quality systems
L-SIP Adds to Assessment, Reassessment Participant Numbers
by Tim Southern, PhD, laboratory director, South Dakota Public Health Laboratory; Nicole Green, PhD, D( ABMM), laboratory director, Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory; and Bertina Su, MPH, senior specialist, Laboratory Systems and Standards
What do the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Museum in Fort Pierre, SD and the Federal Reserve Bank of Los Angeles have in common with public health laboratories( PHLs)? In May 2016, they served as the sites for the South Dakota Laboratory System Improvement Program( L-SIP) reassessment( the fourth state laboratory system to participate in a reassessment) and the Los Angeles County L-SIP assessment( the fifth local laboratory to undertake an assessment).
On May 10, 45 participants representing partners and stakeholders in the PHL system from across South Dakota gathered for the L-SIP reassessment. Over half of the participants had also attended the initial L-SIP assessment in 2010. This continuity of participation provided valuable insight into the growth and development of South Dakota’ s laboratory system. Karen Breckenridge, APHL’ s Director of Quality Systems, facilitated the plenary session which focused on Essential Service # 2. All 10 Essential Public Health Services( see Table 1) were discussed and scored over the course of the day. The South Dakota laboratory system showed improvement in all Essential Services with optimal activity in five, including Essential Service # 3 and Essential Service # 8, and Essential Service # 10 noted as an area for improvement.
“ The L-SIP assessment process was empowering,” said Tim Southern, PhD, the South Dakota laboratory’ s new director.“ The success of the day is a testament to the strength of the L-SIP assessment process as well as the dedication of the many partners and stakeholders that make up South Dakota’ s PHL system. We look forward to strengthening our laboratory system in the years to come.”
On May 12, the Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratories welcomed 52 participants including clinical laboratory professionals, environmental health
specialists, law enforcement, first responders and public health program leaders. Using the local PHL system L-SIP assessment tool, participants scored well in Essential Service # 4 and # 6. Essential Service # 9 was identified as an area needing improvement. The assessment received many positive reviews from the participants:“ Lots of different partners provided good discussion,”“ Facilitators were open & very stimulating” and“ Great collaboration & participation by attendees” were just some of the comments L-SIP coordinators received.
Nicole Green, PhD, D( ABMM), the Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratories director, was encouraged by the findings of the L-SIP assessment.“ Although we have robust systems for detecting and reporting communicable disease, we may not be doing enough for chronic diseases,” she noted.“ I also would have liked to have additional participants attend who represent environmental health and chronic disease as well as participation from more laboratory clients and community health services.”
“ Continually improving communication with our clients and other public health partners to provide quality testing services for the department is key to a strong and healthy public health laboratory system.”
Table 1. The 10 Essential Public Health Services
1. Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems. 2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community. 3. Inform, educate and empower people about health issues. 4. Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems. 5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts. 6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.
8. Assure competent public and personal health care workforce.
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based health services.
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
To inquire about conducting an L-SIP assessment or reassessment of your laboratory system, contact Tina Su at bertina. su @ aphl. org. APHL offers training and planning, assessment tools, a facilitator and funding to off-set some associated costs.
( Source: CDC STLT Gateway, National Public Health Performance Standards, http:// www. cdc. gov / nphpsp / essentialservices. html)
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Summer 2016 LAB MATTERS 5 |