A Laboratory Advisory Committee (LAC) is a voluntary, multidisciplinary committee established by the state public health laboratory. Other terms used to identify this entity include Laboratory Advisory Councils and Clinical Technical Advisory Groups.
The main goal of LACs is to foster communication and collaboration opportunities and for the laboratory to receive advice from expert advisors. A LAC may include public health, private, and clinical laboratories. They may also include veterinary, environmental and agricultural laboratories. Some LACs also have representation from professional organizations, commercial laboratories, hospital laboratories, military laboratories, the state health department, and other important partners.
The LAC’s structure and function could depend on a number of factors, including membership, topic area(s), funding and restrictions from associated grants and cooperative agreements. While most LACs don’t have a formal governance structure, some have bylaws.
LACs have provided input and support for laboratories and the greater public health community by emphasizing the need for more trained and certified laboratory professionals as well as the development of educational materials such as literature on websites, newsletters, practice guidelines and articles. Other benefits include improved communication, collaboration and networking opportunities among the laboratory community.
APHL has collected information on some state LACs, and summaries of the major focus, activities, and contacts for each are provided in the links below.