PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE
Supporting the Laboratory Response Network in Oregon
By Rana Rahmat , specialist , Laboratory Response Network
For some , the start of a career in and the passion for public health are purely accidental . One such individual is Robert Nickla , RBP ( ABSA ), QLS , M ( ASCP ), Biological and Chemical Threat
Laboratory Response Network ( LRN ) coordinator , biosafety officer , and Select Agent Responsible Official for the
Oregon State Public Health Laboratory . For Nickla , finding his way into public health was never intentional . His plans were to be a wildlife biologist , as that was the nature of his education and training , but one call back from the state public health laboratory in Arizona during a job search changed the entire course of his life . And he knew from day one that the field of public health was “ it ” for him , since it was immediately apparent as the “ coolest job ” and offered something new and exciting every day .
The novelty and excitement of the work have only diversified over the years . Not only does Nickla have several titles and responsibilities within the laboratory , but he also works with APHL as a member of the Public Health Preparedness and Response ( PHPR ) Committee and Academic Partnerships Workgroup . He also serves as chair of the Sentinel Laboratory Partnerships and Outreach Subcommittee ( SLPOS ), and co-chair of the Strategic Implementation Group for Recruitment and Retention . His other primary work includes engaging with
sentinel clinical laboratories , emergency preparedness partners and local health departments , and acting as a laboratory subject matter expert in developing trainings and guidance . He additionally works with local student advisory committees and academic workgroups to lessen the struggles of those starting new careers in public health .
Rob Nickla
Making a Difference
Among the multitude of responsibilities , one of Nickla ’ s favorite aspects of his job are the opportunities to directly interact with clinical hospital teams .
“ I ’ m 100 percent convinced that what we do as LRN coordinators directly helps the hospitals and has a positive impact on their laboratory preparedness and biosafety considerations .” And one of the facets of work he looks forward to getting back to beyond the pandemic is the return of in-person trainings and the future of virtual reality as it applies to training public health professionals . He is also eager to see what can be done further for his facility and public health department with respect to chemical threat response , outreach and training , since Oregon is a Level 3 LRN-C laboratory and does not have analytical chemistry testing capabilities . Chemical threat response has not received as much attention as its biological counterpart .
Another challenging characteristic of the job is that Oregon is a relatively small facility and , for Nickla , that means being a “ one-person LRN department ” with many responsibilities . Another issue which resonates with many other public health laboratories is the lack of sufficient time and resources in general to ensure everything that needs to be done is addressed .
When asked about how he thinks the future of public health will change as a result of the pandemic , Nickla stated that COVID-19 certainly helped shine a light on the value that public health laboratories specifically bring in the world of public health . Yet the new visibility is not without its repercussions .
“ The emerging challenge for us is still in the general public and how COVID-19 caused an unexpected public distrust in science .”
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
As for hobbies outside of work , Nickla has become more interested in gardening and horticulture in recent years , in addition to home projects that seem to constantly involve building and fixing things . One of his primary pastimes when not spending time outside hiking with his dogs is fixing his vintage motorcycle .
And the one piece of advice he would share ?
“ Get involved and volunteer with workgroups and committees . It helps you grow as an individual and it helps the overall work of public health .” Volunteering with committees and workgroups has opened a lot of doors to work in a wider variety of areas for Nickla . “ Take as many opportunities as you can ! g