CPHLN supports the following Issue groups:
- LPR - Laboratory Preparedness and Response
- WFSE - Water / Food Safety and Enterics
- Laboratory Standardization
- RCA - Reference Center Advisory
CPHLN also support the following task groups:
Reference Center Advisory Issue Group
2009-2010 Co-Chairs
Federal - Graham Tipples (PHAC/NML)
Provincial - Greg Horsman (Saskatchewan)
Background
The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is responsible for providing microbiological reference services, laboratory surveillance and outbreak investigation support to Canadian public health laboratories.
For diseases that the NML does not have the capability to provide references services for, formal agreements for the provision of these services have been established with external laboratories.
In 2004, the NML and the CPHLN agreed to establish the Reference Centre Advisory Issue Group (RCA) to make recommendations for a policy framework supporting the provision of microbiology reference centre laboratory external to the NML.
Mission
To act in an advisory capacity to the NML and the Public Health Agency of Canada and develop recommendations for policy framework in support of the provision of microbiology reference centre laboratory services in Canada.
