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Help Shape the Future of Public Health Laboratory Competencies

APHL is updating the Public Health Laboratory Competencies to reflect today’s workforce, laboratory practice and public health priorities. Share your feedback to ensure the revised competencies are practical, relevant and useful for laboratories, trainers, supervisors and workforce partners.

Before You Complete the Survey, Join the Conversation

Learn about the proposed revisions, see how feedback will be used, and ask questions during our live informational webinar on October 7, 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Register for the Webinar

Who Should Take the Survey?

Your experience can help ensure the updated Public Health Laboratory Competencies are practical, relevant, and valuable to today's workforce. Whether you use the competencies for training, workforce planning, supervision, hiring, or career development, or you have subject matter expertise in one or more of the 16 competency domains, your feedback will help APHL refine the final version and better reflect the needs of the public health laboratory community.

Take the Survey

 

Why Take the Survey?

The updated Public Health Laboratory Competencies give laboratories, trainers, supervisors and workforce partners a shared framework for strengthening workforce development. They can be used to shape training, clarify expectations and support long-term planning so laboratories are better prepared to meet current and future public health needs.

  • Shape training: Guide curriculum design, learning objectives and professional development planning.
  • Clarify expectations: Connect knowledge, skills and abilities to job responsibilities, position descriptions and expectations.
  • Support long-term planning: Support workforce planning, career pathways, succession planning and organizational readiness.

Take the Survey

 

The Revision Process

Phase 1: Planning and Preparation

  • Developed project plan
  • Assembled the project team
  • Established the competency review process
  • Identified and confirmed subject matter experts
  • Designed and conducted pre-revision survey

Phase 2: Competency Review and Revision

  • Formed subject matter expert workgroups
  • Gathered and reviewed background information
  • Evaluated verb usage and competency level definitions
  • Reviewed and revised all existing domains and developed a new one
  • Designed post-revision survey
  • Open Comment Period - Currently underway

Phase 3: Finalize and Publish Revised Competency Guidelines

  • Analyze survey and stakeholder feedback
  • Incorporate final revisions
  • Publish revised competencies
  • Reviewed and revised all existing domains and developed a new one
  • Release supporting implementation resources

Acknowledgements

APHL extends its sincere gratitude to the individuals and organizations whose expertise, collaboration and feedback contributed to the revision of the Public Health Laboratory Competencies.

  • Wanda Andrews
    Director of Laboratory Operations, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS), Commonwealth of Virginia (Ret.)

  • Carrie Anglewicz, MS
    Biosafety Officer and Training Coordinator, Michigan Bureau of Laboratories

  • Heather Blankenship, PhD
    Technical Director, Genomics, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories

  • Andrew Cannons, PhD, HCLD (ASCP)
    Clinical Advisor; formerly Laboratory Director, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories–Tampa

  • J. Mark Conde
    Assistant Dean, Emory Rollins School of Public Health

  • Leah D. Gillis, M.S., PhD HCLD (ABB)
    Laboratory Director, Florida Department of Health, Miami (Ret.)

  • Grace Kubin, PhD
    Laboratory Director, Texas State Public Health Laboratories

  • Christin Hanigan
    Program Manager, Infectious Diseases, APHL

  • Sean Hannigan
    Senior Specialist, Informatics, APHL

  • Rebecca Hutchins, MS, MBA
    Principal Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute

  • Trung Huynh, PhD
    Product Specialist, Clinical System Development, Waters Corporation

  • Kelly Oakeson
    Chief Scientific Officer and Director of NGS and Bioinformatics, Utah Public Health Laboratory

  • Deborah K. Severson
    Director, Laboratory Services, Fairfax County Health Department Laboratory (Ret.)

  • Rachel Shepherd
    Senior Specialist, Informatics, APHL

  • Dariush Safai Shirazi
    Health Information Technology Manager, APHL (Ret.)

  • Anna Strain
    Manager, Infectious Disease Laboratory, Minnesota Public Health Laboratory

  • Burt Wilcke, PhD
    Associate Professor, University of Vermont, Emeritus

  • Susie Zanto, MPH, MLS (ASCP), SM
    Montana Public Health Laboratory (Ret.)
  • Kate Moreau, MPH, MLS (ASCP) CM, Project Manager
    Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Vermont

  • Celicia Marie Wallace, MA, CPTD
    Manager, Instructional Design, APHL

  • Amy Miller, MA
    Senior Specialist, Instructional Design, APHL

  • Rose Vu, MA, CAPM
    Senior Specialist, Instructional Design, APHL
  • Christine Bean, Project Sponsor, PhD, MBA, MLS (ASCP)
    Chief Learning Officer, APHL

  • Cathy Johnson, Project Sponsor
    Senior Director, Training and Workforce Development, APHL

  • Renee Ned-Sykes
    Project Officer and Reviewer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Tara Mohr
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Maureen Michel Ty
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention