What is the L-SIP assessment?
The L-SIP is an assessment process developed by the APHL, with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to initiate overall system improvement within both state and local laboratory systems.
This program is based upon the CDC 10 Essential Public Health Services and APHL 11 core functions of public health laboratories, which all public health laboratory systems must fulfill. Through the systematic analysis of these services and functions, the current breadth of laboratory system services will be discussed and evaluated. It will also allow for collaboration among partners to propose steps for improvement to better the system’s efficiency and effectiveness. These steps will become the action plan for the laboratory system to improve the quality of life and better protect the residents of Massachusetts.
Who is involved?
To obtain an accurate assessment, a representative sample of system partners will be present to provide well rounded feedback on the State Public Health Laboratory.
Here are a few examples of the partners and organizations that will be present at the L-SIP assessment:
- Clinical Laboratories
- Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory
- Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Teams
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)
- DPH Bureau of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory Sciences
- Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health (BCEH)
- Major Hospitals in Massachusetts
- Local University and Research Facilities
What are the results?
Through active and honest participant participation, and systematic assessment, the program will provide information and next steps to direct the laboratory system’s improvement efforts.
Some examples of next steps are:
- Strengthen partnerships across the public health systems.
- Create a core group to guide responses to identified deficiencies.
- Establish project-specific workgroups or subcommittees with a goal to accessing laboratory systems resources.
- Develop a system-wide laboratory newsletter to improve communication.
- Implementation of new policies or procedures to streamline established processes.
The Massachusetts L-SIP Assessment, September 2024
The Massachusetts L-SIP is scheduled to take place on September 9, 2024. The L-SIP is organized through the leadership of the MA Public Health Laboratory Systems partners and with the APHL. The process includes assessing the strengths and potential areas of improvement of the laboratory in its current functionality to establish a roadmap towards an over-all improvement plan. After the assessment, the next steps discussed will be compiled into a report that will become the basis of all improvement efforts made within the Massachusetts laboratory system. The report will be made available to all system partners.
Further information about this assessment and the full report will be posted on this website when completed, along with any future updates.
Contact information
If you would like to learn about the L-SIP assessment and related updates or have any questions, please fill out this form and we will follow up and reach out to you: SPHL L-SIP Information.
Additional information
Please use the following link to access the APHL website about the L-SIP assessment for more details.
L-SIP Assessment Overview: L-SIP Fact Sheet (aphl.org)
L-SIP Performance Measurement Tool: QS-2022-LSIP-Toolkit.pdf (aphl.org)