New ASCLS webinar on C. auris, call for volunteers, time for ASCLS award nominations, upcoming events, and more.

Free Member Webinar

Kerianne FuocoC. Auris: A Powerful Threat to Public Health Right in Our Own Backyard

February 24, 7 pm EST

Speaker: Kerianne Fuoco, MHA, MLS(ASCP)CM, Laboratory Supervisor, Microbiology, Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Candida auris is an emerging fungus that poses a serious threat to global health. In this session, we’ll review the characteristics of C. auris, discuss its prevalence, and review strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the characteristics of C. auris that make this organism a serious global health concern
  • Discuss the number of reported clinical cases in both the United States and worldwide
  • Explain the current strategies for diagnosis and treatment and the limitations to these strategies
  • Assess current research and the future needs in the fight against C. auris

Instruction Level: Intermediate

Register now.

If you can’t attend live, register anyway—those who pre-register will receive access to the webinar recording.

ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.

 

Call for Volunteers

ASCLS Representative to the Board of Certification

Apply by February 4

ASCLS is seeking candidates for nomination to one of the four ASCLS representative positions on the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) Board of Governors. The successful candidate will begin work during the September 2022 meeting of the BOC Board of Governors. The BOC Board of Governors defines and governs the activities of the BOC, develops policies, and fosters relationships with interested organizations. Learn more.

 

ASCLS National Committees

Apply by March 1

Applications are now open for national committee appointments with terms beginning in August 2022.

“The greatest asset of any organization is its members capacity to share their time, knowledge, and talent.” It’s you, our greatest ASCLS asset, who through your talent, passion, and experience powers the great work of our Society. Work that centers on raising and amplifying, as a single voice, the laboratory profession and professional.

Volunteers on national committees are critical to achieve and advance the ASCLS mission. And passionate members like you, who serve on them, are the WHY AND HOW we continue to keep our organization moving forward. Learn more about national committees, including position descriptions and committee charges.

Diversity within the volunteer ranks makes ASCLS stronger. A mix of new and experienced professionals on all of the committees rejuvenate the organization with fresh ideas while those who have served ASCLS in various capacities over the years bring a wealth of society knowledge. All levels of laboratory and ASCLS experience are encouraged to apply.

ASCLS utilizes an online system that matches volunteers with positions. Adding yourself to the volunteer pool is as easy as 1-2-3.

  1. Log in to the ASCLS Connect and fill out your regular member profile.
  2. Review all of the open volunteer opportunities.
  3. Apply for the opportunities where you think you can make the biggest contribution.

The application deadline for the 2022-23 Society year volunteer opportunities is Tuesday, March 1, but your profile will be used throughout the association year to fill other volunteer opportunities as they arise.

ASCLS looks forward to you finding a national committee that matches your passion and talents.

 

2022 Awards and Scholarships Deadlines

Submit ASCLS Awards Nominations by February 15

Do you know someone who would be a good candidate for an ASCLS award, grant, or scholarship? The ASCLS Awards Committee encourages members to submit nominations for the following awards by February 15.

  • Ascending Professional Leadership Award
  • Developing Professional Leadership Award
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • State Society Website Award
  • State Society Publications Award (for both print and web-based publications)
  • Scientific Assembly Professional Achievement Award
  • Scientific Research Award
  • Theriot Award (for media and equipment development)

Details for applying for these awards and the link to submit applications are on the Awards and Scholarships webpage. Questions can be addressed to the Awards Committee at awards@ascls.org.

Nominating a worthy member for one of these awards is a great way to recognize the valued work of our dedicated members and to honor them at the Awards Ceremony at the 2022 Joint Annual Meeting, June 26-30.

Scholarship Applications Due April 1

The Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity and ASCLS Education and Research Fund support the advancement of medical laboratory professionals through graduate and undergraduate scholarships for clinical laboratory science students. Applicants for all scholarships must be ASCLS members. Learn more about eligibility requirements and download the application.

 

Measuring and Documenting Burnout

Complete the ASCP Survey by February 18

Last year, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) launched the survey, Impact of Organizational Culture on Burnout, because it believes that continued discussion of well-being and burnout in the laboratory is essential, particularly given the added stressors we all face during the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows on the study, Satisfaction, Well-Being, and Burnout Survey of Laboratory Professionals, released in 2020, which measured the profound degree of burnout that existed among professionals working in clinical laboratories. This was before COVID-19, which has made the environment more dire.

ASCP is asking for everyone’s assistance to collect additional data that the laboratory community can use to continue to address this issue, contribute to the development of strategies to advocate for work-life balance in the field, as well as encourage creating transparency and engagement to mitigate burnout.

This survey seeks to understand your experience regarding these timely topics. If you have already taken the survey in August 2021, you are still invited to take the survey again but only answer the new additional questions (the link will prompt previous participants to only respond to the new questions). Along with filling out the survey yourself, we ask that you forward the link to your laboratory professional colleagues to allow the collection of data for all laboratory positions.

The survey will remain open through February 18.

ASCP has taken special measures to ensure your privacy and the privacy of your laboratory. Your responses are strictly confidential. No individual level data will be analyzed and only aggregated data will be reported. This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

 

Upcoming Events

Amy DeeCLEC 2022 Keynote Will Teach You to Retrain Your Brain

The 2022 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) Closing Keynote will feature Motivational Speaker Amy Dee and her talk, The Science of Sanity: Thriving, Challenge & Change in Today’s Busy Healthcare Education World.

From interacting with difficult students and coworkers, to coping with the epidemic overload of paperwork, processes, and long hours, Amy Dee has a genius for using humor to reveal our profound power to stay sane by making small, personal choices each day that wind up changing … everything!

CLEC 2022 will be held March 14-16 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The program offers more than 40 educational sessions that will explore new ways to enhance the student learning experience, demonstrate innovative teaching techniques, solve program management challenges, and so much more.

To provide you flexibility to participate in CLEC in the format that best fits your personal circumstances, you have the option to attend CLEC either in Denver or virtually. Register by February 18 and save $50.

 

Ask Me Anything: Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity

Pat Tille, Josh Pulido, Miles TompkinsMonday, January 31, 8 pm EST

Virtual

The mission of Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity (AMTF) is to recognize persons who have made outstanding professional contributions to the field of clinical laboratory science and to enhance the profession by providing scholarships to support educational endeavors. AMTF President Pat Tile, AMTF President-Elect Josh Pulido, and AMTF New Member Miles Tompkins will answer all your questions about the fraternity during an Ask Me Anything on Monday, January 31, at 8 pm EST. Learn all about scholarships, membership, or anything in between. Sign up for the free virtual event.

 

Membership Chair Check-In Meeting: Spicing up Your State Meeting

Tuesday, February 22, 8 pm EST

Virtual

Join the ASCLS Membership Committee for a check-in meeting where ASCLS staff will share feedback from interviews with medical laboratory professionals and attendee surveys from ASCLS events to show what members value most from events. They will also provide some tips/examples of things you can do at your state meetings to maximize the attendee experience. We will end with an open discussion to share ideas that have worked for those attending this online event with contributions from volunteer leaders that have had past success. Sign up today.

 

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week

2022 Lab Week Run MedalLab Week Run Early Bird Pricing Ends February 15

Step out of your labs and into your communities to help spread the word about the medical laboratory profession by participating in the ASCLS Lab Week Virtual Run.

This virtual race can be run at any time during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 24-30, 2022) and can be run anywhere. Participants can walk, use a treadmill, run outside, or even ride a bike to complete the 5K distance (or 3.1 miles).

Early Bird Pricing is only available through February 15. All proceeds go to grants and scholarships that help new medical laboratory professionals attend ASCLS meetings, lobby representatives for the profession, and become future leaders in the field.

Thank you to our 2022 Platinum Sponsors AUDIT MicroControls and COLA Inc.

 

2022 PRISM Events Emphasize the Importance of Being an Ally

PRISMThe ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) hosted the second annual PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum January 12-17. The event featured a series of virtual activities to ignite challenging discussions and help us learn for each other. Activities included a virtual book club of Demanding More: Why Diversity and Inclusion Don’t Happen and What You Can Do About It; The ABCs of DEI: Advocacy from the Bench to C-suite with AABB CEO Debra BenAvram; and a Candid Conversation with Scott Aikey, ASCLS past president, inspirational leader, and openly gay man.

The PRISM Silent Auction raised over $1,800 for the Glenda Price Diversity in Leadership Award. Thank you to everyone who participated by donating items, by bidding on and purchasing items, and by generously donating money directly to the award.

 

Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference Inspires New Lab Leaders

2022 ELMC2 Presentation on Establishing a Working Relationship with the C-SuiteMore than 125 medical laboratory professionals attended the second Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2), held virtually January 14-15.

The event was specifically designed for laboratory professionals in leadership roles or hoping to transition into management and included 15 sessions on topics such as, succession planning, coaching and providing feedback, recruitment and retention, keeping up with regulations, and more. Attendees also had the chance to network and talk with presenters and other attendees in virtual breakout rooms in between sessions.

Attendees found the experience to be extremely valuable and shared the following feedback:

  • “Every speaker motivated me into taking the next steps toward a leadership role.”
  • “Every session today (that I attended) was awesome! I loved the keynote speaker! So far, this is one of the best virtual conferences I’ve attended.”
  • “It was such an eye-opening, wonderful experience and made me all the more excited to shift into laboratory management.”

ELMC2 participants will continue to collaborate and learn throughout the year with a mentor program and an online community discussion forum.

If you missed this year’s ELMC2, on-demand session recordings will be available to purchase in March through labucate.org. Also, save the date for next year’s ELMC2, January 20-21, 2023.

 

Mid-Year Virtual ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting

ASCLS held its second, mid-year virtual meeting of the ASCLS House of Delegates on January 16. The House heard reports from the Board of Directors, which included the following.

  • President Hassan Aziz reported that the Society recently hired J&J Editorial to serve as managing editor for Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) journal. Issues 31-34 (2018-21) are currently being composited and will soon be available on the CLS Journal site. Next issues 14-22 (2001-2009) will be added to the site.
  • Secretary/Treasurer Kyle Riding reported that the Society ended the 2020-21 year with a net positive $61,343. However, the number of professional members within ASCLS continues to decline. ASCLS constituent societies should focus on retaining current members and providing opportunities for laboratory professionals to connect at the local level.
  • President-Elect Kim Von Ahsen presented a Governance Update and discussed potentially changing the role and nomination process of Regional Directors on the Board of Directors to create At-Large Directors. The House members debated how these changes would impact the Society, as well as constituent societies. More detailed information about proposed governance changes will be presented to the membership in the coming months.
  • Executive Vice President Jim Flanigan reported that more than 500 individuals sent over 1,600 messages to Congress as part of the successful ASCLS advocacy campaign to delay PAMA cuts until January 2023. However, many more labvocates will be needed to address additional legislative priorities, including the laboratory workforce shortage and regulation for laboratory-developed tests.
  • The Body of Knowledge Committee shared a new concept of how to present the Body of Knowledge (BOK). The committee plans to reformat the BOK to make it more accessible and applicable to its intended audience, and bring it in line with how other professions present their BOK.
  • The Position Paper Task Force requested input on a draft of a new position paper, Levels of Practice and Model Career Ladder.

 

Voices Under 40

Spotlight: Kelie Augustine, MLS(ASCP)CM, Honolulu, Hawaii

Kelie AugustineKelie’s primary job is as full-time faculty of the MLT program at Kapi’olani Community College, where she teaches Clinical Microbiology I/II, Clinical Chemistry I, Immunohematology, Body Fluids, and Intro to Clinical Laboratory Science. She is also a part-time Technical Consultant for Abbott Rapid Diagnostics and conducts trainings on many of their infectious disease testing. As if that wasn’t enough, Kellie is also in the Army National Guard and will be commissioning as an officer soon. She serves ASCLS in many capacities on a state level for Hawaii, serving on both their 2020 Task Force and their Website Task Force.

When asked why Kelie continues to be active in ASCLS, her response was as uplifting as she is: “My job hinges on the awareness of the medical laboratory field. I do a lot of promotion of the profession through outreach myself; however, I know ASCLS is constantly fighting for laboratorians to be ‘seen’ and educating the public on what we do. It’s not just job security, I felt that as an medical laboratory technician instructor, it is my duty to help the future graduates of our college’s MLT program by becoming more actively involved in ASCLS.” Read more.

ASCLS Voices Under 40 honors ASCLS members who have shown exceptional commitment to the Society, the laboratory profession, and their community at large at a younger age in their professional career. Each month we spotlight one of the shining voices who were selected from many nominations across the country.

 

Welcome New Member

Angela Anzures AlvarezAngela Anzures Alvarez, San Antonio, Texas

Angela introduced herself in the #IamASCLS-Introduce Yourself Community: “Hello y’all! My name is Angela and I just started a Master’s program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) for Medical Laboratory Science. I hope to specialize in microbiology to raise awareness about primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare disease caused by the protists Naegleria fowleri. Though rare, most of these cases arise in my home state of Texas due to the natural fresh water hot springs N. fowleri are known to propagate it, and affects children primarily.

“It is easy to miss upon first inspection of the cerebral spinal fluid, unless you are actively looking for it, and fully knowing that the patient recently had naturally hot water lodged into the nasal cavity. All it takes is an extra minute or so to ask patients suffering from meningitis-like symptoms if they’ve been in contact with warm, fresh water, and to give a little extra thoroughness while looking under the microscope.

“I hope I can bring about more awareness and save some lives while working in a laboratory that I love!” Connect with Angela.

 

Local Events

How to Build Resiliency in Rapid Change
ASCLS-Missouri Webinar Series Part 1
February 1
Virtual

 

ASCLS-DC Valentine’s Bingo Night
February 16
Virtual

 

ASCLS-Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Collaborative
March 30-31
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

ASCLS-Mississippi & Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (LSCLS) Bistate Meeting
April 19-22
New Orleans

 

ASCLS-Colorado & ASCLS-Wyoming Clinical Laboratory Collaborative Conference
April 21-22
Denver

 

ASCLS-Montana Spring Meeting
May 5-7
Great Falls, Montana

Connect: The Community Conversations

ASCLS Connect is an invaluable way to ask questions, share feedback, and stay connected with your family of laboratorians. Here are some of the recent discussions you may have missed:

Download the MemberCentric App on your mobile device to get the community conversations and more in the palm of your hand.

 

Key Dates

ASCLS Awards Deadline
February 15

Lab Week Run Early Bird Deadline
February 15

2022 CLEC Regular Registration Deadline
February 18