SAN DIEGO — Local leaders took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new medical laboratory in San Diego on Wednesday.
We heard from both the Interim Director of Health and Human Services Dr. Eric McDonald and Dr. Wilma Wooten about the importance of a facility like this. It's significant for the entire region, not just for San Diego.
Today was simply the groundbreaking ceremony and a media conference to explain what this lab will do in the future.
Dr. McDonald went on to explain how a facility like this can answer important questions for both individual patients and the community.
As recent events have proven, diseases can spread and spread quickly.
This facility can help confirm or deny if something like rabies or something more serious is prevalent or originates from a certain area.
We often hear of cases involving Zika or West Nile spreading in a city or county. This is the type of lab that can figure that out.
They use rapid testing to determine what kind of illness they're dealing with and if it needs to be monitored or acted upon quickly.
The new lab would also help other areas and other counties within our region.
It will also offer other services like quote whole genome sequencing, and molecular surge, and act as a tuberculosis testing services center.
This lab is a $93.3 million facility and it is over 50,000 square feet. The grand opening is scheduled for Spring 2025.