Membership Renewal Season Begins, a New ASCLS.org, Nominations Open for Developing and Ascending Professionals Forums, Early Registration Ends May 14 for Joint Annual Meeting, and much more!
Membership Renewal Season
ASCLS has already begun the 2021-22 dues renewal season. Thank you to the more than 700 members who renewed early, saving the Society significant funds that would have been spent on paper mailings.
Everyone who renewed early, by May 10, was entered in a drawing for a free registration to the 2021 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting. Congratulations to Pamela Hawkins for winning the free registration!
For those of you who have not yet renewed, paper notices will arrive by mail in the next few weeks. Renew your membership by July 31 to ensure access to your membership benefits and to maintain your continued membership status. Thank you for your support of ASCLS, and we look forward to a brighter new year ahead.
A New ASCLS.org
If you’ve visited ASCLS.org recently, you may have noticed an updated look and feel. Last month ASCLS migrated our website to the WordPress platform and server, allowing for better integration with our existing systems and expanding our access to new plug-ins that can help improve site performance and access. This is part of an overall effort to improve our users’ experiences across all our web properties.
As you navigate through the new site, if you notice any pages that are not working or missing information, please send an email to website@ascls.org so the ASCLS staff can fix any issues. We appreciate your help and feedback.
Nominations Open for 2021-22 Developing Professionals Forum and Ascending Professionals Forum Officers
Would you like to take on a leadership role in the Developing Professionals Forum (DPF) or Ascending Professionals Forum (APF)? Or do you know someone who would make an excellent fit? The DPF is seeking its next chair, vice chair, and secretary. The APF is seeking its next vice chair and secretary. All nominees must be ASCLS Developing Professional or Ascending Professional members as of February 28, 2021.
Submit your nominations by May 31, 2021.
Developing Professionals Forum Chair Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):
- Serves as a voting member of the ASCLS Board of Directors (BOD).
- Requires travel to the ASCLS BOD Fall Meeting on October 24, 2021, in Washington, DC (Sunday before the Laboratory Legislative Symposium).
- Requires participation in the ASCLS BOD Interim Meeting (virtual) in Spring 2022.
- Requires travel to the June 26-30, 2022, Joint Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Works with the vice chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
- Must host and participate in monthly conference calls of the DPF that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.
Developing Professionals Forum Vice Chair Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):
- Assists the chair and secretary in any activities and functions related to the forum.
- Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
- Stands in for the chair if he/she is unable to complete his/her duties.
- Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.
Developing Professionals Forum Secretary Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):
- Assists the chair and vice chair in any activities and functions related to the forum.
- Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
- Records the proceedings of all meetings of the DPF.
- Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.
Ascending Professionals Forum Vice Chair Responsibilities—one-year term, potential three-year commitment (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):
- Assists the chair in any activities and functions related to the forum.
- Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
- Stands in for the chair if he/she is unable to complete his/her duties.
- Ascends to the forum chair for the following year.
- Once past chair, serves as the Ascending Professional Director on the ASCLS Board of Directors.
- Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the APF Leadership Council.
Ascending Professionals Forum Secretary Responsibilities—one-year term, may serve two terms (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):
- Assists the chair in scheduling meetings and conference calls throughout the year.
- Takes the meeting minutes for all meetings and conference calls throughout the year.
- Maintains a current contact list of all regional and state representatives.
- Works with the chair, vice chair, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
- Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the APF Leadership Council.
Upcoming Events
2021 Joint Annual Meeting Early Bird Registration Ends Friday, May 14
The 2021 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) educational program will provide you over 60 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved continuing education. Scientific sessions span Chemistry/Urinalysis to Microbiology/Public Health, Hematology/Hemostasis to Molecular and Biochemical Genetics, Phlebotomy to Generalist/Interdisciplinary, and much more.
JAM will be held June 27-July 1, and you have the choice to attend either face-to-face in Louisville, Kentucky, or virtually online. All attendees will have access to all recorded sessions for 30 days after the event, giving you the flexibility to create a personal schedule that works best for you.
Take advantage of the Early Bird Registration Rate available through this Friday, May 14, and save $100 off the final registration rate.
Travel and Registration Grants Available for 2021 Joint Annual Meeting
The Ascending Professionals Forum and the Developing Professionals Forum will collectively award over $10,000 in travel and registration grants to Ascending and Developing Professionals attending the 2021 Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), either in-person or virtually. The exact breakdown of these grants will be determined by the number of applicants and their preference of attendance. Apply by Saturday, May 15!
Regional Meetings Go Virtual
Because this year’s JAM is our first hybrid event (held both face-to-face and virtually), some governance meetings that are traditionally held face-to-face during the event will be held virtually. Regional directors will hold virtual Regional Caucuses at the end of June, broadening the opportunity for people to attend. Issues that will be brought to the House of Delegates on July 1 will be discussed at the Regional Caucuses. Your regional director will contact you via ASCLS Connect Communities with more details about dates, times, and agendas.
ASCLS Membership Coffee Klatch for Developing Professionals
May 22, 12 pm Eastern
The ASCLS 2021 Leadership Academy class will present a “coffee talk” geared toward Developing Professionals (student members). They will discuss their individual careers as medical laboratory professionals as well as the impact that ASCLS has had on the paths they have taken. Together they cover a broad range of experiences, such as department leads/supervisors to first-year techs from non-traditional routes. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and interact with the hosts. Sign up for this free virtual event.
Ask Me Anything: Parliamentary Procedure
May 23, 8 pm Eastern
Ever wanted to know more about parliamentary procedure but were too afraid to ask? Join the leaders of the Ascending and Developing Professionals Forums and ASCLS Past President Roslyn McQueen for a fun interactive Q&A on parliamentary procedure. Sign up for the free virtual event.
Call for CLEC 2022 Session Proposals
The Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) Steering Committee is currently accepting session proposals for CLEC 2022. The submission deadline is June 4.
CLEC 2022 will be held March 14-16 in Denver at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Presenters and attendees will have the option to participate in-person or virtually, and all confirmed speakers will receive registration discounts.
As part of the evaluation survey for CLEC 2021, attendees were asked for recommended topics or session ideas for the CLEC 2022 program. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in presenting one of these topics or something similar, be sure to send in your proposal.
New on ASCLS Labucate.org
Check out the virtual learning opportunities available at your convenience through labucate.org.
CLEC 2021 On Demand
All educational sessions from the highly-rated CLEC 2021 were recorded and are now available to stream online via labucate.org. Individual sessions are $10 for ASCLS members/$15 for non-members.
Be sure to check out the session, Pandemic Response Team – A Collaborative Effort to Rescue Students in the Clinical Experience, sponsored by MediaLab, which is available for free.
You can purchase a Best of CLEC 2021 bundle, containing the top 11 sessions according to attendee ratings ($80 for ASCLS Members/$120 for non-members). Sessions included are:
- Time for Some R and R How to Use Retrieval Practice and Reflection Activities to Improve Student Learning
- In the Lab When You’re Not There Virtual Microbiology Lessons and Staying Connected
- Use of Digital Imagery in Hematology Objective Assessment of Cell Morphology Identification
- Fostering Professionalism through Feedback
- Online Analyzers for Online Internships
- What Should I Do Next Scaffolding Blood Bank Case Studies
- Graduate Future Laboratory Leaders Skilled in Interprofessional Collaboration
- Strategies and Tools to Develop Legendary Online Courses
- Virtual and Simulation Laboratory Rotations A hospital-based program perspective
- Opening Keynote Creating Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable Curricular Content
- Closing Keynote Teaching Ethics: A Lesson in Weaving
For access to all 41 recorded sessions, purchase the All Access CLEC 2021 On Demand bundle ($250 for ASCLS members/$375 for non-members).
Laboratory Educator Institute
The ASCLS Laboratory Educator Institute (LEI) recently added a new course to the online institute:
Quick Start Guide to Using Item Analysis to Improve Exam Scoring
Description: Even good test question writers will write a poor question—a clunker—once in a while. Students should not be penalized with lower exam scores when this happens. In this quick start module you will learn the basics of item analysis interpretation so you can identify clunkers. You will then learn how to appropriately re-score the examination to compensate for clunkers. The result is fairer for students and a better representation of what they know.
With 10 courses created by revered educators in the field, LEI is designed to provide professional development for medical laboratory educators in critical areas, including education/teaching, administration/leadership, clinical practice, and research.
Laboratory Leadership Institute
The ASCLS Leadership Development Committee is proud to present the second course now available in the new Laboratory Leadership Institute (LLI):
The Science of Communication – Communication, Active Listening, and Conflict Management
Description: This course will walk you through understanding communication flow, where breakdowns can happen, and strategies to avoid them. Next it will discuss active listening as an important step in communication—how to listen to understand. Finally, learn various ways to define communication and conflict management styles, how to identify our own and improve where needed, and how to communicate between different styles.
The LLI is intended to provide virtual learning opportunities to ASCLS members and other medical laboratory professions who are looking to grow their leadership skills and potential. Stay tuned for additional courses to be added to the LLI this spring and summer.
Two Previous Webinars Available On Demand
If you missed either of these two popular webinars live, you can access the recordings as on-demand courses.
Controversies in Nephrology: Reconsidering Race and eGFR
Presented by Nwamaka Eneanya, MD, MPH, FASN on March 25, 2021.
Description: The use of race, a social construct, to define kidney function is wrong and has been challenged by clinicians and researchers alike. This session will review current practice patterns and implications of using race in eGFR equations.
Calling Ourselves MLS—Is it Really so Professionally Important?
Presented by Dr. Kathy Doig and Dr. Linda Smith on November 18, 2020.
Description: The ASCLS House of Delegates adopted a position paper in June 2020 supporting the designation of Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) as the preferred credential title for baccalaureate-level professionals. History shows that new professional titles can take decades to gain full adoption. As we enter the second decade of MLS certificants, we will make the case for why we cannot wait any longer to fully adopt this title. We will offer suggestions for steps to make MLS the recognized title.
New Episodes of Off the Bench Podcast
Subscribe to the Off the Bench Podcast for discussions on scientific and not-to-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. New episodes drop the last Friday of each month.
The March 26 and April 2 episodes featured a two-part series on “First Lab Job Interviews.” Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar, Galina Dronova, and Justin Hanenberg talked about their first job interviews for the profession and gave great advice how to be your best for interviews—before, during, and after.
The April 30 episode, “History of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession with Elissa Passiment,” was an inspiring conversation about the general history of the medical laboratory science profession, the role of ASCLS in making positive change, and why medical laboratory professionals are so important to quality patient care.
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Medical Laboratory Professionals Week
Highlights of 2021 Lab Week
More than 1,600 people participated in the sold out 6th Annual ASCLS Lab Week Run and raised funds for ASCLS Developing and Ascending Professionals scholarships and travel grants. Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Audit MicroControls and DiaSorin Molecular and to everyone who participated and shared your photos and race times. Congratulations!
ASCLS members in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin had governors or mayors sign proclamations that April 18-24, 2021, is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.
ASCLS members created videos that celebrated the medical laboratory profession.
The ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) hosted Dynamic Discussion: Being an Ally on April 20. The engaging discussion centered on being an ally in both our professional and private circles. Hear how to show up for our colleagues and friends and turn our words into action to speak for those not present or not able.
ASCLS held a Professional Licensure Townhall on April 22, which featured a six-member panel that shared their experiences, addressed issues related to licensure, and gave guidance on how ASCLS can supply tools and assistance to members in states that are advocating for licensure.
Many more of you helped to shine a spotlight on the vital role that medical laboratory professionals play not only in healthcare, but to our society as a whole. Thank you for sharing your stories with colleagues, friends, family, and the general public!
ASCLS Voices Under 40
Spotlight: Tera Webb, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, Birmingham, Alabama
Tera is a teacher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). At UAB, she primarily teaches for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program. However, she also teaches for Biomedical & Health Sciences and the Physician Assistant Programs in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences in the School of Health Professions. Her main teaching responsibilities are clinical microbiology, clinical laboratory management, and phlebotomy.
She serves ASCLS in many capacities, most recently as Education Scientific Assembly chair and CLEC Steering Committee member. When asked why she continues to be involved in ASCLS, Tera had this to say: “ASCLS is a Society specifically for my chosen profession, and my motivation for being actively involved stems from me wanting to improve the profession and for wanting others to recognize who we are and what we bring to the healthcare team.” 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 were selected from many nominations across the country.
Spring Meetings
Come together with medical laboratory professionals in your local area, either online or face-to-face, for CE and networking.
2021 Florida Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Spring Symposium
May 22, 2021
Virtual
ASCLS-Ohio Annual Business Meeting
May 22, 2021
Virtual
Connect: The Community Conversations
ASCLS Connect is an invaluable way to ask questions, share feedback, and stay connected with your family of laboratorians. Here are some of the recent discussions you may have missed:
- The Membership Committee posts “Membership Mondays” questions each week to spur discussion and get to know fellow ASCLS members. Recent questions include:
- During Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, members shared stories about ASCLS members that were published in local press.
- Members remembered colleague and friend Lynn Russell who passed away in March.
- ASCLS continues to share CDC alerts and updates for laboratories through the Open Forum.
Download the MemberCentric App on your mobile device to get the community conversations and more in the palm of your hand.
Key Dates
Joint Annual Meeting Early Bird Registration Deadline
May 14
Joint Annual Meeting Travel Grants and Scholarships Deadline
May 15