Lab Matters Fall 2017 | Page 39

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New APHL Guidance: TB Cooperative Agreement Toolkit The TB Cooperative Agreement Toolkit has been updated for the new Tuberculosis Elimination and Laboratory Cooperative Agreement, which was released on July 17. It contains upgraded performance indicators, a glossary of defined terms, a turnaround-time calculator and three data templates to aid laboratories in the application process and navigate the coming year.

New APHL Training Tools: Quality Management Training Series The Quality Management Training Series( QMTS) is a free comprehensive set of laboratory quality management learning tools, built to provide timely and consistent training for new hires and veteran staff, alike..

Laboratory Competency Implementation Toolbox APHL members have developed resources, tools and examples to assist laboratories in their efforts to implement behavior-based laboratory competencies, and incorporate them into their workplace processes.

CDC BT Rule Out or Refer: Virtual Knowledge Exercise This virtual exercise provides an opportunity for the microbiologist to participate in a series of three virtual case studies using ASM’ s sentinel laboratory protocols in a safe environment to detect potential biothreat agents. The three, interactive web-based exercises are designed for all clinical and veterinary diagnostic laboratorians performing microbiology testing.

ATSDR Updates Guidance Documents The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry( ATSDR) has updated their Substance Priority List( SPL) and Completed Exposure Pathway( CEP) Site Count Report. ATSDR’ s Substance Priority List helps determine which substances will have ATSDR Toxicological Profiles and is revised every two years.

TFAH Policy Brief Proposes Improvements to Lead Exposure Testing for Children Trust for America’ s Health( TFAH) has released a policy brief,“ Recommendations to Prevent and Mitigate the Effects of Lead Poisoning.” Recommendation seven proposes ways to improve blood lead testing among children at high-risk of exposure and find and remediate the sources of their exposure.

APHL LAB MATTERS STAFF Gynene Sullivan, Editor Karen Klinedinst, Art Director Jody DeVoll, Advisor

APHL has upgraded APHL listservs to online communities! The communities provide more functionality, such as the ability to attach documents to posts, and create a single home for all your discussion threads and resources. If you are currently an APHL listserv member, please log on to My APHL to create an aphl. org account or, if you already have one, to ensure your information is up-to-date. Each new“ community” has an APHL staff manager who can walk you through the transition. Please contact membership @ aphl. org if you have any questions. Enjoy exploring your new communities!

Episode 6: What is the Biosafety Peer Network? The Biosafety Peer Network is intended to foster a collaborative community, advance biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories, and ultimately improve public health laboratory biosafety and biosecurity across the US. Rebecca Sciulli( Hawaii), Paul Fox( Hawaii) and Anne Marie Santos( Guam) sat down for a conversation about their work.

APHL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ewa King, PhD, president Joanne Bartkus, PhD, D( ABMM), president-elect Bill Whitmar, MS, secretary-treasurer Grace E. Kubin, PhD, member-at-large Denise Marie Toney, PhD, HCLD( ABB), member-at-large

Scott J. Zimmerman, DrPH, MPH, HCLD( ABB), member-at-large

Maria Lucia Ishida, PhD, public health associate institutional member representative

Tamara Theisen, MT( ASCP), local institutional member representative

Mark Wade, local institutional member representative

A. Christian Whelen, PhD, D( ABMM), past president Scott J. Becker, MS, ex officio, executive director, APHL

The Association of Public Health Laboratories( APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’ s health in the US and globally. APHL’ s member laboratories protect the public’ s health by monitoring and detectinginfectious and foodborne diseases, environmental contaminants, terrorist agents, genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse health threats.