Lab Matters Summer 2018 | Page 44

APHL 2018 Annual Meeting Poster Abstracts

Biosafety good rating ). Publications , email blasts , My APHL and continuing education top the list of APHL products and services of which respondents were very satisfied or satisfied . With regards to APHL ’ s intangible resources , the top three were communication / marketing of the value of public health laboratories ( 88.4 %), professional collaboration with colleagues ( 87.3 %) and legislative advocacy ( 83.7 %). On the valuation of APHL and its role , most people strongly agreed or agreed with being proud to be a member of APHL , recognition that APHL strengthens public health laboratory effectiveness , APHL being the liaison with federal partners and the provision of valuable collaboration / networking opportunities . The qualitative analysis of open-ended questions yielded results that mirrored what was seen in the quantitative responses .

Conclusion : Although most responses were positive , the results of this survey have shown that additional promotional activities are required for those opportunities with lower levels of familiarity to the membership . In addition , the results also identified other areas of improvement that the Membership Department will address in the near future .

Acknowledgements : Deborah Kim , MPH , former director , APHL Institutional Research ; Sara Woldehanna , MA , MS , manager , Program Evaluation , APHL Institutional Research ; and Jacob Rosalez , manager , APHL Institutional Research for their contributions to the development , delivery and evaluation of the survey and its results .

Presenter : Linette Granen , MT ( ASCP ) DLM , Association of Public Health Laboratories , Silver Spring , MD , Phone : 240.485.2723 , Email : linette . granen @ aphl . org

Biosafety

ABSA International Outreach — What Can We Do For You ? M . Downing , ABSA International , Mundelein , IL

The 2015 Ebola outbreak highlighted the need for robust biorisk management programs in the public health sector and the importance of cooperation between various specialties and organizations . ABSA ( The American Biological Safety Association ) International and APHL continue to cooperate and communicate on biosafety and biosecurity topics . One critical area is attracting , training and maintaining qualified biosafety officers ( BSOs ). The poster concentrates on the relevance of a biorisk management program to public health laboratories , potential biosafety career paths and how to become a recognized expert in the biorisk management field . Many public health BSOs are nervous about job security relative to the Ebola Readiness grants ; they need to know that trained BSOs are rare , credentials are available and there are many learning and job opportunities available to them . ABSA International provides programs to assist Biosafety Officers in their job and career , including educational opportunities , professional credentialing , laboratory accreditation , a public health list-serve open to all , mentoring , a job placement board , the infectious agent risk group database , educational / networking opportunities through ABSA regional affiliates and outreach and cooperative opportunities , among others . Brochures and information of all of these topics will be included in the poster presentation and a knowledgeable ABSA International representative will be available for questions .

Presenter : Marian Downing , ABSA International , Mundelein , IL , Phone : 866.425.1385 , Email : mmdowning1 @ gmail . com

APHL Biosafety Officer Leadership Workshop M . Marsico , Association of Public Health Laboratories , Silver Spring , MD

In 2017 and 2018 , the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program at APHL convened the Biosafety Leadership Workshop to facilitate the professional development of biosafety officers ( officials ) ( BSOs ) in state , local , territorial US Affiliated Pacific Island public health laboratories . In order to tackle the challenges of biosafety at its source , three APHL member laboratories graciously agreed to host these regional workshops : Hawaii State Laboratories Division , Arizona Department of Health Services and Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories , Tampa Branch . These four-day workshops convened BSOs by region and provided a forum that encouraged personal and professional growth with the overall goal to strengthen leadership skills . Participants gained an invaluable network and a broader skill set that directly benefits the individual , their laboratory and ultimately , the greater public health laboratory system . Due to an ever changing and increasingly complex environment , public health laboratories need biosafety leaders who embrace change , manage people and processes efficiently and anticipate future needs . Through skill development sessions on leadership , project management , public policy , communications including messaging and storytelling , building effective training programs and implementing evaluation measures , the workshop shaped BSOs into future leaders within the laboratory system . PACE credits and a certificate for completion of the program were given to the participants of the workshops . Overall , 37 attendees from 34 public health laboratories across the United States and US Affiliated Pacific Islands participated in these three workshops . The Biosafety Leadership Workshops have received positive reviews from attendees who plan to incorporate this training in their everyday roles as a BSO . APHL recognizes the evolutionary nature of these workshops and will continue to provide quality Biosafety and Biosecurity training opportunities to all its members .

Presenter : Michael Marsico , Association of Public Health Laboratories , Silver Spring , MD , Phone : 240.485.2710 , Email : michael . marsico @ aphl . org

Biosafety Peer Network : Connecting the Dots in Biosafety

M . Marsico , C . Mangal and S . Page , Association of Public Health Laboratories , Silver Spring , MD

Recent lapses in institutional biosafety and the 2014 Ebola outbreak have demonstrated the necessity to fill gaps and deficiencies that remain in the nation ’ s biosafety apparatus . In 2016 , the Association of Public Health Laboratories ( APHL ) established the Biosafety Peer Network . The free program partners state , local and territorial public health laboratories ( PHLs ) with each other that are funded via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) Domestic Ebola Supplement to the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases ( ELC ) Cooperative Agreement — Building and Strengthening Epidemiology , Laboratory and Health Information Systems Capacity in State and Local Health Departments ( CK14-1401PPHFSUPP15 ). The PHLs partnered were based on their current strengths in specified areas of biosafety and biosecurity . In the programs first and second year since being created , applications were accepted from 24 PHLs