The Washington State Public Health Laboratories (PHL) was established by the legislature in the early 1900s. The laboratories were first located in downtown Seattle in the Alaska Building.
The Public Health Laboratories were moved to the Smith Tower Building. In 1982, work was begun on a new facility located just north of Seattle in the City of Shoreline. The PHL was relocated to its current building in 1985.
The laboratories are named in honor of W.R. Giedt, who was the director of the PHL during the period of its greatest changes and growth from 1943 to 1971. Under his leadership, the PHL met significant challenges in clinical and environmental public health and adopted new technologies as soon as they were proven reliable.
Scientists at the PHL continue to address challenges in innovative ways to preserve and improve public health. Examples include the development and implementation of new genetic/DNA based technologies to track disease outbreaks, air sample radiation monitoring following the Fukushima-Daichi nuclear power plant crisis, and new technologies to save babies from death and disability. The PHL has been at the forefront during outbreaks of infectious disease, including measles, bird flu, and COVID-19. PHL staff provide crucial scientific support and public health services, with a focus on improving public health at local, state and national levels.