WHAT  IS  THAT'S   SICK?

THAT’S SICK is a virtual open house designed to introduce students to the exciting careers in public health laboratory science. 

The virtual open house consists of modules that will allow you to explore the role of the laboratorian in major topics of critical importance to the health of the public such as, foodborne outbreaks, vectorborne diseases, infectious diseases, emergency preparedness, newborn screening, and environmental health. Teachers and career counselors, we hope you take the tour and share with your students and colleagues, too! Our mission is to interest people in training for an exciting career in the public health lab. We have also worked with teachers across the country over the past year to develop a free, easy-to-use, online resource that will introduce you and your students to the world of Public Health Laboratory (PHL) science and the life of a laboratory scientist. 

WHO   ARE   WE?

We are members of Cohort 6 and Cohort 7 of the Emerging Leader Program (ELP), sponsored by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). The ELP program is designed to help develop skills and networks for the public health laboratory leaders of the future. Each year, a new ELP cohort, consisting of 6 to 12 public health laboratory professionals from across the US, collaborate on a year-long group project to address a challenge faced by public health labs, such as workforce development, technical advances in laboratory science, communication with public health and other varied stakeholders, and efficient management of resource-constrained organizations. Cohort 6 and 7 team members include (grouped by specialty):

Infectious Diseases (including foodborne outbreaks and vectorborne diseases):

• Zenda Berrada (San Mateo County Public Health Department, California)
• Melinda Dunn (Ohio Department of Health)
• Lixia Liu (Indiana State Department of Health)
• Shawn Lockhart (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Lisa Onishuck (New Mexico Department of Health)
• Angela Starks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tracy Stiles (Massachusetts Department of Public Health)
• Stacy White (Arizona Department of Health Services)
• Collette Fitzgerald (CDC, National Enteric Reference Laboratory)
• Deborah Gibson (Montana Public Health Laboratory)
• Tonya Hayden (CDC, Division of Viral Hepatitis)
• Kristina Hsieh (California Department of Public Health)
• Kim Musser (New York State Department of Public Health)
• Sara Vetter (Minnesota Public Health Laboratory)
  
  

Emergency Preparedness:

• Patricia Blevins (San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Lab, Texas)
• Russ Drury (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services)
• Mary Ritchie (Florida Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories)
  
  

Environmental Health:

• Laura Apinis (Katherine A Kelley State Public Health Laboratory, Connecticut)
• Amanda Cosser (New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories)

Newborn Screening:

• Denise Kay (Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health)
• Patrice Held (Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene)
• Hari Patel (North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health)

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Laboratory Quality Assurance:

• Susan Humphries (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Pacific Regional Laboratory Northwest)

 
Process Improvement/Lean Concepts:

• Denise Lopez (Tulare County Public Health Laboratory, California)

 
Customer Service/Sample Receipt:

• Sherri Marine (State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa)
• Lisa Simpson (Texas Department of State Health Services)

 
Laboratory Information Systems:

• Bernadette Matthis (Philadelphia Public Health Laboratory)

 
Fellowship Programs:

• Heather Roney (Association of Public Health Laboratories)

 
Administration:

• Angela Fritzinger (Division of Consolidated Laboratories, Virginia)

For more information, to request promotional materials, or to give feedback, contact us at contact@ThatsSick.org.