2011-33388. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned committee:

Dates: Times and Dates: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., February 14, 2012. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., February 15, 2012.

Place: Marriott Atlanta Century Center, 2000 Century Boulevard NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30345.

Online Registration Required: All CLIAC attendees are required to register for the meeting online at least 5 business days in advance for U.S. citizens and at least 10 business days in advance for international registrants. Register at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/​cliac/​default.aspx by scrolling down and clicking the appropriate link under “Meeting Registration” (either U.S. Citizen Registration or Non-U.S. Citizen Registration) and completing all forms according to the instructions given. Please complete all the required fields before submitting your registration and submit no later than February 7, 2012 for U.S. registrants and January 31, 2012 for international registrants.

Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available. The meeting room accommodates approximately 100 people.

Purpose: This Committee is charged with providing scientific and technical advice and guidance to the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; the Assistant Secretary for Health; the Director, CDC; the Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), regarding the need for, and the nature of, revisions to the standards under which clinical laboratories are regulated; the impact on medical and laboratory practice of proposed revisions to the standards; and the modification of the standards to accommodate technological advances.

Matters To Be Discussed: The agenda will include agency updates from the CDC, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additional agenda items include presentations and discussions addressing the following: activities of the Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce; laboratory communication and electronic health records, integration of laboratory services into healthcare models; automated cytology workload limits; and emerging challenges in digital pathology.

Agenda items are subject to change as priorities dictate.

Providing Oral or Written Comments: It is the policy of CLIAC to accept written public comments and provide a brief period for oral public comments whenever possible. Oral Comments: In general, each individual or group requesting to make an oral presentation will be limited to a total time of five minutes (unless otherwise indicated). Speakers must also submit their comments in writing for inclusion in the meeting's Summary Report. To assure adequate time is scheduled for public comments, individuals or groups planning to make an oral presentation should, when possible, notify the contact person below at least one week prior to the meeting date. Written Comments: For individuals or groups unable to attend the meeting, CLIAC accepts written comments until the date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated). However, it is requested that comments be submitted at least one week prior to the meeting date so that the comments may be made available to the Committee for their consideration and public distribution. Written comments, one hard copy with original signature, should be provided to the contact person below. Written comments will be included in the meeting's Summary Report.

Availability of Meeting Materials: To support the green initiatives of the federal government, the CLIAC meeting materials will be made available to the public in electronic format (PDF) on the Internet instead of by printed copy. Refer to the CLIAC Web site on the day of the meeting for materials. http://wwwn.cdc.gov/​cliac/​cliac_​meeting_​all_​documents.aspx.

An Internet connection, power source and limited hard copies may be available at the meeting location, but cannot be guaranteed.

Contact Person for Additional Information: Nancy Anderson, Chief, Laboratory Practice Standards Branch, Division of Laboratory Science and Standards, Laboratory Science, Policy and Practice Program Office, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop F-11, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; telephone [phone]; fax [phone]; or via email at [e-mail].

The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register Notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Dated: December 22, 2011.

Ronald Ergle,

Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.