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.

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.…

Claude Rector

The Workplace Morale Kit

Volume 37 Number 5 | October 2023 Claude Rector, MA, MLS(ASCP), ASCLS President The following information is shared from the St. Bernards Medical Center Workplace Morale Kit. Employee morale can be described as employees’ capacity to keep their faith in their organization and its goals. It is especially prominent in the face of hardship, like…

Sarah Steinberg

Trials and Tribulations of Burnout

Volume 37 Number 5 | October 2023 Sarah Steinberg, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum Secretary Burnout. That is the word that everyone is warned about, but few of us actually heed. I always thought that burnout was a myth. I thought similar to my immune system, I had built up an immunity to burnout.…