Overview

Laboratories have long been part of the foundation of public health practice. In times of emerging diseases, bioterrorism threats, and natural disasters, the role of public health laboratories is highly visible, but even in the absence of these events, these laboratories are essential community partners in protecting the public's health.

Newborn screening, environmental monitoring, infectious disease surveillance, and measuring indicators for chronic diseases are just some of the routine testing laboratories perform. These services are provided by a system of public health and clinical laboratories. While systems vary according to state, these laboratories are linked together locally through community partnerships and nationally through the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). Through leadership and communication networks, APHL fosters continuous quality improvement among these laboratories.

This program will focus on the laboratory network in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, and how this system works to strengthen public health infrastructure to protect and improve the health of the community.

Objectives

• Identify the role of the public health laboratory in preventing disease, responding to disasters, and detecting health risks in our environment.
• Describe the relationship between public health and clinical laboratories.
• Describe three ways in which strengthening communications and partnerships with public health laboratories will improve the health of the community.
• Describe the Association of Public Health Laboratories' (APHL) role in improving laboratory systems and practice.
• Identify three goals of the National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership.
  

Audience

For public health leaders, managers, and professionals from local and state government agencies, clinical laboratories, boards of health, community organizations, academic institutions, federal agencies, and others who seek to learn more about the role of public health and clinical laboratories in protecting the public's health in times of emerging diseases, natural and man-made disasters and lifesaving interventions.