Look at the Sparta case from the point of view of a local health officer for the town.  Given the outbreak and the suspicion that the hepatitis outbreak may have originated at Murhpy's Restaurant, what are your responsibilities? What legal authority allows you to conduct an inspection?  What should your inspection include?  Consult the law and regulations in the case study before answering these questions.  Based on your inspection results, who would you consult with in order to plan the town's response?

Look at the Sparta case from the point of view of the local health care providers in the town.  Given that the hepatitis outbreak has been traced to an employee at Murphy's Restaurant, what are the responsibilities of the local health care providers and the local health department?  Under whose auspices should an immunoglobulin clinic be conducted in this small town?  What role should the State Department of Public Health play, if any, in organizing the clinic or providing the IG preparations?  Who should pay for the cost of the clinic?

Consider the events in Sparta from the perspective of individual employees at the workplaces such as Lenny's bakery or the owner/operator of a food establishment that is the subject of a disease outbreak investigation. To what extent are their rights and interests protected  under the Massachusetts Laws (statutes and regulations) governing the reporting and investigation of communicable diseases to and by public health authorities?

Health Law

Environmental Health

Health Policy and Management