Lab Matters Fall 2024 | Page 3

LAB MATTERS FALL 2024 | CONTENTS

COLUMNS
2 President ’ s Message 3 CEO ’ s Message
4 Milwaukee Serves as Pilot for Internship Program Participation at Annual Conference
FROM THE BENCH
6 Supercharging the Workforce with Generative AI in Dallas County
INDUSTRY MATTERS
12 How Investing in AI Helps the Public Health Mission
13 Enhancing Public Health Laboratory Operations : Standardize Technologies with Flexible Applications
FEATURE
7700 Wisconsin Avenue , Suite 1000 Bethesda , MD 20814 Phone : 240.485.2745 Fax : 240.485.2700 info @ aphl . org aphl . org
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 detecting infectious and foodborne diseases , environmental contaminants , terrorist agents , genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse
health threats .
8 Piecing Together Cyclospora : A Puzzle for Public Health Labs
10 Tracking Severe Lead Poisoning from Imported Products in California
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Environmental Health
22 NWSS Centers of Excellence Live Up to Their Name
24 Public Health Laboratories : Preventing Lead Poisoning Then and Now
Food Safety
26 Building a Blueprint for Excellence in Food Safety
27 A Strong Sustaining Member Relationship Drives Success in Resolving Testing Issues
Global Health
28 Using Machine Learning to Evaluate Text Responses from a Laboratory Data Repository
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DIGITAL EXTRA 37 APHL 2024 Poster Supplement
APHL PROGRAMS
16 Harnessing AI to Advance Public Health Laboratories
Infectious Diseases
29 Building Arbovirus Testing Capability in Puerto Rico
Informatics
30 AI , Automation and Public Health Laboratories
Public Health and Preparedness Response
31 Enhancing Laboratory Safety , Preparedness and Response through In-person Workshops
34 Celebrating 25 Years of the Laboratory Response Network
Training and Leadership
35 Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors Program : A Year in Review
LAB MATTERS STAFF
Gynene Sullivan , MA Editor
Brittany Robertson Art Director
David Fouse Advisor
To submit an article for consideration , contact Gynene Sullivan at gynene . sullivan @ aphl . org .
2024 – 2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Megan Crumpler , PhD President
Scott Shone , PhD , HCLD ( ABB ) President-elect
Godfred Masinde , PhD , MBA , HCLD ( ABB ) Secretary-Treasurer
Sharon Massingale , PhD , HCLD / CC ( ABB ) Public Health Institutional State Representative
Michael Pentella PhD , D ( ABMM ) Public Health Institutional State Representative
Anthony Tran , ​ DrPH , PhD , MPH , D ( ABMM ), MT ( ASCP ) Public Health Institutional State Representative
Pamela Higgins , PhD Public Health Associate Institutional Member Representative​
Deborah Severson , BSMT ( ASCP ) Public Health Institutional Local Member Representative​
Leslie Wolf , PhD , HCLD ( ABB ) Public Health Institutional Local Member Representative​
Timothy Southern , PhD Past President
Scott Becker , MS Ex Officio , Chief Executive Officer , APHL
The production of this publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement # NU60OE000104 , funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of , nor an endorsement by , CDC , HHS or the US Government .
PublicHealthLabs
@ APHL
APHL . org
Fall 2024 LAB MATTERS 1