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.
J. Eric Stanford, MHA, MLS(ASCP)CM What does “Visibility of the Profession” mean to you? If you asked someone on the street what your role is as a laboratory scientist, would they be able to answer? Across many laboratory scientists, in many labs throughout the country, the overwhelming answer to that is usually “no.” By our…
The ASCLS Nominations Committee is pleased to present the following candidates for office in the 2020-21 Society year. Candidates selected by the House of Delegates will take office during the 2020 ASCLS-AGT Virtual Joint Annual Meeting. Delegates will elect one president-elect; one director each for Regions II, IX, and X; one 2-year term member for…
Gerald D. Redwine, PhD, MT(ASCP) The physical and chemical examination of urine samples plays an essential role in the diagnosis of patients’ pathological conditions. However, the sheer number of routine urinalysis can minimize their significance, especially considering that most analyses are automated, which can foster complacency for less than apparent problems. As a result of…
Carolyn Sabady, PBT(ASCP) It is no secret that phlebotomists and laboratory personnel carry a significant amount of weight on their shoulders. Whether they are assisting in a stat situation, processing a sample, or acting as a liaison between the patient care team members and the medical laboratory technologist, laboratory personnel need to be resilient. Building…
James Hollowell, ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum Vice Chair University of Louisiana-Monroe MLS graduate Jennifer Nguyen at the Spring Into Health event in Monroe, LA. Students used “glitter bug” solution and UV lights to show kids how dirty their hands can get and taught proper hand washing technique. Recruitment events bring visibility to our field and…
Kim Alexis Espejo, ASCLS-IL and Region VI Developing Professional Chair The MLS Club at the University of Illinois Springfield participates in campus events to promote the club and advocate for the medical laboratory science profession. Medical laboratory science (MLS), the profession, program, and in my case, club, was never a well-known entity at the University…
Patient Safety Corner Stacy E. Walz, PhD, MS, MT(ASCP), ASCLS Patient Safety Committee Chair One of the many wonderful resources easily accessible by laboratory professionals, other healthcare professionals, and the general public, is the blog, Lab Testing Matters, sponsored and managed by COLA. For several years now, the ASCLS Patient Safety Committee has proudly been…
Cindy Johnson, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President Many of you have been asked to step into a leadership role that you may not have felt qualified to take on. However, someone had confidence that you could fulfill this role, perhaps with some guidance and training. Being a leader may not be easy, and that is the…
Jean Bauer, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Region V Director Photo credit: Maciej Ciupa Are leaders born with the ability to lead, or is leadership learned? The answer is both. The road to becoming a leader can start in different ways. Some professionals aspire to be leaders. They have the desire and drive to want to lead, whether…
Diane Valentin, MS, MT(ASCP)MB Twice a year I am “forced” to look at the ASCLS Code of Ethics.1 Not because my boss is making me do this but because I am doing it for the sake of my students. In our freshman MLS orientation class, I introduce them to this document as a way to…