THE PIHOA REGIONAL LABORATORY STRENGTHENING INITIATIVE

THE THE PIHOA PIHOA

REGIONAL LABORATORY REGIONAL LABORATORY STRENGTHENING INITIATIVESTRENGTHENING INITIATIVE

Vasiti Uluiviti

Regional Laboratory Coordinator

PIHOA 55th Meeting – PNI, FedSM

March 10th - 13th 2014

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION PIHOA Regional Lab Strengthening

Initiative Brief history A forecast into the future:

Lab Quality Management System (LQMS)Lab accreditationLab workforce developmentMicrobiology Skill-up Enhancement Training

Association of the USAPI Labs (AUL) President – Mr. Kasian Otoko (Chuuk Hospital

Lab Supervisor)

Overview of the USAPI Laboratories

ASALBJTM

C

CNMI

GPHL

YAP

KOS

CHK

EBEMAJ

PNI

ASATHC

PIHOA Regional

Lab Initiative

Association of USAPI

Labs

All (except GPHL) provide both public health & clinical lab services

CLIA-waived

CLIA-regulate

d

Non-regulat

ed

PAL

Brief history of the PIHOA Regional Lab InitiativeThe PIHOA Regional Lab Initiative is 9 years old!!!

2003 PIHOA Board endorsed the resolution to:

“Ensure provision of core public health laboratory services for the USAPI for cholera, typhoid, syphilis, HIV, dengue, influenza, measles, rubella, leptospirosis, & agents of BT for the USAPI”

2004 – Laboratory assessment of the public health lab capabilities in the USAPI - Majuro, Hawaii State Lab, Guam, CNMI

2005 -Regional Lab Coordinator recruited & 1st PIHOA Lab Network Meeting/Training in Guam

2006 – 2014 PIHOA shipping network established

On-going training of shippers

Lab assessments

Microbiology & TB lab trainings

Lab quality management systems training

Funding Sources

2005 – 2006: PIJ BT funds (discontinued in 2006)

2007 – 2010: CDC (HIV/STD/TB programs & Influenza Division)

2007 – 2014: DLS-CDC TB contract (partial)

2011 – 2015: Association of Public Health Labs (APHL)

2014: ASTHO (for LQMS trainings)

THE THE PIHOA PIHOA

REGIONAL REGIONAL LABORATORY LABORATORY

STRENGTHENING STRENGTHENING INITIATIVEINITIATIVE

- A forecast into the - A forecast into the future -future -

Lab Quality Management System (LQMS) Training: 2014 - 2015

Objectives: Strengthen USAPI lab services through:

LQMS (12 modules) training for all lab techs (onsite)

Development of draft Lab Quality Manual5 labs for 2014 LQMS training:

Yap Memorial Hospital Lab, FedSM – completed as of 02/28/14

Belau National Hospital Lab, Palau – April 2014 American Samoa & Tafuna Health Center Lab (or

Chuuk Hospital, FedSM) – August 2014 CHC Lab, Saipan, CNMI – November 2014

2015: Remaining 6 labs (if/when funds are available)

Laboratory AccreditationGoal:

By 2018 - 2019 at least 2 labs in the freely-associated states of Palau, FedSM and RMI are accredited to a lab accrediting institution (ISO/CLIA-International/CAP-International)

Which lab (Palau/FedSM/RMI/Tafuna Health Center, A/Samoa) would be committed to take on the challenge to move towards laboratory accreditation with a reputable institution in the next 3 – 5 years?

PIHOA’s role Provide all required information regarding lab

accreditation to USAPI lab concerned Assist USAPI lab concerned with preparation towards

accreditation

Lab workforce development

GoalBy 2020 at least ONE (local) medical lab scientist employed in each USAPI lab

Status update:

Pacific Paramedical Training Center (PPTC) graduates – Diploma in Medical Lab Technology (POHLN): 2006 – 2013

USAPI Lab Number graduated

Yap, FedSM 8 current staff

Palau 5 (2 current staff)

Majuro, RMI 1 current staff

Pohnpei, FedSM 1 current staff

Kosrae, FedSM 1 current staff (now at FNU)

Lab workforce developmentStatus update:Fiji National University (Bachelors degree in Medical Lab Science)USAPI Lab Graduat

e(Graduation Year)

Current Year/Semester

Scholarship Sponsor

Ebeye, RMI 1 (2010) WHO

Majuro, RMI 1 (2012) AusAid

Palau 1 (2013) AusAid

Kosrae, FedSM

1 Year 1, S2 Kosrae Health Dept

Majuro, RMI 1 Year 1, S2 RMI Govt

Tafuna H/C, A/Samoa

1 Year 1, S1 WHO

Yap, FedSM 1 Prospective student

Compiling application

for 2015 admission

AusAid ?

Microbiology Skill-up Enhancement Training

Goal:Enhance the Level 2 lab capabilities/capacity at Guam Public Health Lab (GPHL)

[SPC – PIHOA partnership/Resources – PPTC, FNU, CDC, APHL]

By Jan 2015 bacteriology testing reinstated at GPHL

By Jan 2016 food and water microbiological testing reinstated at GPHL

Enhance microbiology diagnostic capabilities at Level 1 USAPI labs (if/when funds are available)

Microbiology Skill-up Enhancement TrainingObjectives:

Conduct microbiology skill-up training at GPHL between April 2014 – Jan 2016

2014 Phase 1 (2nd Q)– Microbiology skills

Phase 2 (3rd Q) – Microbiology skills

Phase 3 (4th Q) – Lab surveillance/Antibiotic resistance patterns

2015 Phase 4 (1st Q) – Food microbiology

Phase 5 (2nd Q) – Water microbiology

Phase 6 (3rd Q) – Bacterial agents of bioterrorism

Types of assistance:

SPC Financial & Training delivery/facilitation

PIHOA Training delivery/facilitation

Thank you!!!