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Michigan
- Frances Pouch Downes, DrPH
- John Dyke, PhD
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In Michigan, the Laboratory Program Advisor, Dr. John Dyke, with the
guidance of the State Public Health Laboratory Director, Dr. Frances Downes,
has been meeting with clinical laboratories in focus groups throughout the
state to better understand the concerns of clinical laboratory professionals
and public health workers, who are primary responders to both acute and
chronic public health threats. A primary focus in regional meetings has been
to engage anti-bioterrorism Level A clinical laboratories with Level B
public health laboratories. In addition to input from front-line public
health workers and laboratorians, Dr. Dyke is guided by an Advisory Group,
created from stakeholders in six state regions. Members of this body
include: clinical microbiology laboratories, regional public health
laboratory directors, county health department surveillance staff, infection
control experts, physicians, physician assistants and a proficiency testing
provider.
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Creating a specimen
transportation system:
Recognizing the lack of a reliable system to transport specimens to the
public health laboratories, Michigan is focusing on development of a
network of transportation contractors to provide state-wide coverage.
Transportation of public health specimens was a major problem following
the September 11 attacks; a viable model transportation system may be a
prototype for delivery of specimens. The development of the specimen
transportation system will be staged in order of importance as funding
allows:
- 24/7 emergency pick-up
- Routine pick-up from public health offices
- State-wide pick-up of all public health specimens
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Improving Communications:
- Created an Advisory Council composed of several public and private
laboratories
- Developed a hospital fax network to improve rapid communication
between the state public health laboratory and private clinical
laboratories
- Eliminating treatment gaps by developing an LIS-based patient
tracking system
- Preventing delays in rabies prevention by developing a system that
will notify the county disease control nurse when a rabies test request
is generated
- Collaborating to create a standardized report form for hospital
reporting to county health
- Regular communications to clinical laboratories with Bug Bytes
newsletter column stakeholders
- Lab-to-lab networking for remote users
- Promoted standardized report formatting for laboratory reports
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Solving problems on
a broad front:
- Assessing practices for testing E. coli to improve surveillance of
the O157:H7 strain
- Partnering with commercial providers of proficiency testing
specimens to improve public health testing for tuberculosis and
meningococcus (common meningitis-causing bacteria)
- Collaborating with state bioterrorism personnel to tailor training
materials for clinical laboratory professionals
- Convened Advisory Group discussions of laboratory workforce
shortages
- Collaborated with a private proficiency testing provider to create a
surrogate marker for assessing proficiency of clinical laboratories for
testing E. coli O157:H7
- Remote data entry for newborn screening improved turnaround time.
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This page last reviewed: 7/12/2004
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