APHL Newborn Screening Award Recipients Announced

SILVER SPRING, MD--(Marketwired - February 03, 2017) - The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is pleased to announce the recipients of the New Disorders Implementation Awards. These awards provide funding to support full implementation of newborn screening for Pompe, Mucopolysaccharidosis 1 (MPS-1) and X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and the establishment of Peer Network Resource Centers. The selected agencies will work closely with APHL's Newborn Screening Technical assistance and Evaluation Program (NewSTEPs) for successful implementation of their awards.

The following state departments of health have been selected to receive financial support, training and technical assistance for new disorder related activities:

• California Department of Public Health
• Florida Department of Health
• Iowa Department of Public Health
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Minnesota Department of Health
• Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
• New Jersey Department of Health
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Ohio Department of Health
• Tennessee Department of Health
• Texas Department of State Health Services

Additionally, the following state departments of health have been selected as Peer Network Resource Centers, serving as content area experts and offering newborn screening, educational trainings and/or technical assistance to other agencies:

• Missouri State Public Health Laboratory
• New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center
• Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

"We are extremely excited to begin supporting these awardees in their efforts to advance newborn screening," said Jelili Ojodu, director, newborn screening and genetics, APHL. "Implementing screening for Pompe, MPS-1 and X-ALD means improving the lives of even more babies. That's what newborn screening is all about."

To date, five states are screening for Pompe, four states are screening for MPS-1 and three states are screening for X-ALD. While many other states have approved the addition of these new disorders to their newborn screening panel, they are working through considerable challenges such as integration of new laboratory methodologies, the need for greater laboratory capacity and necessary training within the broader newborn screening system. The primary goal of the New Disorders Implementation Awards is to support states in addressing and overcoming these challenges.

Funded through a $4 million two-year cooperative agreement with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Genetic Services Branch of the U.S. Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and in close partnership with the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), APHL seeks to provide health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel in all 50 states with education and training in screening for the new disorders. Additionally, APHL's collaborative partnerships with ColoradoSPH, Baby's First Test and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Newborn Screening Translational Research Network support the goals of the cooperative agreement by providing resources for follow up, education and training available to state newborn screening programs.

This program is 100% funded through Cooperative Agreement # UG9MC30369 from the Health Resources and Services Administration. All publications and presentations are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA.

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.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/3/11G129340/Images/1546422_10151904706798481_534274782_n-9fb915faaba5bee09397ab8be80aae12.jpg