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Protecting Public Health in the Roughrider State
by Nancy Maddox , MPH , writer
Grasslands , croplands , badlands and buttes define the Northern Tier state of North Dakota — the fourth smallest US state by both population ( about 755,000 residents ) and population density ( 11.7 people / square mile ). For those raised in this sublimely spare “ roughrider ” land , it is North Dakota ’ s Arcadian pleasures that make the state great . “ It ’ s very rural out here ,” said Christie Massen , PhD , MS , MLS , head of the North Dakota Department of Health , Division of Microbiology , “ but there is a ton to do . It ’ s a quick trip to take the boat out on the Missouri river , go fishing on Lake Sakakawea or go bow-hunting for white-tail deer . North Dakota is a beautiful place .”
Until about a decade ago , the state economy rested heavily on soybeans , wheat and corn , planted in neat rows across 16.5 million acres of open land . Then , after hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling came into use , the state experienced an economic boom , with billions of barrels of oil suddenly recoverable from underground reserves . “ There was a huge influx of population ,” said Massen . So much so , that North Dakota has added new homes at a faster rate than any other state since the 2010 Census and has enjoyed an enviable GDP growth rate of about 8.3 %.
Heather Sease works in the Bacteriology Lab . Photo : ND PHL
Today , “ the extreme growth has slowed substantially ,” said Massen , whose professional interests lean more toward pathogens than petroleum . Given North Dakota ’ s sparse population , Massen explained that some infectious diseases that are prevalent in other states , like HIV , have a much smaller presence here . There are other size advantages as well : “ Our small population allows us to be more innovative . We can move quickly to collaborate or make adjustments that allow us to work better and more efficiently .”
Just last year , the Division of Microbiology began a tick surveillance program and documented the occurrence of deer ticks and the Lone Star tick within the state . “ The general belief has been that the risk for contracting Lyme disease in North Dakota is low , because we are outside the perimeter where deer ticks are found ,” said Massen . “ However , the surveillance program showed us that ’ s not the case ; we do , in fact , have deer ticks in the state .” In 2017 , Lyme disease infected at least 56 North Dakotans . Other notable public health issues in recent years have ranged from hepatitis C to Salmonella .
Up until last year , the state microbiology and chemistry laboratories were both part of North Dakota ’ s Division of Laboratory Services , administered by the Department of Health , Environmental Health Section . However , a government reorganization is moving the chemistry laboratory to the newly-created Department of Environmental Quality and the microbiology laboratory — officially , the Division of Microbiology — to the Department of Health , Medical Services Section .
Facility
The Division of Microbiology takes up part of a 30,500-square-foot building situated on the eastern edge of Bismarck , North Dakota ’ s capital and second largest city , after Fargo . The core of the single-story , white-brick facility is an 18,000 squarefoot space built about 40 years ago . In
2005 , this space was augmented with a 12,500-square-foot addition , which now houses the division ’ s seven BSL-3 suites . Co-located in the building are the chemistry laboratory ( which will remain after the reorganization ) and the health agency ’ s Division of Disease Control . Said Massen , “ One of the biggest benefits we have is being close [ to Disease Control ]. The Environmental Laboratory Certification program manager is three doors down from my office . It ’ s a huge advantage to have them in the building with us .”
The Division of Microbiology shares a small campus with the state crime laboratory , state Environmental Training Center and state morgue .
Director
Although Massen was born in Fort Hood , TX , and relocated a few times with her military family , she considers herself a native North Dakotan . “ Both my parents were born and raised in Bismarck ,” she said . “ I graduated from high school here and spent most of my K-12 years here in Bismarck .”
After high school , Massen went to the University of North Dakota ( UND ) in Grand Fork , where , at her mother ’ s suggestion , she majored in clinical laboratory science . “ I ended up liking it a lot ,” she said . “ My dad is a physician and my mom is a nurse . I kind of grew up in the medical field .” Massen followed that degree with a master ’ s in clinical laboratory science and a PhD in teaching and learning , intending to oversee a two-year-degree medical laboratory technician program .
She said , “ When I started working on my PhD , I was running the medical laboratory technician ( MLT ) program in Fergus Falls , MN , and then ended up marrying my Bismarck-native husband , who was a UND hockey player . We moved back to Bismarck in 2012 , and I got a job with the state .” That job was as a microbiologist in the state microbiology laboratory . From there , Massen filled in as the quality
30 LAB MATTERS Summer 2018
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