A State (of-the-Art) Public Health Laboratory

With a 40-year-old laboratory, the Alabama Department of Public Health needed an updated facility to modernize the state’s response to a number of health threats and challenges. This flexible laboratory supports a number of crucial endeavors that improve public health both in the present and in the future. This project was also a milestone, as it was the 25^th state public health facility that HDR has worked on.

The state public health laboratory can handle thousands of specimens for disease screening, but also supports BSL-2 and BSL-3 programs, as well as a training laboratory. At the lab, newborn blood is screened to detect and treat disease early in life, making the difference between a life of sickness and health. Along with disease prevention and control, the facility also provides chemical terrorism preparedness and environmental testing services, including food and water sample testing.

Areas in the laboratory include:

• Dairy testing
• Lead testing
• Radiation control
• Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Mycology
• Newborn screening
• Secure sample storage
• Central accessioning
• Glassware wash
• Sterilization room
• Media preparation
• Emerging infectious disease testing

Designed in collaboration with Ellis Architects.