The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has been named a 2025 AWS Champions Award winner for its innovative efforts to modernize public health laboratory workflows using cloud technology. By developing a centralized, web-based application on AWS, OHA has laid the foundation for streamlining its sequencing operations — enhancing data standardization, reducing testing inefficiencies, and strengthening the state’s capacity for epidemiological analysis.

This project represents a major step toward digitizing traditionally manual processes in microbiology and virology labs, driving operational efficiency while improving the accuracy and visibility of public health data.

Project Overview
To address inefficiencies in how samples were managed and prepared for sequencing runs, OHA’s team built a custom web application on AWS that enables users across multiple sequencing workflows to upload and manage their samples in a single, centralized platform.

Key features of the application include:

• Centralized sample tracking and management for both general microbiology and virology workflows 
• Duplicate detection logic to prevent unnecessary testing  
• Automated .csv import/export functionality aligned with lab templates, enabling future integration with LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) and sequencing instruments 
• A standardized metadata model, improving consistency across workflows and enabling more reliable analysis 

By transitioning from fragmented Excel-based processes to a unified application, OHA has not only modernized its lab operations but also built a scalable digital foundation that can evolve with future data and integration needs.

Challenges Addressed: Breaking Free from Manual Workflows
Before this transformation, OHA’s sequencing operations faced several operational hurdles:

• Manual, error-prone data management: Sample tracking was performed using separate Excel workbooks for microbiology and virology, with extensive copy/paste from LIMS exports and the use of fragile formulas to prep for sequencing. 
• Lack of standardization: Metadata was collected inconsistently across workflows, limiting the ability to perform integrated epidemiological analysis or optimize sequencing efficiency. 
• Inability to track workload effectively: The disconnected nature of the data made it difficult to search across historical samples, assess current workload, or coordinate across sequencing teams. 
• Wasteful duplication: Without an effective way to detect duplicate samples, unnecessary testing was common, driving up costs through excess reagent use. 

These limitations not only consumed valuable staff time but also reduced the lab’s ability to deliver timely and data-driven insights in support of public health surveillance.

Outcomes: Streamlined Operations and Stronger Data Integrity
The AWS-powered application has delivered clear benefits to the Oregon Health Authority’s public health laboratory:

• Reduced preparation time: By minimizing manual data entry and Excel manipulation, laboratorians can now spend more time focusing on core testing and analysis. 
• Improved sample integrity: Duplicate detection reduces unnecessary tests, increasing overall lab efficiency. 
• Centralized data management: A single source of truth across microbiology and virology workflows simplifies tracking, supports workload planning, and improves data accessibility. 
• Better metadata standardization: With consistent fields collected across all sequencing samples, the lab is better positioned to support epidemiological analysis and public health decision-making. 
• Scalable architecture: The .csv export/import capability provides integration points for future enhancements with LIMS and automated instrumentation. 

A Model for Agile Public Health Innovation
By building a centralized sequencing management solution on AWS, the Oregon Health Authority has delivered a meaningful step forward in public health laboratory modernization. Its application has improved the accuracy, speed, and coordination of sequencing workflows, laying the groundwork for better public health outcomes, more efficient laboratory operations, and smarter resource utilization.