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.

Patient Safety Corner: Can You Hear Me Now?

PATIENT SAFETY AND HAND-OFF COMMUNICATION Courtney Shrader, MLS(ASCP)CM From 1995-2004 the Joint Commission estimated about 65 percent of 2,966 adverse events were due to communication issues. In 2005, that percentage grew to 70, and half of the events occurred during patient handoffs.2 Due to these startling statistics, in 2006 the Joint Commission created a national…

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Maddie Josephs, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President-Elect ASCLS, our grassroots professional organization, relies on the collective action of our members—and most importantly our member volunteers—to make our voices heard and to make a positive impact in healthcare. Indeed, the strength of our Society lies in our volunteers. Whether you can make a long-term or short-term commitment,…

INTRODUCING THE NEW ASCLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Suzanne Butch, MA, MLS(ASCP)CMSBBCMCLMCM The 2019-20 ASCLS Leadership Academy class met for two days before the ASCLS-AGT Joint Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, last June. The group got to know each other while enthusiastically performing group activities, listening to presentations, and participating in active discussions. This year’s class of 11 participants represents nine states…

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AT THE 2021 TRISTATE MEETING

Karrie Hovis, MHS, MLS(ASCP)CM, CMP, CQIA The 2021 Tri-State Meeting will be held April 5-8 in New Orleans and will host ASCLS-Mississippi, the Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, and the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science. Photo credit: Eric Gross https://www.flickr.com/photos/hozho/15975312841  The ASCLS-Mississippi and Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (LSCLS) constituent societies have been…

THE NEW JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OFFERS EDUCATION, INSPIRATION, AND CONNECTIONS

Nearly 700 laboratory professionals and colleagues came together in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of the first Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of ASCLS and the Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT). This partnership between ASCLS and AGT resulted in expanded educational and industry engagement opportunities for both organizations, as well as others in the laboratory community.…

SHARE YOUR STORY

Cindy Johnson, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President ASCLS exists to advance the expertise of clinical laboratory professionals who, as integral members of interprofessional healthcare teams, deliver quality, consumer-focused, outcomes-oriented clinical laboratory services through all phases of the testing process to prevent, diagnose, monitor, and treat disease. The ASCLS Board of Directors spent the last societal year…

ONE QUESTION FOR ASCLS PRESIDENT-ELECT MADDIE JOSEPHS

Maddie Josephs, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President-Elect Q. What is missing within ASCLS or other laboratory professional organizations that limits our ability to recruit and maintain members? A. While I would like to address this issue within ASCLS, I suspect the reasons for these limitations and solutions would be very similar across all laboratory organizations. Over…

BOARD OF CERTIFICATION MARKS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Kathy Doig, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM ASCLS and AGT members who played critical roles in negotiating the NCA and BOR merger and who served on the initial Board of Governors of the BOC came together during the 2019 Joint Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June. Front row from left: Denise Anamani, Kathy Hansen, and Amy…