The NAACLS News

At the September 27, 2019 meeting of the NAACLS Board of Directors, in addition to accreditation and approval awards recommended by the Review Committee on Accredited Programs (RCAP) and the Program Approval Review Committee) PARC, the following items were addressed:

• The long-delayed Accreditation Management System (AMS) project is paused awaiting Board review of the project and its direction. A task force was appointed to review continuation of the project as well as alternative technological improvements. The task force will make recommendations to the Board.
• Minor edits to the Interim Report Guidelines were approved for clarity. The edits pertained to the summary of changes that occur with the program since the most recent award. These edits are effective immediately.
• Revisions to the DMS preamble (competencies) were adopted. These revisions help differentiate the competencies in diagnostic molecular science expected for DMS professionals as opposed to those encountered by the medical laboratory scientist. Diagnostic molecular science has had influences on the core laboratory but those technologies do not encompass all the competencies expected of a DMS.
• Approved for release for public comment were edits to Standard II.B. (Assessment/Outcomes), Standard IV.A.1.d (Publications), and Standard V.D (Operational Policies) with corresponding edits to the Standards Compliance Guide and other documents (as appropriate). Calls for 30 day periods for public comments to these proposed changes will be released by NAACLS shortly.

NAACLS is very pleased to introduce its new Board of Directors’ President, Peter Hu, PhD, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM, CG^CM, MB^CM. Dr. Hu has been involved with NAACLS since 2004 and has served NAACLS in many capacities. We are pleased to feature a Q&A with our new Board of Directors’ President:

Please provide a brief synopsis of your professional background:

I am currently Dean Ad Interim in the School of Health Professions (SHP) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.  I am also a Professor and the founding Director of the Molecular Genetic Technology and the Graduate Diagnostic Genetics Programs at MD Anderson.

I received my Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in 1990 with a major in Psychology. I later received my Master’s degree from Lamar University majoring in Microbiology and subsequently a Doctor of Philosophy from Trident University International in Healthcare Administration and Molecular Genetics.  I hold three specialty clinical certifications in Molecular Biology, Cytogenetics and Clinical Laboratory Science through the American Society for Clinical Pathology. I joined MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) in1995 and have worked in both clinical and academic environments.

Due to a new requirement by NAACLS’s recognition agency, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), our “Find a Program” page will direct the public to a Accredited/Approved program’s outcomes. We gather these links in our annual survey (coming soon) and check them throughout the year to verify they are working and contain the information required by NAACLS Standards.

The implementation time for this requirement was brief. If you have any question about your program’s current listing, please contact staff.

Will you start working on a self-study in the next year? Are you hosting a site visit, and not quite sure of the expectations?

“Seeing a Clear Vision for Your 2020 NAACLS Journey,” will guide you through the NAACLS review process from not only a program director’s perspective but also from the standpoint of a reviewer. If you are a new program director, this workshop being held on November 8, 2019, will help you become familiar with the NAACLS Standards. You’ll get a jump start on your eventual review process by gaining skills and tips on steps you can do now, that will make your job easier later.

Presented by two of our most experienced reviewers, Sally Pestana, MT(ASCP), and Cecelia W. Landin, EdD, MLS(ASCP)CMthe “Seeing a Clear Vision for Your 2020 NAACLS Journey,” gives a detailed look at our standards and review process. Our longer November workshops allow time for question and answer sessions and provide access to our presenters.

NAACLS realizes that the review process can be intimidating. With this in mind, we put a lot of work into the development of these workshops. We are confident that this workshop prepares you for the journey ahead.

You can download the materials necessary for registration here.

We hope to see you November 8^th in Chicago. Please note NAACLS can only accept 80 registrants.

By Megan Eggert, Meetings and Events Planner

NAACLS will conduct a workshop titled, “Seeing a Clear Vision for Your 2020 NAACLS Journey,” on November 8, 2019, from 7:30am-4:00pm in Chicago, IL. The workshop will include a continental breakfast and lunch.

The workshop will be presented by Sally Pestana, MT(ASCP),  and Cecelia W. Landin, EdD, MLS(ASCP)^CM.

Ms. Pestana is Director of Health Continuing Education at the University of Hawaii – Kapiolani in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was a member of the NAACLS Programs Approval Review Committee (PARC) from 2009-2017. She served as PARC Vice Chair from 2011-2014 and PARC Chair from 2014-2017. She has been a member of the Review Committee for Accredited Programs (RCAP) since 2017.

Dr. Landin is Clinical Associate Professor of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She served as a member of NAACLS’ Clinical Laboratory Sciences Programs Review Committee (CLSPRC) for four years and as a member of the Review Committee for Accredited Programs (RCAP) for four years. She served as Vice Chair of the RCAP from 2012-2013.

Upon completion of the workshop, and with the opportunity to discuss questions, the participant should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the value accreditation brings to your program and the profession.
• Recognize from both author and reviewer perspective the keys to a successful review.
• Describe each NAACLS standard and recognize potential challenges for your program.
• Utilize the Standards Compliance Guide and other NAACLS resources to write clear and complete accreditation/approval self study reports.

Please visit www.naacls.org for more information and to register. NAACLS can only accept 80 registrants for this workshop. We hope to see you in November!