Lab Matters Fall 2024 | Page 124

APHL 2024 POSTER ABSTRACTS

to grow North Dakota ’ s scientific workforce by showing off opportunities for a career in laboratory work in the state .

4 . Staff experience will be improved with the inclusion of dedicated break areas , outdoor seating space , private office spaces for each department and access to daylight within lab spaces .

5 . Partnership opportunities with health systems throughout North Dakota are provided with state-of-the-art training facilities , which include both classroom and laboratory spaces to operate programs like a Bioterror Workshop for hospital lab teams – improving lab safety throughout the state .

6 . BSL-3 suites were designed in partnership with a nationally recognized consultant responsible for hundreds of BSL-3 labs around the country .

7 . Sample drop-off facilities are located at the main entry to the facility , simplifying the process of receiving samples and minimizing the risk of errors in this critical workflow .

8 . Partnership opportunities with the CDC will be enabled with a dedicated space for Lab Response Network – Chemistry programming .

9 . Expanded capacity for future tests such as toxicology of non-fatal overdose , hematology and chemistry tests for North Dakota correctional facilities .

10 . North Dakota National Guard Civil Support Team space provides secure space for unknown and white-powder testing processes without interrupting other testing processes in the building .

The project will be completed and operational in 2026 . Thanks to these investments , the new facility will be a key part of North Dakota ’ s public health infrastructure for many decades to come .

Presenter : Nathan Roisen , nroisen @ bwbr . com

Renovating Laboratory Systems : BSL-3 HVAC Replacement

V . Requenez , R . Rios , Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District Laboratory

The Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District BSL-3 laboratory was originally commissioned in 2009 . The BSL-3 has undergone routine maintenance , mechanical failures , system changes , work volume variations , as well as personnel changes as most labs do . Many factors play a role in deciding when major renovations go from suggestions to immediate need . In 2021 it was suggested that the HVAC for our BSL-3 should be replaced , due to elevated temperature and routine wear on the system . It was not until the fall of 2023 that the HVAC renovations were completed . Over a year of preparation went into this project . The goal was to successfully replace the aging HVAC unit with a more modern system with minimal downtime for the BSL-3 . The system was down for a combined 23 days . The project was not only successful , it was completed ahead of schedule .

Presenter : Valerie Requenez , ValerieR @ cctexas . com

Sentinel Laboratory Training , Outreach and Preparedness : Houston , Texas and Surrounding Counties

L . Galicia , City of Houston

Introduction : The Laboratory Response Network ( LRN ) was established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) in 1999 . The LRN is a vast international network comprised of local , state and federal public health laboratories , as well as food testing , veterinary diagnostic and environmental testing , laboratories that provide the laboratory infrastructure and capacity to respond to biological and chemical terrorism and other public health emergencies . The Houston LRN is a regional reference laboratory servicing region 65 South Texas , roughly 7.5 million people .

Capabilities & Training

• Testing for bioterrorism agents

• Testing for emerging infectious disease and other highly infectious agents of public concern such as Ebola , MERS-Cov , Avian Influenza , COVID , Monkeypox

• Seasonal Influenza surveillance

• Training law enforcement / hazmat and other first responders

• Training for hospital and clinical laboratories Houston Health Department LRN Wet Workshop

This one-day program is designed to provide information to help clinical laboratorians rule out organisms during a bioterrorism event The wet lab exercise is a hands on training reinforcing American Society for Microbiology ( ASM ) techniques . Techs from sentinel laboratories are encouraged to attend this training for an up close look at the microbiological characteristics of these agents ( culture , stain biochemical , etc .) Due to safety concerns , individuals with 3 years experience are preferred .

Outreach

• Lab Tour With Hazmat : Networking and training with first responders through lab tours of the Houston Health Department lab . The lab tour includes a training highlighting all aspects of the public health role in the community . This program has high participation and interest within HazMat . Training is also provided for first responders which includes an on site exercise in how to handle specimen collection and how to properly package samples .

• Sentinel Laboratory Site Visits : Sentinel laboratories site visits to reinforce lines of communication with LRN . Provide ASM biothreat agent bench cards , plus other resources e . g ., packaging and shipping training , packaging materials and answer any questions they may have , Powerful networking tool that works both ways and allows LRN to record capabilities of differential sentinel labs as well as updating contact information .

Conclusion : Overall , the LRN is a great resource in providing training for first responders and sentinel clinical laboratories and keeping open lines of communication to help all local , state and federal partners respond more efficiently in the event of a bioterrorist threat .

Presenter : Linda Galicia , City of Houston , Email : Linda . galicia @ houstontx . gov