Subject: Licensure
for laboratory personnel
Dear
Colleagues,
These are challenging times for laboratories and laboratorians. Finding and
keeping qualified, certified laboratory personnel is becoming more difficult
every day. Maintaining our identity in this age of rapidly evolving
technology is a constant personal challenge. ASCLS-Vermont is committed to
assuring that our profession and related laboratory professions continue to
maintain the highest level of competence possible. Establishing
appropriate education standards and requiring certification are required to
protect our scope of practice and elevate the status of our
profession.
As
you may already know, the
Given this reversal, ASCLS-Vermont would like to begin
exploring the possibility of drafting and bringing forward a bill for
professional licensure.
We
are just beginning to gather data at this time. Exchange of information as
well as input from all interested parties is a critical factor. We hope to
establish and maintain active communication with all potential licensees through
hospital distribution channels. We would like to ask the Laboratory
Directors to be the initial conduit of communication with staff about
process developments. As much as possible we plan on using e-mail to share and
to collect opinions. A variety of informational forums and discussions
will be scheduled as the process evolves.
The
number of potential licensees is a critical piece of information that we need
now. Below is a list of potential groups that could be considered for
licensure based on review of existing and proposed licensure bills from other
states. Listed are Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Laboratory
Technician, Clinical Laboratory Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Cytotechnologist, Histotechnologist and Histotechnician. Those groups that we ultimately
choose to include are, of course, yet to be determined.
Attached is a spreadsheet listing these groups. We realize that there
will be some duplication due to folks working at more that one hospital.
List any that you are aware of.
It
is also important to identify the number of individuals who are certified in
each group.
Please collect this information at your earliest
convenience and forward it to Dave McLane by April 30th, 2009.
We
do appreciate you assistance with this venture.
ASCLS-Vermont Licensure Committee
David McLane MT(ASCP)
Laboratory Director
Phone: 802-888-8341
Fax: 802-888-8225