Lab Matters Summer 2025 | Page 39

INFORMATICS

By Justin Nucci, data systems manager, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment; Elizabeth White, LIMS administrator, Wyoming Public Health Laboratory; and Sean Hannigan, specialist, Informatics

Ensuring a well-structured and sustainable informatics workforce is critical for the success of public health laboratories. As laboratories navigate increasing data demands, interoperability requirements and digital modernization, understanding the key roles within an informatics team and their respective responsibilities becomes essential.

The APHL Informatics Committee is currently developing a new Informatics Rightsizing resource to provide guidance on workforce planning strategies that align with public health laboratory needs. The resource will provide further guidance on workforce structuring, funding sustainability and professional development strategies.

It is necessary for public health laboratory leadership to recognize the complexity of managing a laboratory information management system( LIMS) and the diverse skill sets required for its effective administration. While a single staff member may sometimes fulfill multiple roles within an informatics team, a sustainable and efficient LIMS administration strategy ensures that all key responsibilities from system configuration to data integration are adequately addressed.

Addressing Informatics Workforce Challenges

Public health laboratories face unique challenges in maintaining an informatics workforce that balances expertise, sustainability and adaptability. Among the most pressing are:

• Recruitment and Retention. The demand for specialized informatics roles often outpaces the availability of qualified candidates. Shortages in experienced workforce, particularly in skilled technical roles, such as LIMS administration and HL7 / FHIR data integration, creates operational bottlenecks that are made more challenging by steep competition with the private sector. Discrepancies in remote work eligibility have also led to additional concerns in some states.

• Job Classifications. Without a distinct job series for informatics professionals in many states, various roles can be misclassified under information technology( IT) or laboratory job families. These incorrect classifications impact career advancement, appropriate compensation and recruitment efforts. Establishing a standardized informatician classification would enhance workforce sustainability by creating clear career pathways and ensuring competitive salaries.

• Funding Instability. Sustainable funding models must be developed to transition temporary roles into permanent positions, relieving the uncertainty of having to rely on grant funding, building resiliency into public health laboratories and securing operational capabilities into the future.

• Training and Professional Development. Creating a centralized repository of high quality, role-specific training resources tailored to public health laboratory informatics will enhance workforce preparedness. Resources should go beyond theoretical applications by including practical, scenario-based content aimed at intermediate skill levels, allowing learners to apply concepts in realistic laboratory informatics contexts.

Best Practices for Informatics Team Structure

To support an effective informatics workforce, laboratories should consider best practices in team structuring, staffing models and professional development.

1. Define Core Informatics Roles and Skills. Establishing clear and standardized job descriptions for essential informatics roles ensures clarity in responsibilities and facilitates workforce planning. While the roles are defined here individually, it is very often that multiple roles are held by one person. Core roles include:

• LIMS Specialist / Manager. Unlike traditional IT professionals, LIMS administrators must possess a deep understanding of laboratory workflows, regulatory requirements and data integrity principles, in addition to the technical skills needed to manage, configure and optimize LIMS platforms. This dual competency ensures that laboratory operations are effectively integrated with informatics solutions.

• Integration Specialist. This role is distinct due to its technical depth in health data standards, such as HL7 v2, HL7 CDA, and FHIR, and its critical function in enabling interoperability between the LIMS, electronic health records( EHRs) and public health reporting systems. Integration specialists often collaborate across IT, informatics and clinical teams to develop and maintain data exchange interfaces. Key skills include interface engine configuration, message mapping

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