Volume 79 - Fall 2001	Download

President's Report by Kathy V. Waller, PhD, CLS(NCA) President, NAACLS Board of Directors

At the September Board of Directors Meeting, the NAACLS Board approved new Essentials/Standards for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist, Clinical Laboratory Technician/Medical Laboratory Technician, and Phlebotomist programs. This action is the culmination of over two years of work by major stakeholders.

Accreditation in the United States is unique in that it is a participatory process whereby public hearings are held and representatives of professional organizations and individuals can offer comments, criticisms, and suggestions to strengthen the Essentials/Standards. The final Essentials/Standards express the majority opinion of where the profession is headed in the next several years and what should be evaluated through program accreditation.

The 2001 description of the Clinical Laboratory Science profession better reflects our scope of practice. It accurately portrays for the public what the clinical laboratory professionals do and distinguishes it from other health professions. In part, the description states, "Clinical laboratory professionals perform, develop, evaluate, correlate and assure accuracy and validity of laboratory information; direct and supervise clinical laboratory resources and operations; and collaborate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The clinical laboratory professional has diverse and multi-level functions in the areas of analysis and clinical decision-making, information management, regulatory compliance, education, and quality assurance/performance improvement wherever laboratory testing is researched, developed or performed. Clinical laboratory professionals possess skills for financial operations, marketing, and human resource management of the clinical laboratory." This description establishes the basis for a curriculum of entry-level professionals. The 2001 Essentials/Standards further delineate differences between the CLS/MT and the CLT/MLT.

There are several other changes from the Essentials that were adopted in 1995. There is no longer a requirement for an annual review of the contract with the clinical affiliate. The 2001 Essentials/Standards require that "All provisions of the agreement must be active with written documentation of the following items." The rationale behind this change was that programs had difficulty in obtaining yearly signatures, especially when the document had to be signed by the institution's legal department. The new change should assist program directors while still maintaining safeguards for students.

There is no longer a requirement for a medical director/advisor. There must be "an advisory committee composed of individuals from the community of interest (i.e., pathologists, other physicians, scientific consultants, academic professionals, administrators and other professionals who have knowledge of clinical laboratory science education)." This change gives a program the option of actively utilizing a medical director/advisor, if appropriate, or having that person serve in an advisory capacity. Moreover, an advisory committee will provide broad input to the program.

The new Essentials/Standards are available at the NAACLS website at www.naacls.org. There will be a transition period for the new Essentials/Standards over the next 12-18 months. Program directors who are currently writing their Self-Study Reports will continue under the previous Essentials. Continuing programs that are just beginning review process may choose either set.

The NAACLS Board of Directors and Programs Review Committees wish to thank all who contributed to the 2001 Essentials/Standards. Your input was invaluable. Accreditation is a voluntary process, but the criteria used must reflect the current practice field as well as future directions for the profession. Those of you who thoughtfully reviewed proposed changes (and offered changes of your own), wrote or emailed suggestions and made comments at Open Public Hearings, provided evidence for the democratic process that represents our American way of life.

Top of the News
			Attend a NAACLS Workshop
			Davidson Completes Second Term as President of NAACLS by Kathy V. Waller, PhD, CLS(NCA) President, NAACLS Board of Directors
			Examining the Costs and Benefits of Clinical Education by Barbara Jones, MHS, MT(ASCP) Member, Programs Approval Review Committee (PARC)
			Guest Column by Anthony S. Kurec, MS, DLM(ASCP) President, Clinical Laboratory Management Association
			Incorporating Management Skills Into the CLS/MT Curriculum by Vicki S. Freeman, PhD, MT(ASCP)SC Program Director, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
			Revised Standards Now Available
Features
			CEO's Corner Essentials Become Standards by Olive M. Kimball, EdD Chief Executive Officer
			Congratulations to New NAACLS Programs
			Dear Dr. NAACLS Accreditation and approval costs
			NAACLS Welcomes New Board and Committee Members by Megan Hennessy Eggert Meetings and Publicity Coordinator
			Past President's Report What's Past Is Prologue by Joeline D. Davidson, MBA, CLS(NCA) Past President, Board of Directors
			President's Report by Kathy V. Waller, PhD, CLS(NCA) President, NAACLS Board of Directors

	Select an Issue   Vol 109 - Fall 2011 Vol 108 - Summer 2011 Vol 107 - Spring 2011 Vol 106 - Volume 106 - Fall NAACLS News Vol 105 - Summer 2010 Vol 104 - Spring 2010 NAACLS News Vol 103 - Fall 2009 NAACLS News Vol 102 - Summer 2009 Vol 101 - Spring 2009 Vol 100 - Winter 2008 Vol 99 - Summer 2008 Vol 98 - Spring 2008 Vol 97 - Winter 2007 Vol 96 - Summer 2007 Vol 95 - Spring 2007 Vol 94 - Winter 2006 Vol 93 - Spring/Summer 2006 Vol 92 - Special Edition Vol 91 - Winter 2005 Vol 90 - Fall 2005 Vol 89 - Spring/Summer 2005 Vol 87 - Fall 2004 Vol 86 - Spring/Summer 2004 Vol 85 - Fall 2003 Vol 84 - Spring/Summer 2003 Vol 83 - Winter 2003 Vol 82 - Fall 2002 Vol 81 - Spring / Summer 2002 Vol 80 - Winter 2002 Vol 79 - Fall 2001 Vol 78 - Spring / Summer 2001 Vol 77 - Winter 2001 Vol 76 - Fall 2000 Vol 75 - Spring / Summer 2000 Vol 74 - Winter 2000 Vol 73 - Fall 1999 Vol 72 - Spring / Summer 1999 Vol 71 - Winter 1999 Vol 70 - Fall 1998 Vol 69 - Spring / Summer 1998 Vol 68 - Winter 1998 Vol 67 - Fall 1997 Vol 66 - Spring 1997 Vol 65 - Winter 1996 Vol 64 - Summer 1996 Vol 63 - Spring 1996 Vol 62 - Winter 1996 Vol 61 - Summer 1995 Vol 60 - Spring 1995 Vol 59 - Fall 1994 Vol 58 - Summer 1994 Vol 57 - Spring 1994 Vol 56 - Fall 1993 Vol 55 - Summer 1993 Vol 54 - Spring 1993 Vol 53 - Fall 1992 Vol 52 - Summer 1992 Vol 51 - Spring 1992 Vol 50 - Fall 1991 Vol 49 - Summer 1991 Vol 48 - Spring 1991 Vol 47 - Fall 1990 Vol 46 - Summer 1990 Vol 45 - Spring 1990 Vol 44 - Fall 1989 Vol 43 - Summer 1989 Vol 42 - Winter 1989 Vol 41 - Fall 1988 Vol 40 - April 1988 Vol 39 - December 1987 Vol 38 - September 1987 Vol 37 - Spring 1987 Vol 36 - Winter 1987 Vol 35 - October 1986 Vol 34 - November 1985 Vol 33 - November 1984 Vol 32 - July 1984 Vol 31 - November 1983 Vol 30 - November 1982 Vol 29 - November 1981 Vol 28 - December 1980 Vol 27 - August 1980 Vol 26 - September 1979 Vol 25 - August 1979 Vol 24 - June 1979 Vol 23 - February 1979 Vol 22 - October 1978 Vol 21 - July 1978 Vol 20 - April 1978 Vol 19 - October 1977 Vol 18 - July 1977 Vol 17 - April 1977 Vol 16 - February 1977 Vol 15 - November 1976 Vol 14 - September 1976 Vol 13 - June 1976 Vol 12 - December 1975 Vol 11 - October 1975 Vol 10 - August 1975 Vol 9 - July 1975 Vol 8 - June 1975 Vol 7 - April 1975 Vol 6 - February 1975 Vol 5 - December 1974 Vol 4 - November 1974 Vol 3 - September 1974 Vol 2 - August 1974 Vol 1 - June 1974