APHL has created a number of tools to help laboratories with testing systems, operations, workforce, outreach and much more.
Some resources below are accessible only to APHL members, and you must be signed in to the website to view them.
Laboratory Processes & Operations
Testing Services
Assessing and Planning Implementation of Public Health Laboratory Service Changes
This guide is a resource that directors and managers of public health laboratories can use as they assess and, if they so choose, implement changes in the models of their laboratories' testing services.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Laboratory Self-Assessment Tool
Any public health, clinical or commercial laboratory that performs TB/mycobacteriology testing in the US can use this tool to assess their procedures, assign priorities and adopt a plan to update and improve laboratory practices. Information submitted to the tool from different laboratories is not compiled and data is not shared in any way.
Informatics
Informatics Self-Assessment
The tool allows public health laboratories to assess strengths and gaps in informatics capability by addressing 19 critical operational areas.
Laboratory Information Systems Project Management
Laboratory information systems play a key role in laboratories meeting quality standards, decreasing transcription errors, reducing turnaround time from specimen receipt to reporting of results, and improving patient outcomes.
Laboratory Competencies
Competency Implementation Toolbox
APHL members have developed resources, tools and examples to assist laboratories in their efforts to implement behavior-based laboratory competencies, and incorporate them into their workplace process.
Funding
Public Health Awareness Toolkit
This tool is designed to educate the community about public health laboratory services, reinforce the value of these services to legislators and recruit new people into the field. It contains a table of performance indicators, glossary of defined terms, turnaround time calculator and TB Elimination Cooperative Agreement Checklist designed to aid laboratories in the cooperative agreement application process.
Facilities Management
Moving to a New Site for Public Health Laboratories
This follow-up moving guide captures additional lessons learned to help take the stress out of moving day and the weeks and months that follow.
Laboratory Facility Construction and Major Renovations Guideline
This guide provides a general overview on some of the core activities included in the lab design process. Laboratory teams can use this to walk through the design process and implement the activities that will help make the laboratory a success not just in design, but also in operations.
Dealing with Laboratory Floods
This guide is developed to help public health laboratories deal with floods. It provides details on advanced planning, detection of water and an immediate crisis of a flood.
Workforce
Staff Transitions
Navigating Leadership Changes in the Public Health Laboratory
This is a resource for those in leadership positions within public health laboratories and those who are soon to be. It is intended to be of use whether the current or emerging leader is working in a state or local public health laboratory.
APHL Lab Transitions Guide
This toolkit provides resources for both the lab leaders who are recruiting, hiring and onboarding a new director and for other leaders and lab directors on keeping the transition smooth.
Workforce Development & Retention
Knowledge Retention Toolkit
This tool is designed to help public health laboratories capture and retain the institutional knowledge of positions most at risk due to lack of adequate back up, lack of funding and to help support succession planning.
Employee Retention Toolkit
APHL's Emerging Leader Cohort 3 developed the Electronic Laboratory Employee Enrichment Toolkit (e-LEET) designed to improve retention in public health laboratories.
Outreach
STEM Recruitment Toolkit
APHL, in collaboration with CDC, has compiled a list of resources, tools, activities and how-to guides to assist laboratories in efforts to recruit STEM students, deliver career fairs, describe the value and role of public health laboratories, and engage students of all ages in projects and games that demonstrate laboratory science and practice in action.
Residual Dried Blood Spot Specimens Educational Toolkit
This toolkit was made to address public concerns over related policies and practices and gaps in public education regarding residual dried blood spot specimens.
Increasing Private Well Testing: A Communications Toolkit
This toolkit is intended to be a resource for water testing laboratories that work with private well users.
More Resources
Member Resource Center
A member-created document repository for professionals working in the public health laboratory field. The Member Resource Center gives members ready access to shared practices, communication tools, protocols and more.