California Department of Public Health-Genetic Disease Screening Program

Genetic Disease Screening Program

The Genetic Disease Screening Program (GDSP) is a division of the California Department of Public Health. GDSP administers a variety of programs that provide early diagnosis of genetic disorders, prenatal detection, case management and referral for treatment, health education and counseling. Programs include Prenatal Screening, Newborn Screening, Maternal PKU, Sickle Cell Counselor Training and Certification, Sickle Cell Program Approval and GeneHELP Resource Center.

The GDSP administers the Newborn Screening Program and the Prenatal Screening Program. These programs screen for genetic disorders and provide clinical oversight for the follow-up services and diagnostic procedures offered to high risk patients. GDSP provides nearly 1 million genetic screens each year. In addition to being the largest program in the world, California leads the way in the number of disorders screened and is the most comprehensive in terms of quality control, follow up services and confirmatory testing. These programs have brought California into the forefront in public health screening. They serve all populations of pregnant women and newborns and ensure equal access to high quality screening and related care.