CMS Request for Information | Maintain Your Certification Stress-Free | 2026 Labvocate Symposium | 2026 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference | Inaugural Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) Symposium | New Products in ASCLS Store | and More

CMS Request for Information

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking for public comments to help update the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations from 1988. The deadline for submitting comments in September 14.

The RFI requests input on the following topics:

  • Breath Testing
  • Laboratory Processes and Procedures
    • Pathology Specimen Block Retention
    • Specimen Preparation Activities and Personnel
    • Suboptimal Specimens
    • Establishment and Verification of Performance Specifications
    • Calibration Verification
    • Postanalytic Interpretation and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Data‑Only Facilities
    • Remote Direct Observation Competency Assessment
  • Emergency Preparedness, Biosafety and Biosecurity, and Cybersecurity
  • Specialty Testing Areas
    • General Considerations
    • Clinical Cytogenetics, Immunohematology, and Microbiology

The ASCLS Government Affairs Committee is preparing comments for submission on behalf of the Society, but is not grass roots organizing around any specific responses. Given the wide range of perspectives in our community, ASCLS is encouraging medical laboratory professionals to read and respond with their own thoughts. Engaging in the formal rulemaking process by providing information when requested is a powerful way to influence the final outcome of a formal rule. View the full request here.

Maintain Your Certification Stress-Free

Certification Maintenance 12 PackThe 2026-2027 Certification Maintenance Package is a diverse compilation of 12 courses that help you maintain your required continuing education hours for certification.

The bundle includes courses in chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunohematology, and ethics, helping you earn 12 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved online continuing education.

ASCLS members get a discounted rate of $60 for the 12 courses ($120 for non-members).

Speak Up. Show Up. Make a Difference.

2026 Labvocate Symposium

Labvocate Ambassadors visiting with Congress members on Capitol HillOctober 12-13 | Old Town Alexandria, VA | Virtual

Sign up by September 21 and Save

The annual Labvocate Symposium gives you the chance to come together with medical laboratory professionals from six laboratory organizations and make our concerns known inside Congress.

You are coached on presentation techniques and discussion topics so you can effectively talk to your congressional representatives during appointments. You’ll also learn all the important details about the legislative policies affecting our profession so you can labvocate with confidence.

After 10 years of hard work, you may finally get to see your actions become law! There is a window this year to pass the Results Act, which provides a solution to the often delayed and broken Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA). It has the support of more than 60 leading patient/consumer and provider advocacy organizations. It was also officially endorsed by The Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan caucus comprised of 43 members of the U.S. House, and the Republican “Doctors Caucus.” We have an imminent opportunity to pass legislation!

At the Labvocate Symposium we’ll also build momentum for the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act.

Again this year, all ASCLS Developing Professional members can attend Labvocate 2026 virtually at no cost. The Clinical Laboratory Educators Forum has developed a sample curriculum for educators who want to leverage this opportunity for their students.

The event is held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia. In-person and virtual attendee options are available.

Registration and Travel Scholarships Available for Labvocate Symposium

The Ascending Professionals and Developing Professionals Forums will award $750 scholarships to be used towards travel and registration for Ascending and Developing Professionals attending the Labvocate Symposium, either in-person or virtually. The exact breakdown of these scholarships will be determined by the number of applicants and their preference of attendance.

To be considered, you must be a current ASCLS Developing Professional or Ascending Professional member and be registered for the Labvcoate Symposium, either virtually or in-person, at the time of application. Apply by September 18.

New Free Online Courses for Members

ASCLS LabucateAdvocacy Sessions Recorded at the 2026 Joint Annual Meeting

Professional Advocacy: Why We Fight
Presented by Damien Garza, MLT(ASCP)

This engaging, story-driven talk blends humor, personal experience, and real advocacy wins to show why lab professionals must speak up. From workforce shortages to reimbursement cuts, it proves that you don’t need to be a policy expert—just passionate enough to care, show up, and fight for the future of the lab.

Big, Beautiful Labvocacy: Healthcare in the Shadow of OBBA
Presented by Patrick Cooney and Jim Flanigan

Federal and state healthcare policies impact the how medical laboratory professionals practice every day. Actively working to impact those policies is a choice. Effectiveness dependents on knowledgeable and active participants in the legislative and regulatory process or potentially end up as an afterthought when significant changes occur. Since the last Joint Annual Meeting, Congress passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) that is bringing about massive changes to the healthcare system in the United States. This presentation will provide a briefing on current issues like laboratory reimbursement, the laboratory workforce in the environment brought about by OBBA.

From the Bench to Leadership

2026 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2)

Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2)November 13-14 | Virtual

Sign up by October 9 and Save

The Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) is designed specifically for medical laboratory professionals to help you prepare for and thrive in management roles.

ELMC2 provides two days of virtual programming (live and streamed for up to 30 days after the live event), up to 20 hours of P.A.C.E.® credit, networking events, access to an attendees-only online community, and follow up programming expected to take place 6-12 weeks after the conclusion of the virtual conference, as well as special meet-ups at the ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting next June.

Get real-world advice from experienced medical laboratory leaders that empowers you to seamlessly transition into leadership. Discounted group registration rates are available, $195 and under. For group registration, complete this form.

Attend ELMC2 for Free

The ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum will award 10 registration scholarships, to attend the virtual Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) November 13-14, 2026, for free. Apply by October 31.

Shape the Future of Laboratory Medicine

Inaugural Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) Symposium

Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science SymposiumNovember 5-6, 2026 | Virtual

Sign up by October 9 and Save

The inaugural ASCLS Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) Symposium is designed to celebrate, promote, and advance the future of the DCLS profession.

The all-virtual symposium will bring together DCLS professionals, students, educators, physicians, and laboratory leaders to exchange ideas, share best practices, and showcase the diverse roles and impact of DCLS practitioners across multiple settings.

Through engaging panel presentations and collaborative discussions, participants will gain valuable insights from nationally recognized experts.

Whether you are an experienced practitioner or just beginning your DCLS journey, this symposium offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of laboratory medicine together.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) Repository

The ASCLS DCLS Advancement Committee is building a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) Repository, a centralized database that houses scholarly work produced by or in regards to DCLS professionals. It serves as a resource for individuals seeking to learn more about the DCLS role, including scope of practice, professional contributions, and scholarly activities.

The purpose of this repository is to collect, organize, and showcase the scholarly output of DCLS professionals, providing insight into their impact on the clinical laboratory and patient care. By bringing this work together in one place, the repository aims to increase visibility, support knowledge sharing, and highlight the evolving contributions of the DCLS profession.

If you are a DCLS student or graduate with completed formal presentations at state or national meetings, interviews or podcast appearances, publications or abstracts, or posters, we encourage you to contribute your work to this growing collection. The repository may also be shared with non‑member DCLS professionals. And if you’ve come across a standout paper or presentation authored by, focused on, or historically relevant to the DCLS role, please consider submitting those as well to help capture the full breadth of impact.

An updated version of the repository is intended to be shared this fall.

New Products in ASCLS Store

ASCLS shot glass and microbiology and blood bank lanyardsHave you checked out the online ASCLS Store? Find ASCLS-themed items:

  • Beaker glass
  • Socks
  • Journal
  • Membership pins
  • Shot glass
  • Microbiology and Blood Bank Lanyards – get $3 off for purchases of 2 or more lanyards
  • Lambda Tau pins and cords

Let us know if you have suggestions for new products we should add to the store.

New Off the Bench Podcast Episode

Off the Bench Live at the 2026 Joint Annual MeetingSubscribe to the Off the Bench Podcast for discussions on scientific and not-so-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. New episodes drop the last Friday of each month.

The July 31 episode features a live recording of JAM Query Check at the 2026 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. Hosts Doryan Redding, Sophia Chandrasekar, and Emily Woten take the stage once again for this Off the Bench game show tradition.

Contestants Dr. Kathryn Golab, Dr. Elizabeth Fisher, and Federico Rodriguez Quezada faced off in a fast-paced battle of laboratory-ish knowledge, creative scenarios, and just the right amount of chaos.

Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Latest Jobs

Director, Regional Pathology Services
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska

Medical Laboratory Scientist II
AdventHealth Riverview
Riverview, Florida

Medical Laboratory Scientist II
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Merriam, Kansas

See more job openings on the ASCLS Career Center.

If you’re looking to fill an opening, post your job in the ASCLS Career Center and get access to over 17,000 candidates.

Local Events

ASCLS-Colorado Park Cleanup Volunteering
August 29
Golden, Colorado

ASCLS-Idaho Webinar and Summer Social
Transfusion Services
August 29
Boise, Idaho, and Virtual

Hawaii Clinical Laboratory Conference
September 17-18
Honolulu, Hawaii

ASCLS-Mid-Atlantic Trivia & Scavenger Hunt
September 30
Virtual

Northeast Laboratory Conference 2026
October 6-7
Portland, Maine

ASCLS-New Jersey 2026 Fall Seminar
October 8
Paramus, New Jersey

2026 ASCLS Region V Fall Symposium
October 8–9
Bloomington, Minnesota

ASCLS-North Carolina Fall Symposium
October 30
Raleigh, North Carolina

Key Dates

2026 Labvocate Symposium Early Registration Deadline
September 21

DCLS Symposium Early Registration Deadline
October 9

Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference Early Registration Deadline
October 9