Julia

Teaching the Next Generation to Think Like Diagnosticians

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary This article argues that medical laboratory education must evolve beyond memorization to emphasize diagnostic reasoning. It highlights the importance of case-based learning, simulation, and reflective practices to develop analytical thinking. By fostering pattern recognition, clinical interpretation, and confidence, educators can better prepare students to contribute meaningfully to…

Preparing Future Laboratory Professionals for Collaborative Practice in Population Health

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary This article argues that medical laboratory science programs must evolve to prepare professionals for expanded roles in population health. It highlights integrating public health competencies, community engagement, and service-learning into curricula, enabling laboratorians to connect lab data with broader health trends and actively contribute to community health,…

Mindful Moments from CLEC

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary This reflective piece highlights the author’s experience at the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC), emphasizing professional growth through education, connection, and shared challenges. The author underscores the value of community, practical learning, and collaboration, noting how CLEC inspires educators and reassures them that common challenges can be…

When the Laboratory Remembers

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary This article emphasizes the value of experienced laboratorians as “living memory” within complex healthcare systems. By honoring their insights and integrating past lessons into innovation—through tools like pre-mortems and structured reflection—medical laboratories can strengthen change efforts, preserve stability, and turn repeated cycles into sustainable, meaningful progress. Creating…

Technology vs. Lab Professionals

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary Automation is reshaping laboratory medicine, but it cannot replace the critical thinking, judgment, and expertise of trained laboratorians. This article argues that despite staffing shortages and advancing technology, skilled professionals remain essential for ensuring patient safety, troubleshooting issues, and interpreting complex, nuanced results that fall beyond the…

Expanding the Laboratory’s Role through Technology, Digital Health, and Interprofessional Innovation

Volume 40 Number 3 | June 2026 Summary This article discusses the evolving role of laboratory professionals in healthcare, highlighting their integration of new digital health tools, continuous monitoring devices, and interprofessional collaboration to enhance patient care and outcomes, emphasizing the importance of data quality, leadership, education, and ethical considerations in this transformation. Dhara Parekh,…

Patient Safety is the DNA of ASCLS

Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary ASCLS has long centered patient safety as a core value, empowering medical laboratory professionals to protect patients through advocacy, education, and ethical practice. From early initiatives like the Consumer Information Response Team to today’s Diagnostic Equity partnership, the organization champions health literacy, diagnostic fairness, and a culture…

Regulatory Framework and Surveillance Systems Ensuring Blood Supply Safety in the United States

Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary The article outlines the FDA’s comprehensive regulatory framework ensuring the safety of the U.S. blood supply through strict donor eligibility criteria, infectious disease testing, and routine inspections. It highlights updates to the Donor History Questionnaire, the shift to individualized risk‑based screening, and the TTIMS surveillance system, which…