MissionThe laboratories provide a wide range of diagnostic and analytical services for
the assessment and surveillance of infectious, communicable, genetic, chronic
diseases and environmental health concerns, for the citizens of the State of
Washington. The laboratories also help coordinate and promote quality
assurance programs for private clinical & environmental laboratories
through training, consultation, certification and quality assurance sample
programs. In addition, over the last decade, the Public Health Laboratories
have expanded their role in providing scientific and managerial leadership for
the development of Public Health Policy.
History
The Washington State Public Health Laboratory was established by the
legislature in the early 1900s. The laboratory was first located in Seattle in
the Alaska Building. It was later moved to the Smith Tower in downtown Seattle
and remained there until 1985. In 1982, work was begun on the new facility
located on the Fircrest Campus in what is now Shoreline, Washington. The new
laboratory building was commissioned in 1985.
From the 1940s through the mid-1960s, the laboratory was directed by Dr.
Wallace Lane, who later served as both the Director of Health, and chairman of
the State Air Pollution Control Board, under Governor Daniel Evans. The present
laboratory building is named in honor of W.R. Giedt,
who was the director of the laboratory during
the period of its greatest change and growth;
1967 to 1975. Under his leadership, the
laboratory met rapidly changing demands in
clinical and environmental public health. Dr.
Jack Allard was the laboratory's director from
1975 until 1987, when Dr. Darryl Brock took
over. Dr. Horace Thuline directed the laboratory during 1988-89. In 1989, Robert Holman took on
the role of interim director, and served in that capacity until 1991, when Dr.
Jon M. Counts was selected following a nationwide recruitment. Dr. Counts left
the PHL to pursue related interests in July of 2000. Dr. John Kobayashi, the
State's Chief Epidemiologist, took over as Interim Laboratory Director and,
along with Deputy Director George Hilton, oversaw day-to-day operations, the
restructuring of key operations, and a search for a new director. The
Department of Health's search for a new laboratory director was concluded in
February 2001, when Dr. Romesh Gautom
accepted the position, and the
laboratories now operate under his leadership.
General Information
The laboratory is organized into four separate functional offices:
Communicable Disease Microbiology,
Environmental Laboratory
Sciences,
Newborn Screening, and
Operations/Administration. More information about the offices and their responsibilities
is located on their individual web pages.
The laboratory also houses Washington's
Communicable Disease Epidemiology office, which works closely with laboratory personnel during outbreaks
and emergencies.
Laboratory Quality Assurance, the state's laboratory regulatory arm, is located within the laboratory
and is an important resource for information for the laboratory.
The laboratory's
Directory of Services provides technical guidance and lists many of the tests performed at the laboratory.
Links to organizations outside the Washington
State Department of Health are provided as a public service, without implied
endorsement or attestation of accuracy.
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