The goal of the Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory is to provide tests of high quality that will meet or exceed the continuing needs and expectations of the physicians and patients who depend on our service. Ultimately, the goal is to remain the qualified leader in the field of laboratory diagnostic testing. The Quality Assurance Program coordinates the various activities in the Public Health Laboratory to ensure that the correct result is reported on the correct patient in a timely manner and to detect, control and prevent the occurrence of errors. The laboratory subscribes to state authorized proficiency testing programs as well as doing internal testing. The primary objective of this testing is to provide the laboratory with periodic indications of the quality and accuracy of test performance.
Turnaround times vary with the amount of time required to make the various test determinations.
Urgent reports are telephoned when the results are available. Other reports are faxed or mailed as submitter requests. Positive results for cerebrospinal fluids, V. cholerae, B.pertussis , malaria, E. histolytica , and other selected tests of public health significance. All results from rabies specimens. In addition, positive rabies results are reported to the Public Health Investigation Division immediately.