Board of Directors Update – September 2016

(Last Updated On: )

By Dianne M. Cearlock, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

At the September 23, 2016 meeting of the NAACLS Board of Directors, in addition to accreditation and approval awards recommended by the RCAP and PARC, the Board voted to:

• Send a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) responding to the recent CMS memo directed to State CLIA Survey Agency Directors stating that an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing is the equivalent to a degree in biological sciences for purposes of performing or supervising performance of moderate and/or high complex medical laboratory testing. NAACLS joins with others in the clinical laboratory community in communicating serious concerns with the CMS memo content and its implications and requests that CMS rescind this policy. Please see the NAACLS News blog for a link to the letter sent by NAACLS.

• Approve the addition of the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) as a certification agency in addition to the BOC, AMT and NCCT for the certification benchmark for phlebotomy programs.
• Release for public comment a proposed change to Standard VII.C as it relates to the required credentials of those who serve as Clinical Liaison. The current language is restrictive and problematic particularly in small clinical sites. The proposed changes, if adopted, will enlarge the pool of qualified professionals who may serve in the Clinical Liaison capacity. The proposed language and 30-day request for public comment will appear on the NAACLS website and NAACLS News blog.
• Approve several editorial changes for the Standards, Standards Compliance Guide, and Self Study template to improve clarity. These documents as amended may be found on the NAACLS website on November 18.
• Elect officers for leadership positions on the NAACLS Board of Directors. The elected officers are:

President – Yasmen Simonian (ASCLS representative)

President-Elect  – William Hunt (ASCLS representative)

Treasurer – Peter Hu (AGT representative)

Secretary – Patricia Ellinger (ASCP representative)

Member at Large – Julie O’Sullivan Maillet (4 Year Institution Administrator)