Dr. Scott Shone, Director of the NC State Laboratory of Public Health, was recently appointed as the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) representative to the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC). This appointment will continue to lift up our North Carolina voice on a critical federal committee.
The committee advises the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the most appropriate application of universal newborn screening tests, technologies, policies, guidelines, and standards. Specifically, the committee provides to the following to the Secretary:
- Advice and recommendations concerning grants and projects authorized awarded or funded related to screening heritable disorders in newborns and children;
- Technical information to develop Heritable Disorders Program policies and priorities that will enhance the ability of the state and local health agencies to provide screening, counseling and health care services for newborns and children who have or are at risk for heritable disorders; and,
- Recommendations, advice and information to enhance, expand, or improve the ability of the Secretary to reduce mortality and morbidity from heritable disorders in newborns and children.
Dr. Shone has served in many capacities to support newborn screening, including serving in two public health agencies, and recently completing a 5-year tenure as a Secretary-appointed/voting member of the ACHDNC. He has also been in great service to ASTHO’s affiliate, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL).
His experience in newborn screening, public health, and his experience serving on the ACHDNC will be valuable to the work of the committee into the future.