Navigating the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in North Dakota Christie Massen PhD, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM The North Dakota Public Health Laboratory staff before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The laboratory capacity expanded during the pandemic through many critical partnerships. Being the laboratory director at the North Dakota Department of Health during the SARS-CoV-2 has been rewarding, and the lab has…
George A. Fritsma, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM In February of 2017, George Fritsma and the late Cindy Johns led a Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) plenary session entitled, “Enhancing Laboratory Communication to Reduce Extra-analytical Errors.” The presenters referred to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® (CW) initiative, founded with Consumer Reports in 2012.…
Kristen Croom, MLS(ASCP)CM, MB(ASCP), ASCLS Region X Director I want to start by saying a huge MAHALO to our laboratory teams working to care for our patients during this pandemic. We have seen unprecedented changes to our healthcare system and our entire way of life. Our laboratory family has the opportunity to come together and…
Beth Warning, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, AHI(AMT), ASCLS Region IV Director Linda Gorman befriended author Beth Warning at the 2001 CLEC. Through their friendship, Beth was introduced to more and more opportunities within ASCLS. At one time or another, you may have been asked why you chose ASCLS as your professional society, considering we have several from…
Paula Griswold, PhD, MT(ASCP), and Jessica Dolecheck, PhD Part of soft skills training, ULM College of Health Sciences faculty coordinated professional luncheons where healthcare employers and students interacted for meaningful, social connections. Photo credit: ULM Photo Services Preparing students for careers in healthcare requires competencies in technical skills and acquiring an understanding of the field…
Aymen Alsaihati Healthcare and laboratory practices need to implement a high-quality management system to assure patient safety and provide reliable and precise results. This, in turn, will help in providing more accurate diagnoses. “Accreditation is an effective way to demonstrate competence of the laboratory, a tool to recognize laboratories world-wide, is linked to periodical audits…
Courtney Shrader, MSHS, MLS(ASCP)CM, CPHQ Integrating a culture of safety into the clinical laboratory requires hard work and teamwork. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help healthcare professionals create or improve the safety culture provided on the ASCLS Patient Safety website. This article will highlight some of the resources available. Agency for Healthcare Research…
Five new recommendations published by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely initiative.
ASCLS Statement on Racial Injustice and Action
ASCLS Advises Senator on Testing Capacity, Membership Renewal Season Has Begun, New Upcoming Webinar on Convalescent Plasma, Virtual 2020 Joint Annual Meeting, and More.