<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0za43l_0wM1qbcm00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0za43l_0wM1qbcm00" width="1200" height="800" >The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) encourages all medical laboratory professionals to take action to secure support for the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2024.The measure would add medical laboratory professionals to the National Health Service Corps and provide grants to accredited institutions to train more clinical lab staff, according to the bill's sponsor Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC). By adding medical laboratory workers to the National Health Service Corps, this bill will provide incentives for training, recruitment, and retention of clinical lab professionals that already exist for other allied health professions, stated Ross's office.Introduced on September 25, a draft of the act shows that the proposed legislation includes loan repayment provisions and requires $25 million for the first fiscal year and subsequent years.The ASCLS has endorsed the legislation. Over the decade, there are expected to be about 24,200 job openings each year, primarily due to the need to replace workers who retire or leave the field, the ASCLS said. According to the most recent data from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, approximately 4,246 students graduated from accredited medical laboratory science programs in 2022. Approximately 4,380 students graduated from medical laboratory technician/technology programs.“Federal investment in our clinical laboratory workforce is desperately needed,” stated ASCLS President Pat Tille, PhD, in an ASCLS bulletin. “Today the pool is already seriously short of what is needed and is estimated to become critical as the U.S. population ages.” The loan repayment program would include a period of obligated service for recipients in a designated health professional shortage area, according to the ASCLS.</div></body>

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ASCLS seeks support for med lab personnel act

The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) encourages all medical laboratory professionals to take action to secure support for the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2024. The measure would add medical laboratory professionals to the National Health Service Corps and provide grants to accredited institutions to train...