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Laboratory Systems and Standards Committee

The Laboratory Systems and Standards Committee strengthens quality management by promoting sustainable public health laboratories, improving accuracy and reliability, and developing tools to optimize laboratory performance and system quality.

Questions?

Contact us: [email protected]

Our Purpose

About the Committee

Committee Charge

The Laboratory Systems and Standards (LSS) committee strengthens quality management systems by promoting the sustainability of public health laboratory systems and supporting the improvement of accuracy and reliability of laboratory results and services in member laboratories. The committee identifies and develops tools and resources to optimize the performance quality of member laboratories and their systems. 

Priorities

  • Support continuous quality improvement in member laboratories by providing training and educational resources. 
  • Host webinars to educate the laboratory community on quality management system topics
  • Promote committee work and resources at the 2027 APHL Annual Conference
Our Work

Projects and Work Products

Current Projects

  • Supporting member laboratories by developing/updating resources and promoting them through the quality management community.
  • Supporting national, state, local, and regional public health laboratory system models.
  • Specimen stability studies to support laboratory acceptance criteria.

Recently Completed Work Products

The Committee was instrumental in producing the following materials:

Guide / Guidance
2025
Crosswalk of Regulations and Guidance Affecting Laboratories Sorted by Quality System Essentials, Second Edition
Outline of regulations and guidance from 12 sources related to each Quality System Essential (QSE), the fundamental quality elements or building blocks of organizations.
Quality Systems and Analytics
Guide / Guidance
2025
How to Write a Laboratory Quality Manual
Update of the 2017 Laboratory Quality Manual
Quality Systems and Analytics
Guide / Guidance
2025
Public Health Laboratory Model Practices for QMS19—Customer Focus: Complaint Management
A structured approach for complaint management is an essential component of a laboratory's quality management system (QMS). This guide explores how to implement CLSI QMS19 guidelines to effectively manage internal and external complaints.
Quality Systems and Analytics
Our Team

Meet the Committee

The Laboratory Systems and Standards Committee has members representing state, local and institutional APHL member laboratories. (Committee members listed are from the 2025-2026 term. This list will soon be updated with the committee members serving the 2026-2027 term.)

Crystal Barrett,  MAED/T, MLS(ASCP)cm
Committee Chair | Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services

LeAnne Burns
 Committee Co-Chair | Georgia Public Health Laboratory

Susan Orton, PhD, D(ABMLI)
North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health

Mary Bonifas
Michigan Public Health Laboratory

Shaila Borna
Dallas Public Health Laboratory

Genie Davis
Arkansas Public Health Laboratory

Marie Gosselin, MS, CQIA (ASQ)
Wyoming Public Health Laboratory

Jill Power
New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories (retired)

David Silva, MS, DLM(ASCP)CM
Tennessee Public Health Laboratory

Shonetta Smith, PhD, NRCC-TC
North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health

Michael Stevenson, PhD
New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories 

Kathryn Wangsness, MHA
Arizona Public Health Laboratory

Jill Warrington, MD, PhD
Vermont Public Health Laboratory

Ona Adair, PhD
South Carolina Public Health Laboratory

Abby Raymer
Committee Liaison 

Lorelei Kurimski, MS
Program Lead