Competency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory ...

1 Supplement / Vol. 64 / No. 1 May 15, 2015 Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for disease control and PreventionMorbidity and Mortality Weekly ReportCompetency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory ProfessionalsCDC and the Association of Public Health LaboratoriesSupplementThe MMWR series of publications is published by the center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA citation: [Author names; first three, then et al., if more than six.] [Title]. MMWR Suppl 2015;64(Suppl-#):[inclusive page numbers].

2 Centers for disease control and PreventionThomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director Harold W. Jaffe, MD, MA, Associate Director for Science Joanne Cono, MD, ScM, Director, Office of Science Quality Chesley L. Richards, MD, MPH, Deputy Director for Public Health Scientific ServicesMichael F. Iademarco, MD, MPH, Director, center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services MMWR Editorial and Production Staff (Serials)Sonja A. Rasmussen, MD, MS, Editor-in-ChiefCharlotte K. Kent, PhD, MPH, Executive Editor Christine G. Casey, MD, EditorTeresa F. Rutledge, Managing EditorDavid C. Johnson, Lead Technical Writer-EditorJeffrey D.

3 Sokolow, MA, Project EditorMartha F. Boyd, Lead Visual Information SpecialistMaureen A. Leahy, Julia C. Martinroe, Stephen R. Spriggs, Visual Information SpecialistsQuang M. Doan, MBA, Phyllis H. King,Terraye M. Starr, Information Technology SpecialistsMMWR Editorial BoardWilliam L. Roper, MD, MPH, Chapel Hill, NC, ChairmanMatthew L. Boulton, MD, MPH, Ann Arbor, MIVirginia A. Caine, MD, Indianapolis, INJonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, MBA, Los Angeles, CADavid W. Fleming, MD, Seattle, WAWilliam E. Halperin, MD, DrPH, MPH, Newark, NJKing K. Holmes, MD, PhD, Seattle, WATimothy F. Jones, MD, Nashville, TNRima F.

4 Khabbaz, MD, Atlanta, GAPatricia Quinlisk, MD, MPH, Des Moines, IAPatrick L. Remington, MD, MPH, Madison, WIWilliam Schaffner, MD, Nashville, TNCONTENTS (Continued)CONTENTSI ntroduction ..1 Methodology ..2 Guiding Principles ..5 Competencies and Skill Domains ..5 Quality Management System Competency Guidelines ..8 Ethics Competency and Leadership Competency Guidelines ..15 Communication Competency Guidelines ..20 Security Competency Guidelines ..23 Emergency Management and Response Competency Guidelines .26 Workforce Training Competency Guidelines ..29 General Laboratory Practice Competency Guidelines .

5 32 Safety Competency Guidelines ..36 Surveillance Competency Guidelines ..45 Informatics Competency Guidelines ..49 Microbiology Competency Guidelines ..62 Chemistry Competency Guidelines ..68 Bioinformatics Competency Guidelines ..72 Research Competency Guidelines ..74 Conclusion ..78 Acknowledgments ..78 References ..78 Appendix A ..82 Appendix B ..83 SupplementMMWR / May 15, 2015 / Vol. 64 / No. 1 1 Competency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory ProfessionalsCDC and the Association of Public Health LaboratoriesPrepared byRen e Ned-Sykes, PhD1 Catherine Johnson, MA2 John C. Ridderhof, DrPH1 Eva Perlman, MPH2 Anne Pollock3 John M.

6 DeBoy, DrPH21 Office of Public Health Scientific Services, center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia2 Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, Maryland3 Office of Public Health Scientific Services, center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Division of Laboratory Systems, CDC, Atlanta, GeorgiaCorresponding preparer: Ren e Ned-Sykes, Competency Guidelines outline the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for Public Health Laboratory (PHL) professionals to deliver the core services of PHLs efficiently and effectively.

7 As part of a 2-year workforce project sponsored in 2012 by CDC and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), competencies for 15 domain areas were developed by experts representing state and local PHLs, clinical laboratories, academic institutions, Laboratory professional organizations, CDC, and APHL. The competencies were developed and reviewed by approximately 170 subject matter experts with diverse backgrounds and experiences in Laboratory science and Public Health . The Guidelines comprise general, cross-cutting, and specialized domain areas and are divided into four levels of proficiency: beginner, competent, proficient, and expert.

8 The 15 domain areas are 1) Quality Management System, 2) Ethics, 3) Management and Leadership, 4) Communication, 5) Security, 6) Emergency Management and Response, 7) Workforce Training, 8) General Laboratory Practice, 9) Safety, 10) Surveillance, 11) Informatics, 12) Microbiology, 13) Chemistry, 14) Bioinformatics, and 15) Competency Guidelines are targeted to scientists working in PHLs, defined as governmental Public Health , environmental, and agricultural laboratories that provide analytic biological and/or chemical testing and testing-related services that protect human populations against infectious diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, environmental hazards, treatable hereditary disorders, and natural and human-made Public Health emergencies.

9 The competencies support certain PHL workforce needs such as identifying job responsibilities, assessing individual performance, and providing a guiding framework for producing education and training programs. Although these competencies were developed specifically for the PHL community, this does not preclude their broader application to other professionals in a variety of different work national network of governmental Public Health , environmental, and agricultural laboratories, referred to collectively as Public Health laboratories (PHLs), is a vital part of the Public Health infrastructure.

10 These laboratories perform multiple functions through provision of analytic biological and/or chemical testing and testing-related services that protect human populations from infectious diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, environmental hazards, treatable hereditary disorders, and other natural and human-made Public Health emergencies (1 3). A well-trained Laboratory workforce is essential to ensuring that PHLs have the capacity to carry out the critical activities that are needed to safeguard the Public s Health competently and effectively (4,5).Studies of the PHL workforce have drawn attention to several concerns about staff training and projected turnover, both of which highlight challenges to maintaining a sufficient number of highly skilled and competent workers.