ASCP Stands Against Healthcare Inequities

Recent legislative activity in Louisiana calls to question inequities that stretch across populations. As a membership that serves every patient population, we see all too frequently the pervasiveness of inequity of care. It is our duty as leaders in healthcare to confront and address these concerns and ensure that we are providing high quality care for all.

Equity isn’t simply critical to healthcare, it is fundamental, and it is one of the pillars upon which ASCP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative is built. Without equity, we cannot create a more equitable framework where everyone—regardless of background or circumstances—can thrive while ensuring that all individuals have access to the care they need. We strive to educate our members and provide them with the tools and resources they need to create and develop a profession that is equitable and inclusive, understanding that how we care for our members directly translates into how they care for patients. We are committed to addressing healthcare disparities in under-represented populations, with the understanding of the diseases that disproportionately impact minorities.

We infuse this commitment through all that we do, from development of content and resources to recruiting and attracting under-represented populations into the pathology and laboratory medicine workforce to supporting their training through scholarship aid. We provide our members with best practices and strategies to enhance retention of current employees through mentorship and leadership development and strive to strengthen a culture of antiracism and inclusion in pathology and laboratory medicine.

As we look forward to a new year, now is the time for us to reflect on needed changes in the profession and break down barriers by challenging the status quo. At the same time, we must be intentional about creating new strategies and opportunities that represent the change we want to see in pathology and laboratory medicine.