(1) The department shall:

(a) Upon request, provide consultation and technical assistance to local health jurisdictions, the department of labor and industries, and the department of agriculture when they are investigating notifiable conditions.

(b) Upon request, provide consultation and technical assistance to health care providers, laboratories, health care facilities, and others required to comply with this chapter.

(c) Develop, maintain, and make available for local health jurisdictions guidance on investigation and control measures for notifiable conditions.

(d) Make case report, laboratory report, specimen submittal forms, and investigation report forms available to local health jurisdictions, health care providers, laboratories, health care facilities, and others required to comply with this chapter.

(e) Maintain a twenty-four hour telephone number to receive:

(i) Confirmation calls for immediately notifiable condition case reports and laboratory reports; and

(ii) Notification of immediately notifiable conditions including outbreaks and suspected outbreaks from local health jurisdictions.

(f) Develop routine data dissemination mechanisms that describe and analyze notifiable conditions case investigations and data in accordance with WAC 246-101-615.

(g) Conduct investigations and institute infection control measures as necessary.

(h) Document the known environmental, human, and other variables associated with a case of pesticide poisoning.

(i) Report the results of the pesticide poisoning investigation to the principal health care provider named in the case report or laboratory report and to the local health officer in whose jurisdiction the case occurred.

(2) The department may:

(a) Negotiate alternatives for meeting requirements under this chapter through cooperative agreement between the department and any health care provider, laboratory, health care facility, or state agency. An alternative must provide the same level of public health protection as the reporting requirement for which an alternative is sought.

(b) Under an approved cooperative agreement, relieve a health care provider, laboratory, or health care facility of the duty to notify a local health jurisdiction, if the department can consolidate and submit notifications to the local health jurisdiction within the time frame for notification required under Table HC-1 of WAC 246-101-101 and Table Lab-1 of WAC 246-101-201.

(c) Receive health care information, demographic information, and infectious or noninfectious condition information in addition to that required under this chapter from health care providers, health care facilities, laboratories, and public health authorities.

(3) When the department receives information under subsection (2)(c) of this section, the department shall handle the information under the requirements of WAC 246-101-610.