Public Health Leaders Honored by APHL

SILVER SPRING, MD--(Marketwired - June 08, 2016) - The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is pleased to announce the winners of its annual awards for outstanding achievements in laboratory science, creative approaches to solving today's public health challenges and exemplary support of laboratories serving the public's health. Awardees were honored during a ceremony at the 2016 APHL Annual Meeting & Tenth Government Environmental Laboratory Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The following awards were presented:

Lifetime Achievement Award - This award recognizes individuals who have established a history of distinguished service to APHL, made significant contributions to the advancement of public health laboratory science or practice, exhibited leadership in the field of public health, and/or positively influenced public health policy on a national or global level. This year's award is shared by two honorees:

• Dr. Charles Brokopp, retired; former director, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene
• Dr. Frances Downes, professor, Michigan State University; former director, Bureau of Laboratories, Michigan Department of Community Health

Presidential Award - This award recipient is selected by the APHL president and given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Association's work to promote policies that strengthen public health laboratories.

• Dr. Isatta Wurie, senior technical consultant and Sierra Leone team lead, APHL

Champion of the Public Health Laboratory Award - This award recognizes federal, state and local elected officials and executive branch employees who have recognized the importance of state and local governmental laboratories that perform testing of public health significance either through support of legislation or federal agency decisions.

• Dr. Alberto Gutierrez, director, Office of In Vitro Diagnostics in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Gold Standard for Public Health Laboratory Excellence Award - This award is given to an APHL member who has made significant contributions to the technical advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice. This year's award is shared by two honorees:

• Jack Krueger, retired; former director, Health and Environmental Testing Lab, Maine Department of Health and Human Services
• Berry Bennett, retired; Florida Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories

Silver Award - This award honors a laboratorian with 10 to 15 years of service in a governmental laboratory (either public health or environmental/agricultural laboratory). The honoree is recognized as a leader both within their home laboratory as well as outside their laboratory. This year's award is shared by two honorees:

• Katherine Haddaeus, biological scientist III, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Kathryn Wangsness, chief, Office of Laboratory Services, Arizona State Public Health Laboratory

Thomas E. Maxson Education, Training and Workforce Development Award - This award was established in August of 1998 in memory of Dr. Maxson. The Maxson Award honors an APHL member who is a public health or clinical laboratory practitioner, trainer or educator who has made significant contributions to public health laboratory practice by creating, delivering or developing continuing education opportunities, programs, policies or practices for the laboratory community.

• Dr. Nicole Green, director, Public Health Laboratory, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Emerging Leader Award - This award honors a laboratorian whose leadership has been instrumental in one or more advances in laboratory science, practice, management, policy or education. This year's award is shared by two honorees:

• Dr. Laura Naught, CLIA director, Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
• Dr. Lixia Liu, director, Scientific Laboratory Division, New Mexico Department of Health

On the Front Line Award - This award honors an individual or laboratory outside of the APHL membership who makes significant contributions to the advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice. This year's award is shared by two honorees:

• William Smith, executive director, National Coalition of STD Directors
• Nancy Thiex, principal investigator, Association of American Feed Control Officials

Healthiest Laboratory Award - This award is given to member laboratories committed to safety, environmental process, environmental policy, and employee health and wellness.

• First Place: Georgia Public Health Laboratory, Georgia Department of Public Health
• Runner-Up: Indiana State Department of Health Laboratories
• Honorable Mention: New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public's health in the US and globally. APHL's member laboratories protect the public's health by monitoring and detecting infectious and foodborne diseases, environmental contaminants, terrorist agents, genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse health threats.

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