Lab Matters Summer 2023 | Page 5

PRESIDENT ’ S AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ’ S MESSAGE

Even though we were all stretched thin during the pandemic , the innovations came fast and furious and really made us think about not only who we are as a community , but also what we want that community to look like going forward .

The public health laboratory workforce today is more diverse than it ever has been , and it will continue to grow and change . APHL members can reinforce that message of service in not only underserved and underrepresented communities , but also ensure that the people who are serving these communities have a deeper understanding of the factors and biases that make these communities the way they are . And we are not just focusing on one set of our members … everyone should complement and participate in these values .

Innovation

We meet the diverse and ever-changing public health landscape through forward-thinking and adaptive leadership .

Innovation for APHL not only involves the scientific advances , but also adapting our leaders for today ’ s laboratories . While we have been at the bleeding-edge of technological advancements over the past few years , all the laboratory leaders that we have connected with — old and new — are also looking for new ways to build their staff experiences . And the traditional role of public health laboratories has radically changed . We ’ ve always been welcome to the table with public health officials because of the data we provide . But that ’ s not all that we do . During the pandemic , we had opportunities to bring together teams of people with different expertise to look over that same data and help us find ways that we can improve it and make it more robust . And it is to our advantage that those relationships that we built over the past three years continue to grow and mature ; to get outside our walls and continue to engage with the communities that we serve .

Scientific and Professional Integrity

We are a trusted leader in public health , striving for continuous improvement and the highest level of ethics and honesty in laboratory science and practice .

Science is at the core function of public health laboratories . And bringing attention to good , quality science with trusted , actionable results is important . When the pandemic first rose to prominence , the association took on the role of “ truth teller ” to support our members and the response . Being honest about what was happening on the ground and sharing information both within our community and more broadly was essential . Even though our messages weren ’ t perfect , they were rooted in a high degree of ethics in the science and in the work that is done by every individual in the public health laboratory system . Because our communities are relying on us , we need to continue to build trust in these relationships and , to do that , we keep our vision set on good science , good data and quality information .

Much like when APHL staff values were first introduced over a decade ago , this is just the first iteration . We want to live in them a while and really figure out if they fit the association . Like a living organism , these member values will continue to adapt as the needs of our members change .

These values will not take the place of our mission or vision , or of our brand . Rather they are a complement . Just like an organization ’ s brand , it isn ’ t about the logo alone . It is a feeling , like attending an APHL conference or sitting on a committee . A feeling of belonging , of community , of mutual respect for all . By articulating and reminding ourselves of our many connections , it makes us stronger and better in so many ways . g