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The NAACLS News

“Your home base for all NAACLS announcements, news and special features”

September 13, 2019 Annual Survey of Programs coming soon!

The 2019 NAACLS Annual Survey of Programs is scheduled to be sent to all program directors via email soon. Programs will have one month to complete the Annual Survey, which is required by NAACLS Standards. A preview of the questions to expect on the Annual Survey can be found here: https://naacls.org/other/annual-survey.aspx

If you are not sure we have an accurate email address for your program (you can check this on find a program on our website), please inform the correct staff person (which you can find here)

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September 4, 2019 Are You Ready for 2020?

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 8th in Chicago. Please note NAACLS can only accept 80 registrants.

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August 7, 2019 Announcing New Initial Programs from April 2019 Board Meeting.

For a full directory of program statuses and board decisions from the April 25th meeting, please click here.

MLS:

University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

MLT:

Columbia State Community College, Columbia, TN

North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, ID

Western Dakota Technical Institute, Rapid City, SD

PathA:

Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA

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July 2, 2019 Naacls Board of Directors Update: Spring 2019

By Dianne M. Cearlock, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

At the April 25, 2019 meeting of the NAACLS Board of Directors, in addition to accreditation and approval awards recommended by the RCAP and PARC, the following items were addressed:

  • Elections to Board, RCAP, PARC, and DRC positions were held. Elected to the Board of Directors for a first term were Robert Cottrell (AAPA representative) and Susanne Norris Zanto (ASCLS representative) who will succeed James Moore and Bill Hunt, respectively. Re-elected to the Board for a second term was Julie O’Sullivan Maillet (4 year Educator/Administrator). Elected to the RCAP for a first term were Jennifer Knight (MLS Educator) and Maria Torres Pillot (MLT Educator). Re-elected to the RCAP for a second term were Michelle Nelson (HT Educator) and Candy Hill (MLT Educator).  Elected to the PARC for a first term were Carlo Ledesma (Phlebotomy Educator) and Tywan Banks (Phlebotomy Educator). For the DRC, Brenda Barnes (Member at Large) and Brandy Gunsolus (DCLS alumnus) were elected for a second term.
  • Following a period for public comment, adopted was a change to Standard I.A.3 allowing secondary institutions to sponsor Phlebotomy and Clinical Assistant programs. The intention of the NAACLS Board is to adapt to education innovations in this area and foster the career ladder in the clinical laboratory sciences.
  • Following a period for public comment, adopted was a change to Standard VII.A.2 for Pathologist Assistant programs requiring program directors to complete 60 hours of continuing professional education every 3 years. The increase in required continuing professional education aligns NAACLS Standard VII.A.2 with expectations within the PA profession.

For a full directory of program statuses and board decisions from the April 25th meeting, please click here.

June 18, 2019 NAACLS Workshops Update

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!

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June 6, 2019 NAACLS Distinguished Service Award

The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) serves the public by accrediting and approving programs that prepare competent professionals in the clinical laboratory sciences. A key component of NAACLS’ mission is peer evaluation and achieving this mission depends on the commitment and professional expertise from a wide variety of volunteers. The NAACLS Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor that NAACLS confers upon volunteers that have made extraordinary contributions to NAACLS and its mission. The Distinguished Service Award was created to express the profound gratitude of NAACLS for the tireless service and immeasurable dedication contributed by these often “unsung” volunteers.

NAACLS is seeking nominations for the first ever recipient of this award. Candidates for this award must meet the following qualifications.

  • Individuals who are or have been volunteers and not salaried by the sponsoring organizations.
  • Individuals who provide(d) extraordinary service to NAACLS and its mission through a wide possible variety of volunteer activities. Examples of such activities include but are not limited to service as self-study reviewer, site visitor, review committees and Board of Directors membership, and participation on Board-appointed task forces. Also to be considered are service to health professions education or the accreditation process. Examples could include but are not limited to volunteer services to other accrediting agencies or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Proposed candidates can be emailed to nomination@naacls.org, or sent via mail to 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois, 60018. If possible, please include candidate contact information.

All nominations must be received by July 5th, 2019.

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March 29, 2019 President’s Report

By Bill Hunt, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM

Greetings! Now that we are leaving winter behind and moving into spring it’s time for some updates of the activities at NAACLS. Of the 614 programs that are Approved and Accredited by NAACLS, there are 80 new program directors which equates to a 13% turnover. Welcome aboard!

This turnover is bringing multiple issues to the fore. As many program directors move into retirement, NAACLS is in need of volunteers as Self-Study Reviewers and Site Visitors. The recruitment of new volunteers is being led by Mark Spence, the Program Approval Coordinator and Volunteer Services Manager. If you are not currently a volunteer please go to the NAACLS website https://naacls.org/Volunteers/Sign-Up-(1).aspx and fill in the form. It is the goal of NAACLS to respond and try to utilize those who fill out the application. One of the benefits of volunteering is learning how others have created their top notch programs, which are accredited or approved by NAACLS.

NAACLS continues to offer timely workshops and to plan for new ones based on frequently asked questions including the recent workshop at the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC), “The Secrets to a Super Self-Study.” The NAACLS booth at CLEC was a great success. Not only did it allow us to recruit new volunteers, the questions asked showed us of the need to support the new and current program directors. The next NAACLS workshop will be held on November 8, 2019 in Chicago. It is aimed at new program directors, experienced program directors with programs scheduled for review, and new volunteers to assist in their acclimation to the accreditation and approval processes. Information on this workshop will be featured on the NAACLS website (www.naacls.org) after May 15th.

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