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45 Hospital Laboratories Honored for Emergency Preparedness Training

MADISON – Reinforcing their commitment to their communities, 45 hospital and clinical laboratories around the state have qualified for the Certificate of Achievement for Laboratory Training in Emergency Preparedness from the Wisconsin Clinical Laboratory Network (WCLN – formerly known as the Wisconsin Laboratory Response Network). The certificate program began in 2006.

The WCLN is a network of more than 130 clinical laboratories in Wisconsin, with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) as the coordinating laboratory.  The WCLN is a subset of the national Laboratory Response Network (LRN), a collaborative, voluntary system of laboratories that are equipped to respond quickly to acts of chemical or biological terrorism, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health threats and emergencies.

 
Laboratories in the WCLN have three primary roles in emergency response: 1) recognition of unusual organisms in patient specimens; 2) ruling out unusual organisms according to the laboratory’s testing capabilities and protocols; and 3) referral of unusual organisms to the WSLH in those cases where a bioterrorism agent or other unusual organism cannot be ruled out.

The WCLN developed a series of four laboratory examination modules (Biosafety, Emergency Laboratory Response, Packaging and Shipping Samples, and Laboratory Diagnostics for Bioterrorism) to document laboratory training achievements in emergency preparedness. To qualify for the award, at least two members of laboratory staff must successfully complete each module. There is no deadline for participation in the voluntary training program, so more laboratories are expected to qualify for the award in the future.

The laboratories that have qualified for the honor so far are (alphabetical by city):

• Langlade Memorial Hospital, Antigo

• Memorial Medical Center, Ashland

• Luther Midelfort Northland, Barron

• Black River Memorial Hospital, Black River Falls

• Calumet Medical Center, Chilton

• St. Joseph's Hospital, Chippewa Falls

• Columbus Community Hospital, Columbus

• Cumberland Memorial Hospital, Cumberland

• Upland Hills Health, Dodgeville

• Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire

• Consultants Laboratory, Fond du Lac

• Bellin Hospital, Green Bay

• St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay

• Hudson Hospital, Hudson

• United Hospital System, Kenosha

• Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, La Crosse

• St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center, Madison

• UW Health Medical Foundation-Central Lab, Madison

• Holy Family Memorial, Manitowoc

• Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette

• Community Memorial Hospital, Menomonee Falls

• Red Cedar Medical Center, Menomonie

• Monroe Clinic, Monroe

• Westfields Hospital, New Richmond

• Osceola Medical Center, Osceola

• Community Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls

• Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh

• Southwest Health Center, Platteville

• Divine Savior Healthcare, Portage

• Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, Prairie du Chien

• Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg

• Richland Hospital, Richland Center

• Ripon Medical Center, Ripon

• Aurora-Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, Sheboygan

• St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan

• Indianhead Medical Center, Shell Lake

• St. Croix Regional Medical Center, St Croix Falls

• Our Lady Victory Hospital, Stanley

• Stoughton Hospital, Stoughton

• Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay

• Tomah Memorial Hospital, Tomah

• Vernon Memorial Hospital, Viroqua

• Consultants Laboratory - Waupun, Waupun

• ACL Laboratories, West Allis

• Riverview Hospital Association, Wisconsin Rapids

 

 More Than Just Emergency Preparedness

Although the WCLN was created to facilitate the response to acts of terrorism, according to WCLN Coordinator Carol Kirk its impact extends beyond emergency preparedness.

“Hospital and clinical laboratories in Wisconsin play a vital role in State and local public health agencies’ ability to respond to food-borne outbreaks,” Kirk explains. “WCLN members swiftly send to the State Lab of Hygiene isolates of E. coli O157:H7, salmonella and other enteric pathogens from ill patients. This enables the WSLH to rapidly identify the matching ‘DNA fingerprints’ from multiple patients and help local, state and sometimes national public health agencies respond effectively.”

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene commends the staff and leadership of the laboratories that have qualified for the award, both for their commitment to emergency preparedness and their contributions to public health in Wisconsin.

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Posted By: Jan Klawitter, WSLH Public Affairs and Training Manager
Date: May 20, 2008

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