Association of Public Health Laboratories

Last updated
Association of Public Health Laboratories
AbbreviationAPHL
Founded1998
Type Nonprofit professional association
Headquarters Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Chief Executive Officer
Scott J. Becker, MS
Website www.aphl.org

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is a membership organization in the United States representing the laboratories that protect the health and safety of the public. APHL serves as a liaison between public health laboratories and federal and international agencies. Membership consists of local, state, county, and territorial public health laboratories; public health environmental, agricultural and veterinary laboratories; and corporations and individuals with an interest in public health and laboratory science. APHL is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization with a history of over fifty years. [1]

Contents

Public health laboratories

Public health laboratories operate as a first line of defense to protect the public against diseases and other health hazards. Day-to-day operations range from testing water and food, checking for toxins in soil, and investigating new strains of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 or Ebola.[ citation needed ]

Every US state and territory, and the District of Columbia, has a central governmental public health laboratory that performs testing and other laboratory services on behalf of the entire jurisdiction. In addition, some states have local public health laboratories ranging in size from large metropolitan laboratories with over a hundred scientists to small rural laboratories with one or two staff that support local public health. [2]

Programs

Environmental health

Environmental health laboratories are governmental laboratories that conduct testing to protect human health and the environment. In some states, a single laboratory acts as both the environmental and the public health laboratory. In other states, the environmental laboratory is part of the department of environmental quality or natural resources while the public health laboratory is part of the health department.[ citation needed ]

Environmental health laboratories help to identify contaminants by conducting regular testing of water, air, soil, food and other media to ensure that populations are not being exposed to unhealthy levels of contamination.[ citation needed ]

APHL supports these laboratories by coordinating a response to environmental health issues. They assist in providing information and training to the scientists working in the labs, and serve as a link between member laboratories and federal agencies, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency.[ citation needed ]

Food safety

With food sourced around the world, it's necessary to monitor and test the food supply to detect, and contain outbreaks, such as E. coli in lettuce or Salmonella in peanut butter. Testing performed by public health laboratories is a critical link in the chain of detection to quickly identify the source of the outbreak and recall of unsafe products.[ citation needed ]

Testing for food safety may take place in a public health laboratory or in a food lab within the department of agriculture.[ citation needed ]

APHL supports laboratories by providing information and training to scientists to ensure they are utilizing the latest research and most efficient testing procedures. By coordinating the efforts of labs around the country, APHL helps ensure high quality data is used to keep food safe. This information is available for epidemiologists, regulators and policy makers to create food safety programs and policies.[ citation needed ]

APHL collaborates with partners at the CDC, the United States Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and related organizations. [3] Specifically, the program works closely with CDC's Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases to support state and local laboratories in PulseNet, that recognizes and identifies foodborne outbreaks as soon as possible.[ citation needed ]

APHL is also an active member of the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR), which integrates local, state and federal efforts across many food safety disciplines to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. They also sit on the Advisory Council for the International Food Protection Training Institute.[ citation needed ]

Global health

While APHL primarily focuses on public health laboratories in the United States, their global health program makes an effort to help other countries strengthen their own laboratory practices.APHL works with more than 30 countries to:[ citation needed ]

APHL also works with public health laboratories around the world to share information on global health crises and promotes cross-border collaboration.

Infectious diseases

APHL supports the role of the public health laboratory in disease detection and surveillance, and works to expand and enhance relationships among member laboratories, by coordinating with the CDC, [4] other federal and state agencies, associations and academia involved in relevant public health activities, including laboratory testing, policy and training. As of December 2021 the director of this group was Kelly Wroblewski. [5]

APHL's infectious disease programs focuses on continuous monitoring on spread of the following infectious diseases including:[ citation needed ]

Informatics

Informatics is the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health. APHL is a leader in the movement to transform the transmission of health information from paper to electronic data and leverages a variety of technologies to help build a secure, nationwide health information infrastructure.[ citation needed ]

APHL not only supports the development of systems to exchange information, they provide technical support to public health laboratories, agencies and partners to help improve public health outcomes. Technical support includes:[ citation needed ]

One effort by the Informatics program is PHLIP, the Public Health Laboratory Interoperability Project. PHLIP aims to establish reliable laboratory data exchange between state public health laboratories and the CDC by fostering collaboration in IT and laboratory science. [7] [8]

Quality Systems and Analytics

APHL works with public health partners to build the foundation for quality testing, comprehensive standards and integrated public health laboratory systems. One of the initiatives, the Laboratory System Improvement Program, provides individual assessments of public health laboratory systems that include engaging stakeholders for system improvement, performance, implementation of strategies and continual evaluation. [9] APHL also collaborates on the National Laboratory System project to build a public-private network of laboratories nationwide.[ citation needed ]

APHL monitors trends in public health laboratory diagnostics, personnel and infrastructure in order to create quality assurance standards. By using these data points to benchmark individual labs against national norms, APHL is able to home in on key issues and help raise the standard of laboratory systems.  Member labs have access to research and survey data online, which enables them to leverage new information quickly to identify promising strategies and practices.[ citation needed ]

Newborn screening and genetics

Newborn screening has been identified as one of the most effective means of disease prevention in the United States by testing every newborn baby for potentially fatal conditions that may not be immediately obvious. By testing babies before symptoms begin, newborn screening programs help prevent disabilities and decrease the newborn mortality rate.[ citation needed ]

APHL also provides input to the Newborn Screening Technical assistance and Evaluation Program (NewSTEPs) on quality control and information on newborn screening trends.[ citation needed ]

Public health preparedness and response

Public health emergencies can take many forms including:[ citation needed ]

APHL plays a critical role in crisis response to these public health emergencies through the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). The LRN was formed in 1999 in a cooperative effort between APHL, the CDC and FBI to rapidly detect, and respond to public health emergencies. [10] The Department of Defense has joined in the effort to support biological response activities.[ citation needed ]

In addition to their leadership during times of crisis, APHL has a strong focus on preparing public health laboratories on how to respond to emergencies when they happen through training and capacity-building, as well as creating model frameworks that labs around the country can use in order to have procedures in place to handle a crisis when it happens.[ citation needed ]

Research

APHL monitors trends in public health laboratory diagnostics, personnel and infrastructure. It uses this data to benchmark against national norms and to define issues of importance to lab practice and policy. APHL also disseminates research findings via issue briefs and communications with federal decision makers, health partners and the laboratory community. Members have access to survey data online, enabling them to leverage this information quickly to identify promising strategies and practices.[ citation needed ]

Laboratory education and training

Laboratory training

In an effort to improve laboratory practice, APHL provides free resources, such as tools kits that explain how to:[ citation needed ]

In addition to on-demand research and reports, APHL provides continuing education courses to help laboratory scientists keep up with emerging trends, and innovative testing techniques. Training sessions are conducted through conferences, seminars, workshops and online courses.[ citation needed ]

Leadership and workforce development

APHL invests heavily in developing new leaders in public health. [11] By sponsoring fellowship programs and orientation programs for new laboratory directions, APHL seeks to help scientists advance their careers while improving the overall quality of public health laboratories.[ citation needed ]

Emerging Leader Program (ELP) Public health laboratories face enormous challenges as they work to keep up with emerging trends in global health, while being called upon to respond to various public health emergencies. In order to lead a public health laboratory, directors must not only be experts on laboratory science, but also understand more mundane administrative tasks like balancing a budget and keeping staff motivated.[ citation needed ]

The ELP is a year-long cohort program designed to expose new leaders to all aspects of laboratory management. Participating scientists go through a series of workshops, and exercises on both leadership and project development.[ citation needed ]

Networking is also a strong component of the program, and each cohort class is introduced to the Emerging Leader Alumni Network (ELAN) members, who help mentor emerging leaders. Following their 12-month program, the ELAN allows alumni to stay connected with their peers, who continue to learn together.[ citation needed ]

Fellowship Programs APHL fellowships are co-sponsored by the CDC, and offer graduates of bachelor's, master's and postdoctoral programs professional opportunities in public health laboratories across the US. As of mid-2021, APHL offers seven fellowship programs in infectious diseases, bioinformatics, antimicrobial resistance, environmental public health and newborn screening.

New Laboratory Directors' Orientation An intensive three-day orientation for new laboratory directors hosted at CDC. The program includes leadership assessment, team-building exercises, skill-building workshops and sessions with key staff from APHL and CDC.

Publications

History

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry</span> US federal agency

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances. It works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments; local communities; and healthcare providers. Its mission is to "Serve the public through responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures." ATSDR was created as an advisory, nonregulatory agency by the Superfund legislation and was formally organized in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodborne illness</span> Illness from eating spoiled food

Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions, and toxins such as aflatoxins in peanuts, poisonous mushrooms, and various species of beans that have not been boiled for at least 10 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newborn screening</span> Practice of testing infants for diseases

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health program of screening in infants shortly after birth for conditions that are treatable, but not clinically evident in the newborn period. The goal is to identify infants at risk for these conditions early enough to confirm the diagnosis and provide intervention that will alter the clinical course of the disease and prevent or ameliorate the clinical manifestations. NBS started with the discovery that the amino acid disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could be treated by dietary adjustment, and that early intervention was required for the best outcome. Infants with PKU appear normal at birth, but are unable to metabolize the essential amino acid phenylalanine, resulting in irreversible intellectual disability. In the 1960s, Robert Guthrie developed a simple method using a bacterial inhibition assay that could detect high levels of phenylalanine in blood shortly after a baby was born. Guthrie also pioneered the collection of blood on filter paper which could be easily transported, recognizing the need for a simple system if the screening was going to be done on a large scale. Newborn screening around the world is still done using similar filter paper. NBS was first introduced as a public health program in the United States in the early 1960s, and has expanded to countries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preventive healthcare</span> Prevention of the occurrence of diseases

Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, is the application of healthcare measures to prevent diseases. Disease and disability are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices, and are dynamic processes that begin before individuals realize they are affected. Disease prevention relies on anticipatory actions that can be categorized as primal, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is a U.S. government agency that provides statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the public health of the American people. It is a unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. It is headquartered at University Town Center in Hyattsville, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, health emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

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References

  1. ↑ "About APHL". aphl.org.
  2. ↑ Inhorn, SL; JR Astles; S Gradus; V Malmberg; PM Snippes; BW Wilcke Jr; VA White (May–June 2010). "The State Public Health Laboratory System". Public Health Rep. 125 (Suppl 2): 4–17. doi:10.1177/00333549101250S202. PMC   2846798 . PMID   20521374.
  3. ↑ "IFPTI Laboratory Professional Collaborations". ifpti.org.
  4. ↑ "Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP)". cdc.gov. 19 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Maxmen, Amy (16 December 2021). "Omicron blindspots: why it's hard to track coronavirus variants". Nature. 600 (7890): 579. Bibcode:2021Natur.600..579M. doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-03698-7 . PMID   34916668. S2CID   245262198.
  6. ↑ "US needs national COVID 'smart testing' strategy, APHL says". cidrap.umn.edu. 19 January 2021.
  7. ↑ Lazo, R; W Li; M Meigs; S Abner; J Carroll; C Miller; S Hinrichs; D Nordenberg (2006). "The APHL/CDC Public Health Laboratory Interoperability Project Portal: a web-based collaborative tool to establish a national harmonized vocabulary for public health data exchange". AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2006: 999. PMC   1839609 . PMID   17238618.
  8. ↑ Zarcone, P; D Nordenberg; M Meigs; U Merrick; D Jernigan; SH Hinrichs (May–June 2010). "Community-driven standards-based electronic laboratory data-sharing networks". Public Health Rep. 125 (Suppl 2): 47–56. doi:10.1177/00333549101250S206. PMC   2846802 . PMID   20521375.
  9. ↑ Kilne, KC; TL Milne (May–June 2010). "Public Health Laboratory System Improvement Program: development and implementation". Public Health Rep. 125 (Suppl 2): 31–9. doi:10.1177/00333549101250S204. PMC   2846800 . PMID   20518443.
  10. ↑ "Examples of the Laboratory Response Network in Action". cdc.gov. 22 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "Presentation: Who will run America's public health labs". cdc.gov.
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