The Challenge

The 2023 summer season presented an unexpected challenge when a Norovirus outbreak threatened the health of staff and participants. About a week before the season began, staff arrived for training and to welcome 1,000 participants in just a few days’ time. As always, the Narragansett Council staff took training seriously while also dedicating time to vital team-building activities. This included their long-running “bucket brigade” tradition where, with the help of local firefighters, staff practice how to work as a team to efficiently and safely extinguish a fire.

However, it wasn’t a fire that staff needed to prepare for. A mere five days into their training, staff started falling ill with a nasty stomach virus. “A few sick staff members didn’t concern us,” said DiLuglio. “With 1,000 campers and staff, someone is bound to get sick.” But just two days before participants were scheduled to arrive, DiLuglio knew something was very wrong. “20 staff members were sick by then, and the number of ill members was growing rapidly.”

So what was Narragansett Council to do? With limited time before participant arrival, Camp Yawgoog was facing the risk of having to close camp for the summer, which would cause a significant financial loss and reputational damage for the council.

Swift and effective action was crucial.

The Solution

Why CampDoc?

Camp Yawgoog leaders needed to act fast to effectively contain the outbreak, and they knew that instant access to data would be crucial to their success. First order of business: they needed to know exactly who was sick, where they were likely exposed to the virus, and with whom they’d recently been in contact.

The CampDoc Health Log was used by the onsite health director and EMTs to log illnesses, locations, and exposed contacts. Yawgoog leaders were then able to isolate staff who were sick or exposed. They also engaged the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) to analyze the data, help confirm the likely source of the illness, and advise on treatment. With the help of CampDoc, DOH representatives were able to view incident reports and connect with ill staff to learn more.

“We gave the Department of Health access to our CampDoc Health Log reports, so they were able to confirm what we suspected was causing everyone to get sick,” said DiLuglio. “CampDoc tremendously accelerated the mitigation process as the DOH could easily conduct contact tracing.”

While data was being gathered and analyzed, Yawgoog staff also began the arduous process of eliminating the Norovirus throughout camp. Based on recommendations from the DOH, camp staff performed an extensive cleaning of the camp, treating the entire reservation in less than 24 hours.

The Outcome

Prioritized staff and participant health
Yawgoog staff and the Rhode Island Department of Health had quick insights into communicable disease data, enabling them to quickly contain the virus. With the help of CampDoc they could easily see who was exposed, who was infected, where the outbreak had likely started, and how fast it was spreading.

Minimized loss of programs
Only 40 total staff and participants fell ill, resulting in just a few program days lost to the Norovirus outbreak. This was an incredible triumph, especially when compared to a 2005 stomach flu outbreak that resulted in Yawgoog closing for 12 full days.

Financial security and protected reputation
Being able to conduct nearly every planned program meant that Narragansett Council wouldn’t have to refund thousands of families, and they were able to thoroughly maintain the council and camp’s reputation.

The Summary

A Norovirus outbreak not only threatened the health and safety of camp staff, but also threatened the financial and reputational stability of Narragansett Council, BSA’s Camp Yawgoog. By acting quickly and leveraging technology, only 40 staff and participants fell ill, and disruption to camp was limited – a stark contrast to incidents in prior years.

Thanks to their partnership with CampDoc, the council was able to stop the spread of the illness before things got out of hand. The CampDoc Health Log enabled rapid identification of exposed and infected individuals, tracking of symptoms, and coordination with the Department of Health. The integration of technology into daily operations ensured a proactive approach to health management, and staff can rest assured knowing they’re fully prepared to spring into action the moment any future emergency may strike.

Hoping to protect your council, too?

CampDoc is the only proof of concept of an EHR approved by BSA National. Connect with the CampDoc team today to chat about how we can help you and your team.