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.
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary The article explains how the University of Utah’s Medical Laboratory Science program integrates professionalism and ethics throughout its curriculum. Students explore ethical issues early, study codes of ethics, create a class pledge, and revisit ethical expectations before clinical rotations. Interprofessional activities reinforce shared values, preparing graduates for…
Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary The article explores the tension between speed and accuracy in medical laboratory work, especially in hematology, where complex cases demand careful review. While efficiency supports patient care, rushing can risk missed abnormalities. The author reflects on personal experiences, peer insights, and management literature, emphasizing that balancing turnaround…
Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary The article explains how validation, verification, quality control, and risk management work together to ensure clinical laboratory safety. Validation confirms a method’s reliability; verification ensures it performs correctly in a specific lab; QC detects ongoing errors; and risk management strengthens procedures—creating a comprehensive system that protects patients,…
Volume 40 Number 2 | April 2026 Summary The article emphasizes that patient safety and ethical practice in laboratory medicine begin in the educational classroom. By integrating safety concepts, quality principles, and ethical decision‑making throughout Medical Laboratory Science and Medical Laboratory Technician curricula, students learn that every specimen represents a patient. Early, consistent training builds…