Workforce Challenges in Our Public Health Laboratory System

Abstract

Public health laboratories lie at the intersection of 2 vital components of the United States health system (ie, the public health system and the national laboratory system). Unfortunately, both of these components of the health system are somewhat hidden from public view and from the eye of policymakers. The public health system with its focus on populations, disease prevention, environmental protection, and emergency response is overshadowed by the more visible and resource-intensive health care system that deals with personal health. Likewise, the clinical and public health laboratory professionals who make up our national laboratory system are frequently overshadowed by the more visible health professions such as medicine and nursing. Much has been written about the critical workforce challenges and shortages facing public health generally 1-6 and clinical laboratories 7-16 but not about public health laboratories. Although public health laboratories in the United States are found in federal, state, and local health agencies, the description of their core functions has only been formally defined for states. Public health laboratories play a vital role in the support of essential public health services such as disease surveillance, environmental protection, food safety, and emergency response including terrorism response. 17 Specific steps must be taken to ensure that vital public health laboratory workforce needs are addressed.