Good Sam Lab Develops Test for New Superbug July 29, 2026 In 2024, a patient admitted to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport carried something few clinicians in Oregon had encountered. The organism, Candida auris, had only recently emerged as a national concern. Its detection set off a chain of notifications that reached Samaritan’s infectious disease experts and Oregon Health Authority, marking one of the first known appearances of the drug-resistant fungus in the state. C. auris can live undetected on the skin of patients and survive in clinical environments, posing a serious risk to those who are already vulnerable. Medical experts first noticed the disease in Japan in 2009. After it spread through Asia and Europe, it was first reported in the U.S. in 2013. In areas where it has been found, the CDC notes this multidrug-resistant yeast spreads easily in healthcare settings and has a high mortality rate, impacting patients with weakened immune systems. At the Oregon Health Authority Laboratory Consortium meeting the following spring, leaders challenged hospital labs to assist with early, reliable detection of the organism. Aaron Grother, Samaritan’s microbiology system specialist, took that challenge back to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. “Once the need was identified, we knew we had to build something that worked in a real clinical setting,” Grother said. Within about five months of project approval, Grother and a multidisciplinary team developed an in-house screening test for C. auris. The effort brought together laboratory staff, infection prevention, nursing, information systems and state public health partners. The screening begins at admission with targeted questions that identify patients at higher risk. If indicated, a swab is collected and cultured on specialized media that helps flag potential growth. From there, the laboratory uses MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, an advanced diagnostic tool that provides definitive identification of the organism. “The challenge with C. auris is that it can look like other fungi,” Grother said. “Having a system that can confirm exactly what we are seeing is critical.” Since implementation, dozens of patients have been screened at Good Sam. No positive cases have been identified so far, a result Grother calls encouraging but not a reason to ease vigilance. A year later, Grother was back at the annual meeting, this time, sharing Samaritan’s new test with healthcare professionals throughout the state, which has encouraged other hospitals to explore similar testing models. For clinicians, the effort reflects a broader goal — early detection that supports timely precautions, protects patients and helps limit the spread of an emerging threat before it gains a foothold.
