Legislation Significant to Medical Laboratories, Introducing CDC OneLabTM, Register for the 2023 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference, Submit Award Nominations, and more.

Two Pieces of Legislation Significant to Medical Laboratories Could Pass this Month

U.S. CapitolWatch for Verifying Accurate, Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act and Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA)

As Congress wraps up its “lame duck” session this month, members are currently negotiating a potential omnibus bill that could include key legislation for medical laboratories.

The Verifying Accurate, Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act would provide regulation of laboratory-developed tests to ensure their clinical validity, accuracy, and overall patient safety.

The Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA) would replace the draconian reimbursement cuts and reporting requirements of PAMA and has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Many ASCLS members have worked hard the past few years to advocate for this legislation, which would have a profound impact on medical laboratories and patient safety. Thank you for being a #Labvocate! Stay tuned for any developments in the coming days.

 

Introducing CDC OneLab™

CDC OneLab REACHFree Online Learning and Networking for Laboratory Professionals

Our partner, CDC, recently released OneLab REACH™, a new, innovative, and comprehensive learning management system designed and customized for clinical and public health laboratory professionals.

OneLab REACH has up-to-date COVID-19-relevant laboratory education and training resources, free continuing education units (including P.A.C.E.®), on-demand eLearning courses, printable job aids, and more. Sign up to access the free resources.

Find even more resources by joining OneLab Network. This network provides opportunities for education and training, as well as a space for collaboration between clinical, public health, and CDC laboratory education and training professionals. Register here to start collaborating.

Download the OneLab Network Flyer and the OneLab REACH postcard to help spread the word in your workplace.

 

Registration Open for 2023 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2)

ELMC2January 20-21, 2023 | Virtual

The Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) is designed specifically for laboratory professionals to help you transition into and thrive in management roles. The all-virtual event aims to instill in laboratory professionals the skills to lead and take on management/leadership positions within and outside the laboratory. Get real-world advice on how to understand and speak the languages of quality with other professionals with whom you interface (nursing, pharmacy, and medicine).

Program Highlights

  • Two days of virtual programming (live and streamed for up to 30 days after the live event)
  • Closing Keynote: Why Confidence is the Secret to Great Leaders at Work, featuring Dr. Karyn Gordon, author of the book, The Three Chairs: How Great Leaders Drive Communication, Performance & Engagement
  • Up to 20 hours of P.A.C.E.® credit
  • Networking roundtable opportunities
  • Access to an attendees-only online community
  • Follow up programming expected to take place 6-12 weeks after the conclusion of the virtual conference, as well as special meet-ups at the ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in June
  • A short-term mentoring program for ELMC2 participants

Discounted group registration rates are available. Register by December 30 and save.

 

2023 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 2023 Joint Annual Meeting, June 26-30, in Providence, Rhode Island.

Scholarship Applications Due April 1

The Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity and ASCLS Education & Research (E&R) Fund, Inc., support the advancement of medical laboratory professionals through graduate and undergraduate scholarships for clinical laboratory science students.

The E&R Fund is pleased to offer two new scholarships this year:

  • The Snyderwomen Scholarship will award $1,500 to a current ASCLS member who is a deserving MLT that has matriculated into an MLS program.
  • The ASCLS Past Presidents Scholarship will support a current ASCLS member who is a graduate student (in a master’s or doctoral program) with a $2,000 scholarship.

Applicants for all scholarships must be ASCLS members. Learn more about eligibility requirements and download the application.

 

ASCLS Education & Research Fund Raises Nearly $2,700 for Grants and Scholarship

lab-themed earringsThank you to everyone who participated in the ASCLS Education & Research Fund, Inc., Handmade for the Holidays fundraiser. The event featured a raffle, silent auction, and handmade items for sale, raising about $2,700 for ASCLS member research grants and scholarships for students in clinical laboratory science programs.

Established in 1953, the fund supports scholarships for clinical laboratory science students and funds research in laboratory science to be used for pilot studies, preliminary data collection, and early grants for investigators new to research.

 

Call for Nominations for National Positions

The Nominations Committee is seeking qualified members interested in serving in an elected national position beginning on June 30, 2023. If you or someone you know should be nominated, contact Nominations Committee Chair Josh Pulido by January 15, 2023.

  • President-elect (three-year commitment, automatically succeeding to President and Past President)
  • Director (three positions, three-year term)
  • Judicial Committee (one position, five-year term)
  • Nominations Committee (five positions, two-year term)

Learn more about each position’s eligibility requirements and duties.

 

Free Webinar for ASCLS Members

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Microbiology: Methods, Breakpoints, and Beyond

December 20, 1 pm Eastern

Sign up Today

Andrea PrinziThis session will review core concepts of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in the microbiology lab, including methods of testing, how interpretive criteria (breakpoints) are determined and updated, and how AST plays a role in public health.

Speaker: Andrea Prinzi, PhD, MPH, SM(ASCP)

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe at least two different types of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) performed in the microbiology lab.
  2. Explain the process for AST breakpoint determination and updates.
  3. Summarize the role AST plays in public health and antimicrobial resistance prevention and control.

Instruction Level: Intermediate

This P.A.C.E.®-accredited webinar is free for ASCLS members ($10 for non-members). Preregistration is required. 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.

 

Upcoming Events

2023 Clinical Laboratory Educators ConferenceCLEC 2023 Early Registration Discount Ends January 6

Registration for the 2023 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) is open, and a discounted early bird rate is available through January 6.

CLEC is the most impactful annual gathering for faculty, administrators, directors, advisers, and all in medical laboratory education. 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. Check out a sampling of sessions that you will find on the program.

CLEC 2023 will be held March 2-4 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 New Orleans or virtually through the streaming device of your choice, wherever you are. Reserve your spot today!

 

Mid-Year ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting

January 15, 2023 | Virtual

ASCLS will hold its third annual mid-year virtual meeting of the House of Delegates on Sunday, January 15. The ASCLS House of Delegates convenes at the Annual Meeting of the Society, and has authority within the Society regarding the:

  • election of the officers and members of the Board of Directors and of elective committees;
  • adoption and amendment of the Bylaws and the Articles of Incorporation according to the laws of the state of incorporation; and
  • approval of professional practice standards, position papers and the scope and direction for the Society and the profession.

Delegates who began their term with the first session of the 2022-2023 House of Delegates on June 30 will receive information about how to attend the mid-year meeting.

 

PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum

January 16-18, 2023 | Virtual

PRISMThe ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) invites you to participate in the third annual PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum. Join medical laboratory friends and colleagues as we celebrate and ignite discussions regarding diversity in the profession and the inequities in our healthcare system.

PRISM features a series of virtual discussions. RSVP for the following events:

All events are held virtually through Zoom and are free to attend.

 

8th Annual ASCLS Lab Week Run

2023 Lab Week Run MedalOn your mark, get set, go! It’s time to start planning for the annual ASCLS Lab Week Virtual Run. Step out of your labs and into your communities to help spread the word about the medical laboratory profession and have fun with friends and co-workers.

This virtual race can be run at any time during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 23-29, 2023) 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).

Race packets will go on sale January 1 with Early Bird Pricing available through February 15. All proceeds go to grants and scholarships that help medical laboratory professionals attend ASCLS meetings, lobby representatives for the profession, and become future leaders in the field.

 

Volunteer Opportunities

CDC OneLab logoCDC OneLab Pilot Testers and Subject Matter Experts

As part of the cooperative agreement between the CDC and ASCLS, the Society has been asked to identify clinical laboratory professionals willing to pilot test eLearning and virtual reality (VR) courses and just-in-time training resources like job aids, toolkits, and microlearning videos, as well as subject matter experts (SMEs) who can provide technical content.

Pilot Testers: Reviewers should be individuals from the target audience for the training or resource, and should NOT be subject matter experts in the particular topic area that the training/resource addresses. They can be medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, or other clinical laboratory staff, as appropriate. Pilot testers will generally have two weeks to review. Each review is expected to take approximately three hours. Learn more.

Subject Matter Experts: Laboratory professionals who are SMEs in particular topic areas are needed to provide content for training resources and to review existing content for accuracy. Content SMEs will generally be engaged between three and six months for eLearning courses, but for less time for other training types. Most communication with SMEs will be via email, but there may be occasional virtual meetings with SMEs who are providing content. Learn more.

 

New Episode of Off the Bench Podcast

Off the Bench PodcastSubscribe to the Off the Bench Podcast for discussions on scientific and not-so-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. New episodes drop the last Friday of each month.

On the November 25 episode, host Galina Dronova sits down with Tori Nemitz and Dean Derhaag to talk about the crucial role and “a day in the life” of Point of Care specialists as the extroverted faces of the lab.

Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.

 

Voices Under 40

Spotlight: James A. Payne IV, NHA, CPT, Spencerport, New York

James is employed by the Monroe 2-Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services as the Medical Laboratory Assistant and Phlebotomy Program instructor. He has been actively involved in recruiting and training students in entry level heath career skills education. He is passionate about advocating for pathways toward accessible education and empowering students to improve themselves through career training opportunities. He is also actively involved in professional development for educational methodologies and is a ready team player stepping into adult phlebotomy education training courses and serving on several heath career educational task groups in New York.

James’ recent entry to ASCLS has been passionate and active. He jumped into the ASCLS Membership Committee with energy, getting connected and supporting the membership reactivation and recruitment efforts in Region I and ASCLS-New York’s membership committees. He presented at the 2022 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference in Denver, “Educating High School Student: A Model to Ending the Workforce Shortage,” generating discussions that tethered the workforce crisis with the laboratory professional career ladder. 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.

 

ASCLS Connect Video Tutorial

How to Set Your Notifications

Configuring your notification settings is one of the most important first steps you should take in ASCLS Connect. The notifications are emails that let you know when a discussion post or reply has been made in any of your ASCLS Connect communities. Ensure that you are receiving your notifications in the format you prefer.

Find additional videos and tips in the ASCLS Connect Tutorials resource library.

Connect: The Community Conversations

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

 

Key Dates

Webinar – Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Microbiology
December 20

2023 ELMC2 Early Registration Deadline
December 30

CLEC 2023 Early Bird Registration Deadline
January 6