Lab Matters Summer 2024 | Page 31

PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

By Stormy Chester , specialist , Biosafety and Biosecurity ; and Stephanie Barahona , associate specialist , Public Health Preparedness and Response

Stacey Alexander , MLS ( ASCP ), North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services

“ Being able to attend an in-person biosafety technical meeting has given me a framework for knowledge to build upon back in my laboratory . Also , the ability to meet and create a network of other biosafety officers has been instrumental in my position . This network is great for gathering ideas and tools others may have already implemented in their lab when different problems or questions arise in mine .”

APHL Biosafety Technical Workshop instructor , Ed Kopp , demonstrates proper glove removal techniques at the APHL Technical Workshop in Tampa , FL .

Rebecca Voshell , MS , Delaware Public Health Laboratory

Ongoing professional development significantly enhances technical and leadership skills within the biosafety workforce . In collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), APHL has developed numerous training courses to support the role of biosafety officers . Continuing this commitment , APHL is organizing two new biosafety technical workshops , building on the insights gained from a workshop APHL hosted this past winter in Tampa , Florida .

The workshops are designed to improve the technical knowledge of biosafety professionals within public health laboratories , playing a crucial role in APHL ’ s commitment to providing essential skills and knowledge to the biosafety workforce . The small classroom setting allows participants to set personal goals and guide the workshop to effectively address their specific needs . The workshop curriculum covers a broad range of topics including engineering controls , competencies , risk assessments , quality management , sentinel clinical laboratory outreach and leadership . Additionally , APHL integrates affinity exercises to address current challenges and outline solutions encountered by biosafety professionals . Throughout the workshop , participants were encouraged to share their experiences , highlighting the complexities of their roles and the resistance they face while establishing biosafety practices . The workshop not only facilitates interactive discussions and networking opportunities for biosafety professionals but also empowers them to set and work towards specific goals throughout its duration .

At the workshop ’ s end , participants provided their feedback through exit tickets , allowing APHL to understand what can improve for future training opportunities . Participant feedback emphasized more hands-on training opportunities for staff and improving existing processes related to risk assessments when they arrived back at their workplace . This constructive feedback illustrates the commitment of the biosafety workforce to continual improvement and innovation within their roles as biosafety professionals , reinforcing the importance of ongoing education and training initiatives in bolstering biosafety and biosecurity practices .

“ The in-person biosafety technical workshop is invaluable to attend . Not only is it a great networking opportunity with other biosafety officers from state laboratories , but it also provides hands-on training , group brainstorming , and an insight to how other laboratories approach various biosafety trainings , plans , and components . I found the training and discussion surrounding risk assessments incredibly beneficial as a new biosafety officer . This training helped me fill knowledge gaps , and being able to ask the instructors follow up questions and work through examples real time allowed me to come back to my lab and implement these risk assessment practices efficiently and confidently .”

Following the two upcoming technical workshops in the learning series , APHL will initiate the next phase focused on fostering and strengthening biosafety professional leadership . g

APHL Biosafety Technical Workshop attendees at the Florida Department of Health , Bureau of Public Health Laboratories — Tampa .