Rural Public Health Lab in Fallon to Close Amid Funding Shortfalls

The rural public health laboratory in Fallon, once seen as a key piece of northern Nevada’s response to infectious disease testing, will close after struggling with workforce shortages and the loss of federal funding.

The Churchill County Rural Public Health Laboratory was first envisioned in 2020 as a partnership between Churchill County, the Nevada Department of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH), and the University of Nevada, Reno. The goal was to create a satellite lab that could fill the gaps in testing demands in northern Nevada instead of sending all tests to the Reno lab. The idea grew out of frustration during the COVID pandemic as high testing demands meant long waits for results and frustration with reporting numbers and data throughout rural communities. The Churchill County Rural Public Health Lab first offered services in 2021, and opened its doors in October 2022 in the county’s annex building.

After two years of negotiations, the three parties failed to finalize an agreement so instead Churchill County was funded directly by DPBH to continue lab operations. The county also committed $250,000 from opioid settlement funds to purchase equipment, anticipating that funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and Centers for Disease Control would support operations through December 2026.

But challenges quickly mounted. Since 2023, the lab has struggled to keep a qualified Medical Laboratory Generalist, a position needed to process specimens unless the Medical Laboratory Director is present. Churchill County has an employment contract with the Lab Director, and the Lab Technician is a county employee currently studying to gain Generalist qualifications. Because the federal “clawbacks” in March 2025 removed the lab’s ARPA and CDC funding to support staffing and ongoing operations. Churchill County Social Services Director Shannon Ernst shifted some grant funding from DPBH to cover costs, but it isn’t enough to extend the lab’s lifespan.

Ernst told Churchill County Commissioners at their Sept. 17 meeting that since it’s been difficult to hire a Laboratory Generalist due to a workforce shortage, she championed a plan to help the Lab Tech earn the credentials to become a Generalist, which is a two-year process. Although the laboratory is shuttering, she worked with DPBH and UNR to continue grant funding to help that Lab Tech gain the Generalist licensure since it supports workforce development in rural Nevada. The Nevada State Public Health Laboratory at UNR will provide oversight for the remainder of her training.

Commissioners approved of the closure plan and the ongoing employment of the lab tech. Ernst will begin transferring the lab’s equipment to the UNR lab, in accordance with federal guidelines. She said the lab’s closure will not affect the Central Nevada Health District as its lab samples are already couriered to Reno for testing. The Fallon lab filled a critical gap in northern Nevada’s public health system, but for now, the Churchill County Rural Public Health Lab will not continue past its current funding window.