Protect the Future of Medical Laboratories and Patient Care | Upcoming Events | Call for 2026 Joint Annual Meeting Session Proposals | Share Your Talents in the ASCLS Expert/Speaker Directory | Diversity Advocacy Council Book Club | and More
Protect the Future of Medical Laboratories and Patient Care
Your Voice Can Make the Difference
Last month, Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced the bipartisan Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 (H.R. 5444) — critical legislation to strengthen the clinical laboratory workforce. The bill would create a federal grant program to expand training capacity and recruit qualified faculty for medical laboratory science programs across the country.
Right now, thousands of qualified applicants to MLS and MLT programs are turned away each year because of limited capacity — even as the demand for skilled laboratory professionals continues to grow.
Tell Congress to Pass the RESULTS Act (S.2761/H.R.5269).
The Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) determines how laboratories are reimbursed for diagnostic tests under Medicare—and those same rates are used by most private payors and Medicaid programs.
A law passed in 2014 tied these rates to “market data,” but serious flaws in how that data was collected led to deep, inaccurate cuts to laboratory reimbursement—far beyond what the law intended. Unless Congress acts, another round of steep cuts could take effect, threatening the financial stability of labs nationwide.
The impact of a 15 percent cut on 800 high-volume tests could mean:
- Layoffs and laboratory closures
- Pay freezes for medical laboratory professionals
- Fewer laboratories able to serve as clinical training sites for students
The bipartisan RESULTS Act of 2025 would fix this broken system by:
- Reforming the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) to ensure accurate data informs CLFS rates
- Reducing administrative burden for labs and CMS
- Providing long-term stability to prevent drastic, year-to-year cuts
Take Action Twice
Your experience is invaluable for members of Congress, and they want to understand your perspective. Describe what a massive cut to laboratory revenue would mean to your patients who are their voters. What would fewer available tests, delayed results, and loss of access mean to their health?
- Respond to the Labvocate Action Alert to encourage more House co-sponsors of the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025.
- Visit stoplabcuts.org and use the take action form, then email and follow up by phone until you talk with the healthcare staffer on your Representative’s and Senators’ staff. Remember that everyone has one Representative and two Senators to contact.
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Upcoming Events
Inaugural Women of Laboratory Science Summit (WLSS)
October 18, 2025 | Alexandria, VA
ASCLS is proud to offer the inaugural Women of Laboratory Science Summit, designed to foster a dynamic and inclusive environment where women in laboratory science can share experiences, exchange knowledge, and cultivate a network of supportive peers committed to advancing leadership.
- Take a deeper dive into your personal leadership style and strengthen your impact—inside and outside the lab.
- Build emotional intelligence skills, including a free personalized assessment.
- Connect in a safe, supportive space with others who share your experiences.
- Find your community of peers where you can grow as a leader and a professional.
The speaker and lead facilitator for this event is Tywauna Wilson, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM, a leadership strategist, coach, trainer, and champion for healthcare and laboratory professionals. The program will run from 8 am to 5 pm Eastern and will offer three hours of P.A.C.E.® credit.
Special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Trendy Elite Coaching, for their contribution to this inaugural summit.
2025 Labvocate Symposium
October 20-21, 2025 | Alexandria, VA | Virtual
The annual Labvocate Symposium (formerly called the Laboratory Legislative Symposium) gives you the chance to come together with medical laboratory professionals from six laboratory organizations and make our concerns known to Congress.
This year’s Symposium will focus on
- The RESULTS Act to reform the clinical fee rate setting and avoid disastrous cuts to laboratory reimbursement beginning January 1.
- The Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 to establish a federal grant program to increase capacity of the United States to train those with an interest in laboratory science.
You will come away from the two-day event with first-hand knowledge of the political system in action and inspiration that you can make a difference.
ASCLS Developing Professional members get free virtual attendance to the Labvocate Symposium.
This year’s event will be held October 20-21 at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia. In-person and virtual attendee options are available.
Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2)
November 14-15, 2025 | Virtual
The all-virtual Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) is designed specifically for medical laboratory professionals to help you prepare for and thrive in management roles.
Educational sessions will include:
- Bridging the Gap: Financial Literacy as a Compliance Tool in Clinical Laboratory Leadership
- Culturing the Right Candidate: How to Grow Your Laboratory Team with a Successful Interview
- Emergency Preparedness and Safety Planning in the Clinical Laboratory
- Mastering the Art of Negotiation in the Laboratory to Influence Outcomes
- Re-framing Resistance: Supporting the Work Unit Through the Lens of Relational Neuroscience
- Time Management in a Busy World
ELMC2 provides two days of virtual programming (live and streamed through December 31, 2025), 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.
Discounted group registration rates are available, $195 and under. Reach out to your management to see if they would be interested in supporting attendance, or get friends together to create a group. 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 14-15, 2025, for free. Apply by October 31.
Drinks, Dinner and (Communications) Design
October 29, 7 pm ET | Virtual
Led by ASCLS member and design expert, Sophia Chandrasekar, the ASCLS Marketing and Communications Committee invites you to join us for a fun, interactive online design night.
Sophia will guide participants through a series of creative prompts and practical strategies to help you develop fresh, effective communications materials for your next constituent society event.
You bring the dinner and drinks, we’ll bring the design! Got an upcoming event or a specific design challenge in mind? Bring your ideas and questions, we’ll have time to workshop real examples together as a group.
Ask Me Anything: Mental Health for Students and New Professionals
November 2, 7 pm ET | Virtual
Join the ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum (DPF) and Ascending Professionals Forum (APF) for a discussion about managing stress, anxiety, and depression. This Ask Me Anything will discuss learning to build coping skills, managing burnout, and identifying stressors unique to students and new professionals.
Panelists include
- Jesse Day, MHA, CHT(ACHi), MLS(ASCP)
- Ali Murphy, MHSA, MLS(ASCP)CM, caPM
- Leah Narans, MBA, MLS(ASCP)
- Kristen Pesavento, EdD, MA, MLS(ASCP)CMMBCM
- Sarah Steinberg, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM
The Developing and Ascending Professionals Forums host AMAs on a variety of career-related topics. View a playlist of previous career advice AMAs on the ASCLS YouTube channel.
CLEF Interprofessional Education (IPE) Idea Swap
November 18, 2 pm ET | Virtual
The Clinical Laboratory Educators Forum (CLEF) is hosting an interactive IPE Idea Swap for educators to share practical interprofessional education activities, swap tips, and spark collaborations across programs and disciplines.
Who should attend:
Faculty, clinical educators, program directors, preceptors, instructional designers, and anyone building or refreshing IPE experiences in the health professions.
How it works:
- Bring one IPE idea, activity, or challenge to discuss (optional but encouraged).
- If you’d like to briefly share/present an IPE idea, simply indicate this on the registration form.
- Expect rapid-fire sharing, Q&A, and resource exchange you can put to use immediately.
Why join:
Discover how your peers are implementing IPE activities and connect with educators for collaboration and resource sharing.
2026 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference
February 5-7 | Bellevue, WA | Virtual
Registration is open for the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC), which will be held February 5-7 in Bellevue, Washington. A discounted early bird registration rate is available through December 3.
CLEC is the event of the year for faculty, administrators, directors, advisers, and anyone in medical laboratory education. Reconnect with friends, make new ones, and learn from educators with the same goal to provide excellent medical laboratory education.
To provide you flexibility to participate in CLEC in the format that best fits your life, you have the option to attend CLEC either in-person at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue or virtually through the streaming device of your choice.
All educational sessions will be streamed live and recorded. Both in-person and virtual registrants will have access to all session recordings for at least 30 days after the event—about 40 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved credit—as well as additional virtual content provided in the conference app. You get to choose which sessions and events you want to attend live and which recordings you will view later when the time is right. Design a CLEC schedule that fits your work and personal life.
CLEC 2026 Scholarship Opportunity
The ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum will award four $1,000 scholarships, to be used towards travel and registration for Ascending Professionals attending the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) February 5-7, 2026, either in-person or virtually. Learn more.
Call for 2026 Joint Annual Meeting Session Proposals
Submit by November 1
The Joint Annual Meeting Steering Committee is accepting scientific session proposals for the 2026 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), to be presented June 29-July 1 in St Louis.
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.
The JAM Steering Committee is looking for proposals that cover a diverse group of topics related to medical laboratory science, such as scientific advancements, best practices, management, and professional development. 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. Submit by November 1.
Share Your Talents in the ASCLS Expert/Speaker Directory
As ASCLS leaders begin planning programs for spring meetings, now is a great time to create or update you profile in the ASCLS Expert/Speaker Directory. ASCLS’s biggest asset is its members and the wealth of expertise you bring to your work and your engagement with the Society. You can showcase that subject matter expertise and talent with the Expert/Speaker Directory on ASCLS Connect.
To be included in the directory, click on the large blue button that reads “Complete Your Expert/Speaker Profile.”
There are two key areas that require as much detail as you can provide—Expert/Speaker Bio and the Presentations and Publications sections. If you add links to your presentation or publication descriptions, make sure the links have open access so those interested can read or view your previous presentations or publications.
ASCLS leaders and constituent societies, check out this searchable database on subject matter expertise to draw on for your activities.
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.
New CE Courses Available on ASCLS Labucate
Free Certificate in Laboratory Leadership and Wellbeing
ASCLS is proud to offer the online Cultivating Laboratory Leadership and Wellbeing Certificate at no cost for all medical laboratory professionals.
This certificate features a specialized series of professional development courses designed to elevate emotional intelligence, foster a respectful workplace culture, and strengthen team collaboration in laboratory settings.
Complete the six courses at your own pace in any order. Receive a certificate of completion upon finishing all six, earn up to 12 hours of free P.A.C.E.® credit, and fulfill your ethics requirement for the BOC Credential Maintenance Program (CMP).
This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement number CDC-RFA-OE22-2202 (CFDA No. 93.322), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. This project was 100% funded with federal funds to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (NU47OE000108).
Diversity Advocacy Council Book Club
Health Care Revolt: How to Organize, Build a Health Care System, and Resuscitate Democracy―All at the Same Time
October 6-November 20
Health Care Revolt looks around the world for examples of health care systems that are effective and affordable, pictures such a system for the U.S., and creates a practical playbook for a political revolution in health care that will allow the nation to protect health while strengthening democracy.
Author Michael Fine, MD, is a family physician who served as director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Get your copy and sign up for the ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) Book Club. The book club started last week and will wrap up with a synchronous Zoom discussion on Thursday, November 20, at 7 pm ET.
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 September 26 episode, Malissa Norfolk and Miles Tompkins break down the freshly updated ASCLS Body of Knowledge, the essential roadmap of competencies and skills for today’s medical laboratory scientists. From building marketable skills and fueling passion for the profession to a surprising Waffle House detour, this episode blends professional insight with a side of fun.
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
Latest Jobs
RML Admin. Lab Director- ROPH/RUMC Laboratories (Bi-Campus)
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Laboratory Operations Director
Weland Clinical Laboratories, PC
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Medical Laboratory Technician Instructor
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Fennimore, Wisconsin
See more job openings on the ASCLS Career Center.
Local Events
Northeast Laboratory Conference 2025
October 22-23
Portland, Maine
ASCLS-Colorado Fall Seminar
October 25
Longmont, Colorado
ASCLS-Minnesota and Minnesota Society of Cytology Fall Scientific Assembly
October 30
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
ASCLS Okie-Arkie 2025
November 8
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Key Dates
Drinks, Dinner and (Communications) Design!
Virtual
October 29
Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference Regular Registration Deadline
Virtual
October 31
Ask Me Anything: Mental Health for Students and New Professionals
Virtual
November 2