Lab Matters Summer 2017 | Page 6

infectious diseases

Washington PHL staff , CDC and APHL representatives , and laboratories and epidemiologists participating in the West Regional Laboratory and Epidemiology Training & Regional Meeting

By Nikki Marchan , MPH , specialist , Antimicrobial Resistance and Sopheay Hun , MBA , MLS ( ASCP ), antimicrobial resistance regional laboratory supervisor , Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories

The Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network ( ARLN ), created as part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s ( CDC ’ s ) Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative , is comprised of seven regional laboratories strategically placed to track changes in antimicrobial resistant pathogens and identify outbreaks . Under this initiative , CDC provides funding to expand capacity for detection of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae ( CRE ) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( CRPA ) in all 50 states and several large local laboratories .

This spring the AR regional laboratories , APHL and CDC organized four regional training workshops on laboratory detection methods for CRE and CRPA . While all workshops covered testing methods , some customization was required to meet the specific needs of each region .

Northeast

The New York State Department of Health-Wadsworth Center helps support efforts to provide AR solutions at every level of the ARLN . “ As a member of the Northeast Environmental and Public Health Laboratory Directors network , we regularly discuss shared training opportunities and ways to enhance each state ’ s testing services . This training represents one more way we are excited to work with our northeast partners , CDC and APHL on the ARLN project ” says Division of Infectious Diseases Director Ron Limberger , PhD .

Wadsworth hosted the Northeast Region CRE Training Workshop on May 9-10 , where participants were provided both didactic and hands-on training on methods used to confirm and characterize CRE and CRPA isolates . “ Our training plan was based on feedback from the Northeast states and New York City and was designed to provide an overview of the methods laboratories were planning to implement as well as helpful procedures , background information and analysis experience ” says Chief of Bacterial Diseases Kimberlee Musser , PhD .

In addition to the instruction provided by Wadsworth , CDC microbiologist Karen Anderson , BS MT ( ASCP ) SM attended the training and provided valuable assistance . “ The addition of Karen Anderson ’ s knowledge and experience from her years at CDC ensured that all attendees were provided with expert instruction on susceptibility testing procedures and interpretation ” says ARLN Lead and Bacteriology Supervisor Liz Nazarian .

In addition to providing hands-on instruction , the training served to build relationships between participating laboratories . Such collaboration is essential to combatting AR .

West

Laboratorians and epidemiologists from nine states and jurisdictions converged on May 18-19 , at the first annual Laboratory & Epidemiology Training and Regional Meeting , hosted by the Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories , the ARLN laboratory serving the western region .

“ Our training program focused on bringing laboratorians and epidemiologists together in enhanced training efforts to facilitate communication and develop a better understanding of each other ’ s role in combating antibiotic resistance ,” said ARLN Supervisor Sopheay Hun , MBA , MLS ( ASCP ).