Your Voice Needed in January to Stop Lab Cuts | Call for Nominations for National Positions | Enhance Your Professional Development at CLEC 2026 | Save the Dates for 2026 Events | and More
Your Voice is Needed in January to Stop Lab Cuts and Protect Patient Care
Devastating reimbursement cuts under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) will be implemented on February 1, if no action is taken by Congress before the end of next January.
Be prepared to contact your members of Congress in January—especially Senate democrats—to support the RESULTS Act. This will require all hands on deck!
StopLabCuts.org includes an easy-to-use TAKE ACTION platform, and many helpful resources to use and share.
Free Webinar – The Stakes of PAMA Reform: Navigating Policy, Advocacy, and Next Steps
January 8, 1 pm ET
Join ASCLS and the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) for a timely webinar on what is at stake if Congress fails to act on reforming PAMA before January 31, 2026.
The webinar will explore the impact of reductions of up to 15 percent on more than 700 tests on the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and onerous data reporting that would require laboratories to submit private payer data from 2019. Participants will receive an overview of how reporting might function, who must report, and what it could mean for laboratories, the workforce, and the patients who rely on timely, accurate results.
Those on the ground in Washington will explain reform efforts sought by a broad coalition of clinical laboratory stakeholders who are advocating for the RESULTS Act, using the Stop Lab Cuts campaign to advance this legislation. Speakers will break down what the RESULTS Act would do, why action is urgently needed, and how laboratories, professionals, and advocates can effectively engage policymakers.
Featured speakers include:
- Susan Van Meter, President, ACLA
- Patrick Cooney, President, The Federal Group, Inc.
- Joyce Gresko, Partner, Alston & Bird, ACLA General Counsel
This webinar is free for all to attend.
ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.
Become a Labvocate Ambassador
If you’re interested in getting more involved in efforts to support the profession, join the Labvocate Ambassador Program. This growing network of passionate medical laboratory professionals committed to strengthening the voice and visibility of the clinical laboratory community.
More than 60 ambassadors have already signed up. Our goal is to have 538 ambassadors—one for every member of Congress and every senator. Join the movement.
Call for Nominations for National Positions
Nominations Due January 15
The Nominations Committee is seeking qualified members interested in serving in an elected national position (term to begin on July 2, 2026). If you or someone you know should be nominated, apply online or contact Nominations Committee Chair Mark De Luna by January 15, 2026.
Leadership positions to be elected in 2025:
- President-elect (three-year commitment, automatically succeeding to President and Past President)
- Director (three positions, three-year term)
- Nominations Committee (three positions, two-year term)
- Judicial Committee (one position, five-year term)
Learn more about each position’s eligibility requirements and duties.
Support Your Students’ Success and Enhance Your Professional Development at CLEC 2026
February 5-7 | Bellevue, WA | Virtual
Every year, the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC), brings together a vibrant community of educators who share ideas, swap practical tools, and leave inspired to elevate their programs.
This year’s Opening Keynote, “Trauma-Informed in Pedagogy & Practice,” will discuss how common neurobiological factors can impact student success, explore trauma-informed teaching approaches, and walk through real-world scenarios.
Whether it’s innovative teaching tools, fresh strategies to engage students, or the invaluable support of colleagues who truly understand the challenges of laboratory education, CLEC offers something that resonates long after the conference ends.
Join nearly 500 of your peers who have already signed up, February 5-7 in Bellevue, Washington, or virtually. Regular registration ends Jan 21.
Save the Dates for 2026 Events
Mid-Year ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting
January 18, 2 pm ET | Virtual
ASCLS will hold its sixth annual mid-year virtual meeting of the House of Delegates (HOD) on Sunday, January 18, at 2 pm Eastern. The agenda includes:
- President’s Update
- Finance Update
- Elections Committee
- Advocacy Agenda
- Constituent Society Policy
- Bylaws Regarding Regional Councils
Delegates, who began their term with the first session of the 2025-2026 House of Delegates in June 2025, will attend the meeting through a unique Zoom link sent directly to them. Any ASCLS member can watch the livestream on YouTube. Additional details will be shared on ASCLS Connect in January.
11th Annual ASCLS Lab Week Run
April 19-25, 2026
Step out of your labs and into your communities to help spread the word about the medical laboratory profession by participating in the ASCLS Lab Week Virtual Run.
This virtual race can be completed any time during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 19-25, 2026) and anywhere. Participants can walk, use a treadmill, run outside, or even ride a bike to complete the 5K distance (or 3.1 miles). Organize a group run with friends and family, or go solo.
Race packets will go on sale January 1 with Early Bird Pricing available through February 15. All proceeds go to scholarships that help medical laboratory professionals attend ASCLS meetings, advocate for the profession, and become future leaders in the field.
Race organizers are currently looking for sponsors. If you or someone you know is interested in reaching thousands of laboratory professionals, please contact info@labweekrun.com.
2026 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM)
June 28-July 2 | St. Louis or Virtual
ASCLS, the Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT), and Society of American Federal Medical Laboratory Scientists (SAFMLS) come together each summer for JAM, the premier gathering of laboratory professionals to share their knowledge, research, and best practices related to the field of laboratory science.
- Learn from about 50 P.A.C.E.®-approved scientific sessions from all three organizations.
- Network and socialize with peers from across the country and around the world.
- Explore exhibit booths from a wide range of industry partners.
- Attend in-person or virtually, and access session recordings for at least 30 days after the event.
Put it on your 2026 calendar, and get those PTO requests in soon.
2026 ASCLS Awards Open for Nominations
Submit Nominations by March 15
Each year, ASCLS honors the medical laboratory professionals who make our Society stronger, our profession more vibrant, and our patient care better. A wide range of awards are open now, offering meaningful opportunities for recognition, career advancement, and professional visibility.
Submit your nominations for the following awards by March 15.
- Ascending Professional Leadership and Achievement Awards
- Community Engagement Award
- Developing Professional Leadership and Achievement Awards
- Pinnacle Award
- Scientific Research Award
- Theriot Award (for media and equipment development)
Details for applying for these awards and the link to submit applications are on the Awards and Scholarships webpage. Questions can be addressed to awards@ascls.org.
Recognizing excellence strengthens the entire profession. Encourage your colleagues—and yourself—to apply or nominate deserving members. The ASCLS Awards Ceremony will be held June 30 at the 2026 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in St. Louis.
New CLEF Impactful Innovation in Education Award
Applications Due December 31
The Clinical Laboratory Educators Forum (CLEF) is excited to announce the launch of a brand-new award celebrating innovation and excellence in clinical laboratory science education: Impactful Innovation in Education Award.
This award recognizes educators who are transforming the learning experience through innovative strategies, tools, or approaches that significantly enhance student engagement, understanding, and success in the clinical laboratory sciences.
If you’ve developed an innovative educational tool or approach that addresses a critical need in clinical laboratory education and have shared this innovation with the broader educator community, please consider applying for this award.
Recipients will be honored at the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) with a placard and a $500 monetary award. Learn more.
ASCLS Education & Research Fund Raises Over $650 for Grants and Scholarship
Thank you to everyone who participated in the ASCLS Education & Research Fund, Inc., Handmade for the Holidays fundraiser. The event raised over $650 for ASCLS member research grants and scholarships for students in clinical laboratory science programs.
Established in 1953, the fund supports scholarships for clinical laboratory science students and funds research in laboratory science to be used for pilot studies, preliminary data collection, and early grants for investigators new to research.
Share Your Story in a Book Honoring Lab Medicine during COVID-19
The editors of the upcoming title, Emergent: COVID-19 Narratives of Laboratory Medicine, are holding a limited open call for first-person narratives (approximately 1,500-4,500 words) which reflect on the experience working in the laboratory during the height of the pandemic.
Whether your story highlights personal and professional challenges, failures, perseverance, teamwork, personal growth, or a moment that’s stayed with you, this book aims to share laboratory medicine’s voice and recognize the essential and heroic role of diagnostics.
The best personal narratives don’t just recount events—they invite reflection, stir empathy, and leave the readership with a lingering sense of connection or insight. It’s this balance of honesty, storytelling, and self-awareness that makes a personal narrative unforgettable. If you’re interested in contributing, please upload your submission by January 1, 2026.
Voices Under 40
Spotlight: Tami Alpaugh, MS, PhD, MLS(ASCP), Lakeville, Minnesota
Tami is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Tami’s teaching responsibilities include transfusion medicine lectures and laboratories in the graduate MLS program. Tami is also developing coursework to recruit future MLS students, and one course is entitled, “Pop Culture and Disease.”
Tami has been active in ASCLS-Minnesota for the past few years, serving on the Finance Committee, serving as treasurer, and co-chairing registration and finance for the ASCLS-MN regional collaborative laboratory conference. Read more.
ASCLS Voices Under 40 honors ASCLS members who have shown exceptional commitment to the Society, the laboratory profession, and their community at large at a younger age in their professional career. Each month we spotlight one of the shining voices who was selected from many nominations across the country.
New Off the Bench Podcast Episode
Subscribe 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.
On the November 28 episode, host Doryan Redding sat down with ASCLS President Kyle Riding, Past President Pat Tille, and Leadership Development Committee Vice Chair Nickola Chin to explore communication in the clinical laboratory, from feedback loops to leadership strategies. Hear what it really takes to be heard behind the closed doors of the laboratory.
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
Latest Jobs
Chair – Associate Professor or Professor
UT Health San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Tenure Track Open Rank Faculty/Medical Laboratory Science Program Director
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Clinical Laboratory Technician
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital
Trenton, New Jersey
See more job openings on the ASCLS Career Center.
Local Events
ASCLS-Arkansas and Arkansas Antimicrobial Stewardship Foundation Webinar
January 14
Speeding Toward Stewardship: Leveraging Rapid Diagnostics for Optimized Antimicrobial Utilization and Patient Outcomes
Virtual
ASCLS-Colorado Winter Seminar
January 16
Grand Junction, Colorado
Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Collaborative
March 19-20
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Missouri-Kansas Joint Conference and Exhibits
April 8-9
Overland Park, Kansas
ASCLS-Texas Annual State Convention
April 8-10
San Antonio, Texas
ASCLS-Michigan Annual Conference
April 12-14
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Key Dates
Webinar – The Stakes of PAMA Reform: Navigating Policy, Advocacy, and Next Steps
January 8
Mid-Year ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting
Virtual
January 18
Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference Regular Registration Deadline
January 21