The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense welcomed Georgia Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. for a briefing on the institute's Quality Improvement Program Sept 13.

The visit was the result of Bishop's financial sponsorship that supports the execution of quality systems program for U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated activities at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Md. Amethyst Technologies, LLC, located in Baltimore, Md., is providing support to the USAMRMC in execution of the program at three of the command's subordinate laboratories: MRICD, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Dr. John Graham, the deputy to the commander for research, provided an overview presentation on MRICD, which was followed by a briefing by Sherwin Sapasap, chief of the institute's Office of Regulated Studies, who showed how Bishop's support has impacted the Quality program at MRICD.

In an effort to decrease turn-around time and increase savings, MRICD has created a Quality management plan, a Validation master plan, a Quality training program, and an in-house Pipette Calibration program. Additionally, MRICD has standardized the process for preparation and approval of standard operating procedures, while providing unique expertise in document control and archiving.

Dr. Kimberly Brown, president of Amethyst, briefed Bishop on her company and its collaboration with MRMC. Amethyst is assisting MRICD in the development and implementation of a quality system that will allow the institute to conduct preclinical studies under Good Laboratory Practices. According to Brown, such support includes designing the training program, developing the ability to conduct in-house equipment verification to ensure the integrity of the data acquired during research, maintaining the viability of critical samples, creating an archive system to guarantee accessibility of data and to prevent data loss, and planning for the transition of the research laboratories to the MRICD replacement facility that is currently under construction.

Bishop said he found the presentations "very enlightening."

"In this time of fiscal restraint," continued Bishop, "to see how cost effective this operation is and how it's providing this kind of result is very fulfilling. It's a credit to the Department of Defense and this command."

Bishop was accompanied by Army Lt. Col. Gregory Browder, a military fellow in the congressman's office, and Army Lt. Col. Mark Beckler. Since, the congressman is also a member of the congressional subcommittee for military construction, he was given a brief drive-by tour of the MRICD replacement facility being constructed adjacent to the institute's current facilities.

Please visit the MRICD website at https://usamricd.amedd.army.mil/, and its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/USAMRICD.