Lab Culture

Latest Episodes:

My Niece's Positive Newborn Screen Sep 05, 2017

Show notes

Four years ago, as APHL joined with partners to celebrate the 50th anniversary of routine newborn screening in the United States, newborn screening hit more closely for APHL staff than it ever had before. Michelle Forman, manager of media and Lab Culture host, received a text that her new niece, Sloane, had a positive newborn screen. Her results were out of range for PKU. In this episode, Michelle interviews Sloane's mom, Judith Forman, about that experience.

Past, Present and Future of PulseNet May 24, 2017

Show notes

PulseNet revolutionized foodborne outbreak detection in the United States. What exactly is it? How did it get started? Why was it so significant? And what does the future of foodborne outbreak detection look like? Brian Sauders, molecular microbiologist at the NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Shari Shea, director of food safety at APHL, answer these questions and more.

Links:

What is PulseNet?

About PulseNet (CDC)

PulseNet success stories

20 years of PulseNet: Preventing thousands of illnesses and saving millions of dollars (cost-benefit analysis)

Awards PulseNet has received

Innovations in American Government Award

CBS News article on PulseNet launch including quotes from Al Gore

1993 Jack in the Box outbreak

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly and Salmonella Nchanga Infections Associated with a Raw Scraped Ground Tuna Product

Laboratory Response Network (LRN)

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Food Laboratory

Shari Shea on Twitter

APHL's Food Safety Program

APHL-CDC Infectious Diseases Laboratory Fellowship

Hill Day 2017 Mar 21, 2017

Show notes

On March 6, a small group of APHL members and our policy staff visited House and Senate offices as part of our annual Hill Day. Peter Kyriacopoulos, APHL's senior director of public policy, interviewed the group following their meetings to get their immediate thoughts.

Links:

ELC Program: Essential Funding for Public Health Lab Response

Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity fact sheet

APHL Advocacy Priorities

Hill Day group:

Chris Whelen – laboratory director, Hawaii Department of Health State Laboratories Division

Sara Vetter – manager, Infectious Disease Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory

Jennifer Rakeman – assistant commissioner, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Denise Toney – director, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services

Peter Kyriacopoulos – senior director of public policy, APHL

Celia Hagan – manager of public policy, APHL

Nisha Quasba – public policy intern, APHL

Critical Consequences Feb 15, 2017

Show notes

Did you know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka Obamacare) includes critical public health funding? What would the repeal of the ACA mean for public health? Peter Kyriacopoulos, APHL's senior director of public policy, talks about the CDC-managed Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) program, a source of crosscutting support for public health laboratories funded under the ACA through the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF).

Links:

ELC Program: Essential Funding for Public Health Lab Response (APHL.org)

Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement (CDC.gov)

Critical Public Health Fund Would Be Lost With ACA Repeal

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Peter Kyriacopoulos on Twitter