WAC 246-101-205   Responsibilities and duties of the laboratory director.  Laboratory directors shall:

     (1) Notify the local health department where the patient resides (in the event that patient residence cannot be determined, notify the local health department where the laboratory is located) regarding:

     (a) Positive cultures and preliminary test results of notifiable conditions specified as notifiable to the local health department in Table Lab-1.

     (b) Positive cultures and preliminary test results of conditions specified as notifiable by the local health officer within that health officer's jurisdiction.

     (2) If the laboratory is unable to determine the local health department of the patient's residence, the laboratory director shall notify the local health department in which the health care provider that ordered the laboratory test is located.

     (3) Notify the department of health of conditions designated as notifiable to the local health department when:

     (a) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time a positive culture or preliminary test results of an immediately notifiable condition occurs;

     (b) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time an outbreak or suspected outbreak of communicable disease occurs.

     (4) Notify the department of positive cultures and preliminary test results for conditions designated notifiable to the department in Table Lab-1.

     (5) Notify the department of nonelevated blood lead levels on a monthly basis.

     (6) Submit specimens for conditions noted in Table Lab-1 to the Washington state public health laboratories or other laboratory designated by the state health officer for diagnosis, confirmation, storage, or further testing.

     (7) Ensure that positive cultures and preliminary test results for notifiable conditions of specimens referred to other laboratories for testing are correctly notified to the correct local health department or the department. This requirement can be satisfied by:

     (a) Arranging for the referral laboratory to notify either the local health department, the department, or both; or

     (b) Forwarding the notification of the test result from the referral laboratory to the local health department, the department, or both.

     (8) Cooperate with public health authorities during investigation of:

     (a) Circumstances of a case or suspected case of a notifiable condition or other communicable disease; and

     (b) An outbreak or suspected outbreak of disease.

     (9) Laboratory directors may designate responsibility for working and cooperating with public health authorities to certain employees as long as designated employees are:

     (a) Readily available; and

     (b) Able to provide requested information in a timely manner.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 00-23-120, § 246-101-205, filed 11/22/00, effective 12/23/00.]