Public Health Informatics

Presentations & Key Takeaways

1. Tennessee NBS Case Study

Presenter: Hugh Peeples, Clinical Application Coordinator, Tennessee Department of Health
Topic: Disaster Recovery in Newborn Screening: Tennessee’s Network Crisis Case Study

• 2020 Crisis: A bombing in Nashville disrupted AT&T infrastructure, halting internet and LIMS operations at the state lab. AT&T was both the primary and backup ISP—revealing a single point of failure.

• COOP Activation: Tennessee partnered with Florida's PHL to continue newborn screening testing. Samples were accessioned manually, shipped for testing, and results were returned, organized, and integrated via manual workarounds.

• 2025 Crisis: A winter storm prevented staff access to the lab building. Tennessee coordinated with South Carolina for testing and temporarily relocated equipment to another facility.

• Improvements Implemented:

  • Dual ISP setup for network redundancy

  • Offline sample puncher capability

  • Standardized sample control numbers for better interstate collaboration

  • Comprehensive disaster recovery plan covering both network and physical access disruptions

2. Wadsworth Center Best Practices

Presenter: Dr. Christina Egan, Deputy Director, NYSDOH Wadsworth Center
Topic: IT Preparedness and COOP Strategies

• Best Practices:

  • Appoint a dedicated IT lead in the lab

  • Maintain updated documentation of IT assets

  • Develop and periodically test a lab-specific IT COOP plan

  • Keep COOP planning on the agenda for regular IT meetings

• Example Incident: A 2018 car accident caused a server outage that halted accessioning. Wadsworth implemented pre-printed COOP labels and updated SOPs for quick operational shifts.

APHL Preparedness & COOP Resources

1. Testing Playbook for Biological Emergencies (2023)
   https://www.aphl.org/aboutAPHL/publications/Documents/Testing-Playbook-Biological-Emergencies.pdf

2. Preparedness Tools, Resources, and Partnerships
   https://www.aphl.org/programs/preparedness/Pages/Tools-Resources-and-Partnerships.aspx

3. COOP Tabletop Exercise for PHLs (2023)
   https://www.aphl.org/aboutAPHL/publications/Documents/PHPR-COOP-Tabletop-Exercise-for-PHLs.pdf

4. Developing and Pilot Testing a Laboratory-Specific COOP Tabletop Exercise (2012)
   https://www.aphl.org/programs/preparedness/Documents/Developing%20and%20Pilot%20Testing%20a%20Laboratory%20Specific%20Continuity%20of%20Operations%20Tabletop%20Exercise_2012.pdf#search=COOP

5. A Practical Guide to Dealing with Laboratory Floods
   https://www.aphl.org/MRC/Documents/QS_2015June_Practical-Guide-Labratory-Floods.pdf#search=a%20practical%20guide%20to%20dealing%20with%20laboratory%20floods

6. APHL Member Resource Center (Search for COOP)
   https://www.aphl.org/search/Pages/results.aspx?k=COOP

7. LabTag Blog: RFID in Pathology Labs
   https://blog.labtag.com/pathology-labs-using-rfid-to-improve-specimen-tracking