Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science

Report to: ASCLS House of Delegates

Report of: Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science

Submitted for: ASCLS Annual Meeting

Prepared by: Joanna Ellis, President of TACLS

Date: 06/20/14

Texas Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference at Austin Community College in Austin: 9/13/13

Items Discussed:

  • Reduction of college credit hours for degrees as mandated by Texas legislation
  • Soft skills and the flipped classroom
  • Upcoming events in ASCLS and ASCP
  • Finding funding for instrumentation and research
  • Clickers in the classroom

TACLS Summer Study Session at Austin Community College in Austin: 9/14/13

Items Discussed:

  • Developed charges for different committee chairs to be officially instated at the Fall Board Meeting
  • Membership Chair Charges
  • Create an email list of lab managers in Texas. (ask all chairs of MLS and MLT departments to supply clinical affiliates list and make calls asking for emails.)
  • Coordinate TACLS meet-ups in 2 cities for all lapsed members as well as local members
  • Coordinate and follow-up with the TACLS Test-Drive
  • Student Forum Charges
  • Choose a project of your own or assist the Membership committee in compiling a lab manager's email list. Stephen Garcia is the Membership committee chair.
  • Make at least 1 visit to an MLT/MLS program in your area or a hospital lab in your area. Tell them about the Annual Meeting, benefits of Membership, and the Student Bowl (if you visit a school)
  • Update the Facebook page with dates of meetings, job opportunities you hear about, and interesting articles.
  • Student Bowl Committee Charges
  • Update student bowl games using TX CLEC questions.
  • Ask each team to come up with 3 ten point questions and 2 twenty point questions in an area of their choosing.
  • Coordinate a question swap with Sheila Gibbons of
  • Education Committee Charges
  • Work with webmaster to get the scholarship application online by early January
  • Assist the Student Bowl Chair with compiling student bowl questions and coordinating the student bowl at the Annual Meeting in Corpus Christi, March 19-22.
  • Nominations Committee Charges
  • Work with webmaster to get the nominations and elections online
  • Website Committee Charges
  • Redesign and move the website from Earthlink to Bluehost by October 15th.
  • Public Relations Committee Charges
  • Contact pathologists and members of the Texas Society of Pathologists to inform them about Licensure
  • Contact the Governor’s office to get a Declaration during Lab Week.
  • Licensure efforts during the Sunset Advisory Commission review in the Texas Legislature.
  • TACLS Annual Meeting in Corpus Christi, March 19-22, 2014
  • Scheduled Fall Board Meeting for October 19, 2014 in San Marcos, TX

TACLS Board Meeting, January 18,2014 teleconference

Items Discussed:

  • TACLS on the Bay Annual Meeting
  • Student Bowl
  • Future TACLS Annual Meeting options
  • TACLS Meet-up in El Paso
  • ASCLS Membership benefit for those that pass certification

TACLS and Texas Society of Pathologists Meeting, January 18, 2014

Items Discussed:

  • Texas licensure for laboratory professionals
  • Grandfather clause
  • Categorical certification
  • Physician office labs will not be exempt

TACLS and Sunset Commission, January 11, 2014

Items Discussed:

  • CLIA regulation and sanctions in Texas
  • Our efforts to collaborate with THA, TMA, TSP, DSHS, and CPL
  • Sunset review process

February 2014 Committee Updates:

Student Forum

  • Visited 3 labs in the Waco area promoting ASCLS and TACLS
  • Visited Texas State University to promote the TACLS Annual Meeting and Membership
  • Currently working on a membership pamphlet to put in lab break rooms
  • Currently designing t-shirts to sell at the Annual Meeting

Membership

  • Currently comprising a list of MLS/MLT Program Chairs to send a request for the emails of their clinical affiliates so that we get emails that can be disseminated to working laboratory professionals
  • Generated an email that will be sent to the MLS/MLT directors.
  • Discussing a “With your help” to inspire lapsed members and those working in the lab we haven’t reached yet.

Governance/Legislative

  • Meeting to discuss Sunset strategies for licensure
  • Sunset Meeting
  • TSP meeting

Education

  • Scholarship applications were sent out with an option to submit them online through the website in an attempt to get more submissions
  • Currently attempting to collaborate with Illinois in a Student Bowl question swap

TACLS on the Bay Annual Meeting: March 19-22, 2014

  • Attendees
  • 101 Students
  • 62 Professionals
  • 2 Institutional badges
  • Meeting Profit
  • $10000
  • Topics Discussed
  • Future TACLS Annual Meetings:
  • 2015: Houston
  • 2016: San Antonio
  • 2017: El Paso
  • 2018: Lubbock
  • 2019: Corpus Christi
  • Continuation of previously assigned committee charges and progress updates

NMLPW Outreach

President created educational YouTube video to be distributed: 4/18/14

  • Posted YouTube video on the Facebook pages of 254 Texas Newspapers
  • Posted in LinkedIn and TACLS, ASCLS, ASCP FB pages
  • Public Relations Chair sent emails to 30 major Texas newspaper editors with an article regarding Lab Week and a link to the educational video.
  • Public Relations Chair sent the educational video to 3 central Texas television stations

Government Action Committee Meeting with lobbyists: May 20, 2014

  • Strategic plan developed for Sunset Commission report and testimony
  • Licensure petition created
  • 405 signatures as of 6/20/14
  • Facebook Calls to Action
  • Posted petition on TACLS FB page and Texas Licensure FB page
  • Posted petition on FB pages of 165 newspapers in Texas
  • Call to Action (comment on Sunset Staff Report and sign petition) sent to all members
  • Call to Action and request for re-joining sent to all lapsed members

Member meetings with Legislators regarding licensure: June 19, 2014

Member testimony at Sunset Commission Public Hearings on de-regulation recommendations: June 25, 2014