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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, |
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the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, the |
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Amarillo Pathology Group, LLP, and APG's Physicians Preferred |
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Laboratory, Ltd., came together to address the urgent community |
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need for accurate and timely COVID-19 testing; and |
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WHEREAS, The demand for diagnostic testing was especially |
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acute in March 2020 and the months that followed, as communities |
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worked to track and assess the spread of the novel coronavirus; at |
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that time, few public health laboratories were equipped to process |
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the number of tests that were being requested, which led to the |
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formation of a unique partnership between the Texas A&M Veterinary |
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Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) and St. Joseph Health; |
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TVMDL, which routinely tests herds and flocks of animals for a |
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variety of diseases, lent its high-throughput equipment and |
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laboratory space to St. Joseph Health staff, allowing them to begin |
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performing a higher volume of PCR tests at its College Station |
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laboratory in late April 2020; and |
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WHEREAS, Knowing that the need for testing was also critical |
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in the Texas Panhandle, TVMDL went on to partner with the Amarillo |
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Pathology Group's Physicians Preferred Laboratory (APG-PPL) to |
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provide this same service at its Amarillo laboratory; through this |
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partnership, APG-PPL was able to perform up to 600 COVID-19 tests |
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each day and to deliver results to patients from 24-48 hours after |
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specimens were collected; the laboratory proved to be a crucial |
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asset to the region at this challenging time, and by fulfilling the |
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need for testing during periods of high community spread, it helped |
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local governments and businesses to make informed policy decisions; |
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in February 2021, TVMDL and APG-PPL were recognized with Texas A&M |
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AgriLife's Partnership Award; and |
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WHEREAS, A number of individuals were instrumental in |
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establishing the initial partnership between TVMDL and APG-PPL, |
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including TVMDL's director Dr. Bruce Akey and associate agency |
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director Dr. Amy Swinford and APG-PPL's medical director |
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Dr. Robert Todd II; also vital to this undertaking were APG-PPL |
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administrators who helped secure federal approval for the clinic, |
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Charlyn Snow and Heidi Dorman, as well as the Clinical Laboratory |
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Improvements Amendment (CLIA) medical director, Dr. Andrew Hoot; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Other TVMDL professionals, Dr. Kiril Dimitrov, |
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Dr. Pam Ferro, Dr. Megan Schroeder, and Dr. Owais Khan, handled |
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such responsibilities as ensuring the accuracy of test results and |
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securing testing supplies; TVMDL employees Jonatan Sanchez-Gama |
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and Nicholas Monday trained and assisted APG-PPL staff on the use of |
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the equipment, while APG-PPL employees Cliff George, Chris Kelly, |
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Katera Padilla, and Ashley Tarrant were tasked with delivering |
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human samples to the lab and performing tests; finally, a great deal |
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of appreciation is owed to Texas A&M AgriLife vice chancellors |
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Dr. Patrick J. Stover and Joe Cox and to Sandra Talton, legislative |
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director in the office of State Representative Four Price, for |
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their tremendous contributions; and |
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WHEREAS, The success of this collaboration is a credit to the |
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expertise, ingenuity, and shared commitment to service |
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demonstrated by all those involved in the partnership, and they are |
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indeed deserving of heartfelt praise for their tireless efforts; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical |
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Diagnostic Laboratory, the Amarillo Pathology Group, LLP, and APG's |
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Physicians Preferred Laboratory, Ltd., for their work to ensure |
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timely, accurate COVID-19 testing to the Texas Panhandle at the |
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height of the pandemic and extend to their personnel sincere best |
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wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
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for the organizations as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |