In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss infectious disease activity around the nation. They cover:

• The high prevalence of influenza A, avian influenza, measles, and COVID-19.
• Reliable resources for information on the spread of infectious diseases.
• Prevention measures and their impact on the spread of infectious diseases.
• The risks associated with multiple infectious diseases circulating simultaneously at high rates.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, for a conversation about innovation in testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Topics include:

• The advantages and challenges of new types of specimen collection and testing methods, including over-the-counter, at-home, and point-of-care options.
• Implications home testing has for clinicians and public health.
• Barriers to making more at-home collection and over-the-counter testing products for STI testing.
• The growing need for tests to detect resistance markers as antimicrobial resistance increases.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, for a conversation about quality management. Specifically, they discuss:

• The benefit of investing in quality management for patients, staff, and the organization.
• How Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology in Rochester evolved and grew its quality management program.
• The advantage of holding 5–10-minute huddles each day.
• How the lab leverages education on quality tools and Gemba Walks to empower all staff to invest in quality management.