Lab Matters Summer 2018 | Page 92

APHL 2018 Annual Meeting Poster Abstracts

Workforce Development from the experience as well . Having to explain the benefits of QA makes one more familiar and fluent in the description of their craft . It is gratifying to know that the information being passed on will help develop future laboratory personnel . The field of Quality Assurance can be very fulfilling particularly when employee engagement with interns and co-workers provide positive outcomes , lending a greater appreciation of their work . This is “ what the student leaves behind ”.

Presenter : Sharon Robinson , New Jersey Department of Health , Ewing , NJ , Phone : 609.530.2818 , Email : sharon . robinson @ doh . nj . gov

Advancing Public Health Laboratory Websites : Northern Plains Consortium — Emerging Leaders Program

H . Sease 1 , S . Alexander 1 , K . Manion 2 , L . Beasley-Morrison 3 , G . Stevens 4 , W . Lutkemeier 5 ; 1 North Dakota Department of Health , Bismarck , ND , 2 Montana Public Health Laboratory , Helena , MT ,

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Idaho Bureau of Laboratories , Boise , ID , 4 Wyoming Public Health Laboratory , Cheyenne , WY , 5 South Dakota Public Health Laboratory , Pierre , SD

Background : The Northern Plains Consortium ( NPC ), consisting of Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota Wyoming and later Idaho , was formed in 2006 . The intent was to develop a regional public health laboratory system where collaboration and laboratory system improvement activities could be established across the region . In 2014 a consortium-wide need for succession planning was recognized and our regional Emerging Leaders Program ( ELP ) was born . Cohort 1 of the regional ELP occurred in 2015 and our current ELP , Cohort 2 , commenced in 2017 . Each state selected an individual to participate in the program that highlighted leadership , communication , behavior style and grant knowledge in a public health setting .

Methods : The participants of each cohort identified and worked on a group project . Cohort 2 chose to advance each of their own state ’ s public health laboratory websites to provide the most user-friendly access as well as disseminating the most up-to-date and pertinent information to the residents of their states . A review was conducted where the participants compared the websites and created a spreadsheet for identifying the types of changes to be completed . This spreadsheet was shared on an APHL SharePoint site that was accessible to all members . Among the considerations was working towards updating the websites to meet the Americans with Disability Act ( ADA ) compliance . Also identified was a need to create a common page describing the NPC for each state ’ s website . Once a plan was in place , each participant was responsible for updating their respective state ’ s website .

Results : A webpage was created and hosted on Idaho ’ s website to discuss the various aspects of the NPC . Included are a description of the NPC , the consortium ’ s mission , recent publications and links to each states ’ websites . In turn , each state has a link to the NPC site on their webpage . In addition , some states updated their websites to meet ADA regulations , using computer programs such as Microsoft Word , Microsoft Power Point and Adobe Pro to conform non-compliant electronic documents . A major goal of the states for ADA compliance is ensuring that the content is available to everyone , including the disabled .

Conclusion : The NPC continues to represent a regional effort to improve PHL systems and increase efficiencies . The activities through the ELP have enabled each state to advance their own state public health websites to increase efficiency and enhance public knowledge of our capabilities . Each PHL is working within its own state to roll out the finalized website updates in 2018 . Since technology is ever evolving , each state will continue to monitor and update information as needed .

Presenter : Heather Sease , MLS ( ASCP ), North Dakota Department of Health , Division of Microbiology , Bismarck , ND , Phone : 701.328.6279 , Email : hrsease @ nd . gov

An International Collaboration to Develop Laboratory Leadership Competencies to Strengthen Laboratory Workforce Development in Support of Global Health Security

( complete abstract in Global Health , p . 61 )