Ready … Set … Sequester …
As almost everyone knows by now, the Sequester—the $85 billion in across-the-board automatic spending cuts in federal spending—went into effect on March 1. These cuts will affect every sector of the economy, and health care is no exception. While many elected officials in Washington, D.C., have stated publicly they do not support the cuts, Congress does not appear to be poised to reverse these cuts at this time. Many U.S. House Republicans have indicated they are reluctant to reverse the cuts, even if they impose harsh cuts in defense spending. Read more

Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are investing $14 billion to expand their healthcare facilities, including medical laboratories, to improve the quality of health care. Concurrently, the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) is making gains to promote international certification of laboratory professionals in these countries. Read more

One student in the histotechnology program at the University of Texas in Houston was close to withdrawing from his studies when he received a Siemens–ASCP scholarship for $1,000. Those funds kept him in the program until graduation. Another student had changed from a full-time to a part-time job as a medical laboratory technician. Three months into the histotechnology program, the employer laid off the student. Fortunately, the student had just received the $1,000 Siemens–ASCP scholarship and had a financial buffer to find another part-time job. Read more

The latest scientific innovations in molecular diagnostics, genomics, pathology informatics, and appropriate test utilization are among the topics that will be in the spotlight at the 2013 ASCP Annual Meeting, Sept. 18-21, in Chicago. Read more