Last Chance to Save on Laboratory Legislative Symposium Registration, Get Ready for #Labtober, Free Webinar for ASCLS Members, Raise Money for MLS Scholarships and Research Grants, and more.
Last Chance to Save on Laboratory Legislative Symposium Registration
Regular Registration Ends Monday, Oct 16
October 23-24 | Alexandria, VA, or Virtual
The annual Laboratory Legislative Symposium gives you the chance to join together with medical laboratory professionals from six organizations to meet with your representatives and senators on Capitol Hill as a unified front on behalf of our profession. Each year these leading organizations provide a visible and informed voice and make our concerns known inside Congress.
The Symposium will cover:
- The current status of the U.S. Congress, how Congress really works, and how to talk to your representatives and senators
- How to communicate with Congress about reimbursements and advocate for the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA)
- Medical laboratory workforce issues, including an explanation of immigration systems and how foreign-trained professionals can fill staffing shortages
- Newly proposed FDA regulation of laboratory-developed tests
- Updates on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staffing rules for medical laboratories
Come away with first-hand knowledge of the political system in action and confidence that you make a difference.
This year’s event will be held October 23-24 at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia. In-person and virtual attendee options are available. Sign up by Monday, October 16 and save $50 off the late/onsite registration rate.
Get Ready for #Labtober
To celebrate creative expression and medical laboratory science, ASCLS will host a social media #Labtober, October 25-31. Get ready for a week of creative prompts (intentionally vague to allow plenty of creative freedom) related to the medical laboratory profession.
How to participate: Check out the calendar of daily prompts and post visual content (photo, illustration, etc.) inspired by the prompt on Facebook or Instagram. Be sure that your images are HIPAA compliant. Tag @ASCLS for a chance to be featured on our Facebook and Instagram stories.
We look forward to seeing your creativity!
Call for 2024 Joint Annual Meeting Scientific Session Proposals
The Joint Annual Meeting Steering Committee is now accepting scientific session proposals for the 2024 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), to be held July 8-12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Submit your session proposals by November 4.
Help shape the science at JAM and ensure the most current topics in your field are well represented. The JAM Steering Committee is looking for proposals that cover a diverse group of subjects related to medical laboratory science, such as scientific advancements, best practices, and management. Send in your session proposals and please invite laboratory professionals and colleagues who are compelling presenters and leaders in their field to share their expertise as well.
All confirmed speakers are eligible for registration discounts. You do not have to be an ASCLS, AGT, or SAFMLS member to submit a proposal, and multiple proposals may be submitted per speaker.
Free Webinar for ASCLS Members
The Ever-Changing Landscape of Laboratory Informatics
November 8, 1 pm ET
Laboratory informatics, as a topic, encapsulates the mundane (software to instrument communication) to the exotic (data science and artificial intelligence). In this presentation we’ll describe the early history of laboratory informatics; review autoverification case studies where medical laboratory professionals played a major role in the implementation; and discuss future projects and the involvement of medical laboratory professionals.
Objectives:
- Explain the history of laboratory informatics and its impact on the field.
- Illustrate how laboratory professionals can participate in the evolving state of laboratory informatics.
- Develop plans within laboratories to participate in future laboratory informatics changes.
Presenter: Dustin R. Bunch, PhD DABCC, Co-Director of Laboratory Informatics and Assistant Director Clinical Chemistry, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Assistant Professor – Clinical, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University
Instruction Level: Basic
This P.A.C.E.®-accredited webinar is free for ASCLS members ($10 for non-members). Preregistration is required. If you can’t attend live, register anyway—those who pre-register will receive access to the webinar recording.
ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.
Raise Money for Medical Laboratory Science Scholarships and Research Grants
ASCLS Education & Research Fund Silent Auction Handmade for the Holidays
November 20-December 1 | Virtual
Start your holiday shopping with the ASCLS Education & Research (E&R) Fund, Inc.’s 2023 Handmade for the Holidays Silent Auction. Win unique and lab-themed items while raising money for an important cause.
The E&R Fund is currently seeking crafty donations from our very talented members and friends of members. They are also looking for state-themed baskets or gifts, which are very popular for the holidays. Please contact Barbara Snyderman with questions.
All money raised through the silent auction goes to the ASCLS Education & Research Fund, which provides scholarships, research grants, and professional awards that assist in the growth of the medical laboratory science profession and enhances the essential services provided by laboratory professionals. Thank you for your support!
Save the Dates for 2024 Events
Mid-Year ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting
January 14, 2024 | Virtual
ASCLS will hold its fourth annual mid-year virtual meeting of the House of Delegates on Sunday, January 14. The ASCLS House of Delegates has authority within the Society regarding the approval of professional practice standards, position papers, and the scope and direction for the Society and the profession.
Delegates who began their term with the first session of the 2023-2024 House of Delegates on June 30 will receive information about how to attend the mid-year meeting.
Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2)
January 19-20, 2024 | Virtual
The Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) is designed specifically for laboratory professionals to help you transition into 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 Joint Annual Meeting in July.
Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC)
February 22-24, 2024 | Las Vegas, NV, or Virtual
CLEC is the most impactful annual gathering for faculty, administrators, directors, advisers, and others in medical laboratory education. The conference includes peer-to-peer learning, designed to give you take-aways that you can bring home and implement in your program.
CLEC 2024 will be held February 22-24 at the Westgate Las Vegas. Explore new ways to enhance the student learning experience, discover innovative teaching techniques, build your network of clinical laboratory educators, and so much more. Registration will open in November.
Submit Po
ster Abstracts by October 29
We are currently accepting abstracts for posters at CLEC 2024 in Las Vegas. Share your expertise, research, and other work with more than 600 fellow educators across the nation. Submit your abstracts by October 29.
Registration discounts are provided to the submitting author of accepted poster abstracts. Posters will be displayed digitally at the conference and within the meeting app. Accepted authors who attend CLEC in-person will have the opportunity to participate in poster presentation showcases.
CDC OneLab
OneLab Summit Rescheduled
April 16-18, 2024 | Virtual
OneLab Summit is a free, annual virtual event that connects laboratory professionals in real-time to support a unified response to laboratory education and training needs. Attendance is open to anyone interested or involved in the laboratory profession. OneLab Summit programming is most relevant to people who provide education or training to clinical and public laboratory professionals.
Free Webinar: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Point-of-Care Testing
Tuesday, October 31, 12 pm ET | Virtual
This basic-level presentation will discuss the importance of wearing PPE when performing point-of-care testing, selecting appropriate PPE, and properly putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) PPE.
Objectives:
- Describe what PPE is.
- Describe how hazards associated with testing can affect the choice of PPE.
- Identify characteristics of effective PPE.
- Describe how to don and doff PPE properly.
Presenter: Carrie Anglewicz, MS, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories
Webinar Recordings and Online Training Courses
The CDC’s OneLab Network provides opportunities for education and training, as well as a space for collaboration between clinical, public health, and CDC laboratory education and training professionals. It has added over 20 video recordings of past events to the OneLab Network site, including recent webinars:
- July 25: Lessons Learned from Newborn Screening Program with Dr. Patrice K. Held, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory
- September 7: CLIA Proficiency Testing (PT) Final Rule with Penny Keller, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- September 26: How to Plan for B. pseudomallei Exposure Cases with Dr. Lisa Spicer and Dr. Erin Graf of Mayo Clinic
Additionally, you will find these new courses and job aids on CDC’s OneLab REACH:
- Fundamentals of Methylene Chloride Safety: Information on the chemical properties and adverse health effects associated with the use of methylene chloride, or dichloromethane (DCM), in clinical and public health laboratories.
- Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety: An overview of laboratory safety for clinical and public health laboratory personnel.
- Fundamentals of Communicating the Hazards of Laboratory Chemicals: Information on communicating the hazards of laboratory chemicals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.
New Episode of Off the Bench Podcast
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.
In the September 29 episode, co-hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding continue going through the “Impromptu Views” recorded at the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting and dive into the importance of self-advocacy, community, and outreach in the laboratory field.
Off the Bench listener, Sevan Mecoyan, recently shared how meaningful the podcast is to him: “I’ve been listening to all your podcasts and looking forward to each new episode. I love working in the laboratory, but sometimes you just get burned out and overworked. Listening to the podcasts has been a huge encouragement and reminder to me that I’m not the only one out there, that there is also a huge community of us out there. Please continue podcasts to encourage others like you did me! Big thanks!”
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Voices Under 40
Spotlight: Sarah Steinberg, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, Casper, Wyoming
Sarah is the clinical coordinator for the Casper College MLT program. In addition to setting up clinical rotations for her students, she teaches classes for the MLT and the University of Wyoming MLS programs and serves as student advisor. She has also volunteered as chair and/or vice chair for the College Faculty Senate, Multicultural Film Festival, and Clinical Coordinator Working Group. In addition to her college duties, she works part time for Summit Medical Center and served as Health Fair volunteer chair.
Sarah has served as ASCLS-WY ascending professional (AP) representative for two years and is currently AP representative for Region 8. She served on the Leadership Development Council for two years and served on the Clinical Laboratory Collaborative Conference (CLCC), a joint spring meeting with ASCLS-Colorado, Planning Committee. She has served as ASCLS-WY government affairs chair and webmaster for two years. Most recently she was elected secretary for the ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum. 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.
Local Events
Check out events happening in ASCLS constituent societies.
ASCLS-Illinois Fall State Meeting
October 14
Rosemont, Illinois
2023 Northeast Laboratory Conference
October 17-18
Portland, Maine
ASCLS-Minnesota NE Region CE Event
October 21
Duluth, Minnesota
2023 Northwest Medical Laboratory Symposium
October 26-27
Virtual
ASCLS-Indiana Collaboratorive Laboratory Conference
October 27-28
West Lafayette, Indiana
Medical Laboratory Concerns in the Transgender and Non-Binary Populations, presented by ASCLS-Maryland
October 30
Webinar
ASCLS-New Jersey Fall Seminar
November 16
Paramus, New Jersey
2024 LSCLS/ASCLS-MS Joint Annual Meeting
March 25-27
Biloxi, Mississippi
Connect: The Community Conversations
ASCLS Connect is an invaluable platform to ask questions, share feedback, and stay connected with your community 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 were:
In the Clinical Laboratory Educators Forum, members shared best practices on white coat ceremonies for MLS students.
In the Hematology/Hemostasis Scientific Assembly, members post SH Exam Study Resources.
In the Open Forum, students have requested participation in their survey-based research, including the following:
Key Dates
Laboratory Legislative Symposium Regular Registration Deadline
October 16
CLEC 2024 Poster Abstract Deadline
October 29
2024 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting Session Proposal Deadline
November 4