Annotation: The Western States Regional Genetics Services Collaborative (WSGSC) is a federally funded project that seeks to improve the health of children living in the Western states who have disorders detected by the newborn screening blood test, birth defects and with other genetic disorders. WSGSC (working with California, Guam, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state) has three main goals: 1) to establish and maintain the infrastructure needed to support WSGSC activities; 2) to refine, pilot, and evaluate a regional practice model that improves access to specialty genetic services, comprehensive primary care, and care coordination for children with heritable conditions living far away from comprehensive genetics and metabolic centers; and 3) to increase the capacity of the collaborating states' and territory's public health agencies to perform their genetics-related assessment, policy development, and assurance functions. The project is a cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Children with Special Health Needs Program, Genetic Services Branch.
Keywords: Federal programs, Genetics, Genetic services, Newborn infants, Neonatal sceening, California, Guam, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Public health, Regional genetics network
