USAPI Laboratory Leadership Work Together to Advance Information Systems and Data Exchange

Tumon, Guam - From March 23–26, 2026, thirty one laboratory, public health, and information technology professionals from across the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs) convened in Guam for a four-day workshop to strengthen regional coordination for the USAPI Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) initiative.



Organized by the Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) and designed and co-facilitated by Global Scientific Solutions for Health (GSSHealth), the workshop focused on preparing the Association of USAPI Laboratories (AUL) to take on the role of Regional Technical Coordination Group (TCG), a key function in advancing coordinated LDX implementation across jurisdictions.

Notably, this workshop marked the first time information technology professionals from USAPI jurisdictions participated alongside laboratory leaders in an AUL convening. This expanded participation reflects the growing recognition that effective LDX implementation depends on close collaboration between laboratory and IT functions, and it created a more integrated space for joint problem-solving, shared understanding, and alignment across technical and operational domains.



Participants explored a central challenge: while LDX is often framed as a technical effort, successful implementation in the USAPI context depends heavily on coordination, clear communication, defined roles, and effective decision-making across multiple stakeholders.

Through hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios, participants built practical coordination skills, including how to: 

• Communicate across leadership, partners, and implementers 
• Clarify roles and responsibilities between AUL, Technical Working Groups (TWGs), and partners 
• Escalate issues appropriately and support decision-making processes 

In parallel, participants co-developed a 12–18 month roadmap outlining how AUL will progressively assume and sustain the TCG role. The roadmap identifies immediate priorities, longer-term coordination functions, and the staffing and support needed to operationalize this role effectively. 

The workshop also provided space for peer exchange, with participants sharing experiences from their jurisdictions on Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) and early LDX implementation. The inclusion of both laboratory and IT perspectives enriched these discussions, helping surface more practical, end-to-end insights into implementation challenges and opportunities and reinforced the need for sustained regional coordination. 

Reflecting on the workshop, PIHOA’s Regional Laboratory Strengthening Coordinator, Dr. Vasiti Uluiviti, noted:

“GSSHealth’s superb facilitation of the 2026 9^th AUL meeting-workshop was excitingly creative, highly engaging, educational, innovative, and impactful. It provided an invaluable opportunity for laboratorians across the USAPI to build confidence and practical skills in managing large volumes of data, while deepening our understanding of how strengthened LDX platforms can support more effective and coordinated public health action.”

This effort contributes to the broader goal of building a regionally coordinated LDX ecosystem that supports secure, interoperable, and timely public health data exchange across the USAPIs. 

As AUL steps into its coordination role, it will help align stakeholders, support implementation efforts, and ensure that regional progress remains grounded in jurisdictional realities.

PIHOA and partners will continue supporting AUL in the next phase of this work, including refining coordination mechanisms and advancing priority actions identified during the workshop. 

This convening represents an important shift, from conceptual planning toward coordinated action, marking progress toward a more connected and resilient public health data system across the Pacific.

This work is fully supported by funds made available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through PIHOA’s Partnership Cooperative Agreement OT21-2101: Strengthening the Public Health Systems in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.