Public Health Preparedness and Response Leaders Honored by APHL

SILVER SPRING, MD--(Marketwire - Oct 12, 2012) - The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) presented awards to leaders in the field of public health preparedness and response during the 2012 Laboratory Response Network (LRN) National Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Recipients included representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state public health laboratories and a national association. 

The following awards were given:

• Excellence in Public Health Response: Minnesota Department of Public Health, Laboratory Division for the depth and effectiveness of their public health preparedness efforts over the last decade. 
• Outstanding Sentinel Clinical Laboratory Program: Delaware Public Health Laboratory for building and sustaining a resilient sentinel laboratory training network within Delaware and the region. 
• Outstanding Outreach to Poison Control Centers or Hospitals: Florida Bureau of Laboratories Chemical Threat Program for outreach to organizations and groups, including hospitals, poison control centers, law enforcement, public health, public schools and the environmental community to enhance awareness of chemical threats and preparedness for emergency response.
• Excellence in Partnership: Hawaii Department of Health, State Laboratories Division for developing strong relationships with military partners to enhance preparedness within the state.
• Innovative Collaborations with First Responder Communities: Arizona Bureau of State Laboratory Services for fostering collaborations and for positively influencing the network and its members. 
• Excellence in Developing Scientific Guidelines: American Society for Microbiology for making significant contributions to the advancement of LRN practice and policies and for positively influencing the network and its members.
• Outstanding Partnership and Public Service: Dr. Bill Nauschuetz, program manager for US Army Lab Response in the US Army Medical Command, for his commitment to promoting and furthering the mission of the LRN. 
• Meta-Leadership: Bonnie Rubin, assistant director for planning and development at the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, for promoting and furthering the mission of the LRN through exemplary leadership and continual momentum, working across state, federal and non-governmental organizations. 
• Excellence in Training: Dr. Todd Parker, LRN training coordinator at CDC, for significant contributions to training activities for advancement of the LRN for Biological Threat Preparedness and Response. 
• Implementing Continuous Quality Improvement Systems: Dr. Harvey Holmes, branch chief of the Laboratory Preparedness and Response Branch in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections at CDC, for his unrelenting work, leadership and support of implementation of quality initiatives to strengthen the LRN.
• Achievement for a Decade of Outstanding Participation: Dr. Anne S. Hutchins, public health scientist in the Bioterrorism and Emerging Pathogens Unit at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health for her instrumental work to advance the LRN and for significant contributions to laboratory science, practice and management.

Congratulations to all award winners. 

The Association of Public Health Laboratories is a national non-profit located in Silver Spring, MD, that is dedicated to working with members to strengthen governmental laboratories with a public health mandate. By promoting effective programs and public policy, APHL strives to provide public health laboratories with the resources and infrastructure needed to protect the health of US residents and to prevent and control disease globally.

This release was 100% funded with funds from a federal program. APHL received $150,000 from the CDC to convene the 2012 LRN National Meeting, which brought together over 300 attendees from local, state and federal agencies and other non-governmental partners engaged in laboratory preparedness and response activities.