Narms Cooperative Agreement Program to Enhance and Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens

As laboratory staff continue to improve detection capabilities and surveillance forantimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria in raw retail meat commodities, the number ofstate epidemiologists engaged in responding to outbreaks of foodborne illness increased. Thisparallel commitment to surveillance programs focused on food and the public's health providesan ideal environment for partnering with national programs to address the same goals. Throughcontinuous participation in the NARMS program Colorado laboratory staff were developed andcontinue to evolve their ability to perform all aspects of the defined program. Staff have a clearunderstanding of the processes that make up each element of the program and havedemonstrated an ability to make any modifications requested to enhance programmaticoutcomes at any time within an award period. The CDPHE laboratory is the primary public health and environmental laboratory for theState of Colorado. The mission of the Laboratory Services Division (LSD) is to protect the health,safety and environment of all Coloradoans by providing accurate and timely laboratory analysesand information. The vision of the LSD is to be recognized as an innovative and quality publichealth laboratory both in the State of Colorado and nationally. As a leader in public health, theDivision will use advanced, cutting edge technology, employ a highly skilled workforce, andhave the respect and support of all of its customers, stakeholders, and partners. Through is NARMS project laboratory staff will integrate microbiological expertise withlocal public health investigations and national initiatives supporting food safety. Data that aregenerated during this study will contribute both to public health and to clinical care of patientsimpacted by foodborne illness.1|