industry matters
Using Lab Automation
to Stay Ahead of Public
Health Threats
by Amber Duffey, key account manager for public health,
Roche Diagnostics
F
Joey Stringer (left) and Daniel Serinaldi, from Dallas County Health and Human Services, are using automated lab technology
to provide shorter turn-around time for tests and stay a step ahead of public health threats like Zika
rom H1N1 to Ebola to various vector-borne pathogens, the unsung
heroes of Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) are
staying one step ahead of public health threats like Zika through the use
of innovative lab automation technologies.
By transitioning from time-consuming manual processes to a more efficient,
automated workflow, the lab is also better able to utilize staff time, process
samples faster and provide quicker responses during these high-demand
times.
For the area’s 2.5 million residents, the investment by DCHHS in automation
technology is not only helping to protect their personal health and well-being,
it’s also providing the right tools to actively monitor, respond to and combat
the spread of serious public health outbreaks in a more timely and
efficient manner.
“For example, bringing in the MagNA Pure 96 automated extraction system
has allowed us to cut tech time in half and provide the community with
an even shorter turnaround time,” says Daniel Serinaldi, bioterrorism
coordinator/LPN principal coordinator at DCHHS. “When your job is to
respond to public health threats and those public health threats are large,
having technology that fits the bill in terms of being able to make that
response is critically important.”
According to Dallas County’s general lab supervisor Joey Stringer, the lab
has been able to leverage its expanded testing capabilities and increased
capacity during outbreaks to help fulfill its purpose of protecting the people
of Dallas County.
Roche Diagnostics is a Diamond Level Sustaining Member of APHL.
“From serology to PCR testing, adding automated technology has enabled
our lab to handle a much greater testing capacity,” he says. “It’s helped the
lab grow considerably. Even with what we’re currently doing in 2016 with
the Zika outbreak, it’s allowed us to go way above and beyond what we
could do before.”
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LAB MATTERS Fall 2016
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