ASCLS Today is the membership newsletter of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

To submit an article for ASCLS Today, contact Editor Debra Rodahl.

Lindsey Davenport-Landry

The Right Thing May Be the Hard Thing

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 How Do We Make the Hard Thing Easier to Do? K. Lindsey Davenport-Landry, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Board of Directors In the clinical laboratory we are required to utilize critical thinking and decision-making skills every day. Looking through the microscope, examining an organism growing on a plate, or reviewing…

Thao Vu

It Starts with the Laboratory Environment

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Thao Vu, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor Creating a culture of quality patient care begins with the right lab environment. As medical laboratory professionals, we have a duty to produce reliable and accurate laboratory results for each patient. Learning should not cease when a diploma and certification…

Minh Kosfeld

Lab Testing for Prostate Cancer

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Minh Kosfeld, PhD, MLT(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most diagnosed cancer in males worldwide and is first in the United States. Since 1994, an FDA-approved protocol for PCa screening for men aged 50 and older has used the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test…

ASCLS Call for Nominations

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Looking for Future Leaders At the ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in July 2024, ASCLS delegates will choose from the candidates who have indicated a willingness to serve in a leadership position for the coming year. This is one of the many benefits and responsibilities of…

SkillsUSA Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics

Beyond the Lab Coat

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Crafting Character and Cultivating Professionalism in Aspiring Medical Laboratory Scientists and Technicians Phyllis Ingham, EdD, MLS(ASCP)CM, AHI(AMT), ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor As laboratorians, we all know the important vital role we play daily in the healthcare arena. While the work we do often seems hidden “behind” the white…

Party lights

DEIB During the Holidays

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Ogechi Ohaeto, MLS(ASCP), ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum Vice-Chair, ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council Secretary Stephanie Whitehead, MBA, MPH, MLS(ASCP), ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Forum Member As the holiday season is upon us, it is important to consider the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) of all in our workplaces when…

Juan Ulises Rojo

A Community Is its People

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Juan Ulises Rojo, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM As we celebrated Medical Laboratory Professionals Week this past April, conversations about community within the clinical laboratory science profession were a major point of discussion in conferences and meetings. From this, the thought can come to mind as to what makes a certain…

Ronald A. Hodge

Fungus in the Blood Culture from a Sinus Cancer Patient

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 Ronald A. Hodge, MLS(ASCP), SM, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor A 67-year-old male sinus cancer patient presented to the Emergency Department (ED) at Willis Knighton Medical Center with chest pain. Because the patient had a history of leukocytosis and immunosuppression, ceftriaxone and azithromycin, IV antibiotics were begun in the…

Aymen Saihati

Navigating Burnout and Cultivating Wellbeing

Volume 37 Number 6 | December 2023 A Transformative Approach for Medical Laboratory Professionals Aymen Saihati, MS, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor In the dynamic domain of healthcare, where precision and commitment are intertwined to protect lives, the mental health and well-being of medical and clinical laboratory professionals emerge as crucial pillars of their significant contributions.…