CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen toured the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene’s Agriculture Drive facility on August 16th. The WSLH is the first state public health laboratory Dr. Cohen has visited since becoming CDC Director in July.
While at the WSLH Dr. Cohen learned more about the WSLH’s role in emergency response, PFAS testing, wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 and other pathogens, and the WSLH’s expansive role in communicable disease testing, surveillance and outbreak response.
Dr. Cohen was visiting the state as part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ efforts to encourage childhood immunizations.
Here are some scenes from her visit – (Photo credit: Jeremy Gehler, WI Department of Health Services)
Dr. Mandy Cohen listens as WSLH Chemical Emergency Response Manager Meshel Lange (foreground) gives an overview of the program, which has 24/7 laboratory response capability and has helped support local public health and national public health response events related to both clinical and non-clinical chemical events.
Dr. Martin Shafer and Dr. Adelaide Roguet (yellow and blue shirt) explain the WSLH’s wastewater surveillance program to Dr. Cohen (right corner) and her aide Casey Garay. The CDC recently named the Wisconsin Wastewater Surveillance Program a National Center of Excellence for wastewater surveillance within the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Wisconsin joins just three other CDC NWSS Centers of Excellence in the country.
Gathered in front of the WSLH’s Agriculture Drive facility on Madison’s east side are from left: Jan Klawitter, Camille Danielson, Dr. Martin Shafer and Dr. Alana Sterkel with the WSLH, WI DHS Deputy Secretary Deb Strandridge, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, WSLH Director Dr. Jamie Schauer, WSLH Associate Directors Dr. Errin Rider and Steve Strebel, and Jean Brody, state director of outreach for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.