromic surveillance systems that provide Public Health officials with tools that enhance their ability to safeguard the public’s health. Health Monitoring Systems provides service to over 500 hospitals nationwide in states ranging from Hawaii to New Jersey. Visit www.hmsinc.com