Welcome to the AACC Expert Access Live Online program.

Our September topic is Responding to the Workforce Shortage The expert for this session, James T. Griffith, Ph.D., is well known, Dr, Griffith is currently online and awaiting your questions, so please submit them now.

We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to the Bayer Corporation for making this program possible.

Is the CCCLW strategic plan available online, or are copies available from one of the participating groups?
Lincoln, NE

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): The full Strategic Plan is available from any one of the participating organizations which include; ASCLS, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ASM, American Society for Microbiology FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration AAB, American Association of Bioanylists NCA, National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, NAACLS, National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences ASCP/AMS, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Associate Member Section AACC, American Association for Clinical Chemistry CLMA, Clinical laboratory Management Association ASCP/BOR, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Board of Registry ASCT, American Society for Cytotechnologists NSH, National Society for Histotechnology ASAHP, Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions ACLA, American Clinical laboratory association AGT, Association of Genetic Technologists AMT, American Medical Technologists APHL, Association of Public Health Laboratories AMP, Association for Molecular Pathology CLIAC, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee VA The Vererans Administration Or you can download it ditectly from; http://www.ascls.org/ssclp/index.htm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

Seeing that there is this workforce shortage, it seems the consulting field should be flourishing. Is it?
Washington, DC

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): Good point, in fact the consulting field is doing well , but I doubt that anyone would say that it is flourishing. The problem is that this shortage is due to a combination of factors, some of which are financial, such as laboratory reimbursement. The fact that we as an industry aren't getting payments for laboratory services that are consistent with costs means that it is difficult to have an appropriate salary structure. If the salary structure is part of the reason there isn’t an appropriate entry pressure, a given organization isn’t likely to have funds to hire a consultant. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

At the end of your presentation, you touched briefly on the Bioterrroism Preparedness Act of 2001. Are there any immediate opportunities for grants or training for laboratory personnel through this program? Is the money even trickling down to the lab?
Washington, D.C.

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): We are still trying to get the White House to release the money to make all those opportunities happen. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

In Virginia there have been several programs to encourage teachers to apply jobs in the school systems. For example, interest free mortgages. Are their any examples of this in the field of lab medicine? How are the working?
Richmond, VA

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): We are working on a federal Loan Forgiveness Program. Part of the money may come from the National Bioterrorism Preparedness Act, but more action is needed. As far as the state level is concerned, clinical laboratories are not usually as “visible” as schools and so getting state money for such programs is usually much more difficult. Virginia however may be a place to ask for it. The state has a good record in such things. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

Do you know of what creative programs are being used to improve retention?
Bangor, ME

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): Many things are being tried but they all fall into a few categories. being nicer to the science employees you have (better salary, working conditions, opportunities for advancement, etc.), trying to get someother organization’s good scientists (hiring bonuses, moving expenses, etc.) and reorganization. The third of these categories seems to be one that has some long term legs. It turns out that some of those things that were done during the “managed care” era are some of the things that turn off generation “X’ers” who want to have an opportunity for personal and professional growth and want to have a “life” outside of the lab. We “baby-boomers” were more altruistic and didn’t demand so much of that so now to get the new generation of POTENTIAL clinical laboratory professionals we may need to un-do some of those things that made us ‘meaner and leaner’. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

We are thinking about starting a signing bonus program. Do these programs require the applicant to stay for a certain period of time? Do you have any recommendations on policy?
Los Angeles, CA

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): Money is a good recruiting tool, but it won’t do everything you think it will. It will help your organization to lure applicants from competing institutions that appear to be similar to the others the applicant is considering. My advice is to be careful not to trade a recruiting dilemma for a retention dilemma. In other words, once they come to work for your organization, make sure you get to know them and what they are after and try to provide it. Money still counts and the salaries in our field are too low, but that isn’t everything. Your lab’s structure, friendliness, scientific excitement and other things may matter almost as much and should cost you NOTHING except the will to be the best around. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

We have read of hiring people from outside of the US to fill shortages in various fields. Is there any action in this area for labs? Perhaps having their VISA process fast tracked? How would you go about recruiting from overseas?
Mobile, AB

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): We are aware of recruiting efforts for U.S. clinical laboratories in the Philippines, Ireland and Germany - - and there are most likely lots of others. The German efforts have not exactly been successful since workers circumstances are usually MUCH better there including in clinical laboratories (4 wk. vacation MINIMUM, etc.) and so it is difficult to use the U.S. as a desired location - - except for the adventurous. The California recruitment efforts in the Philippines have worked better since they have U.S.-like training programs and the U.S. looks better given the usual situation there. I think the idea here is to find a relationship between your institution and some other place (non-U.S.) and work it through the ministry of labor or some other like agency in the other country as a long term project. Bear in mind that once you get employees, there will be other problems to deal with (language, housing, culture, etc.). _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

I have read recently that radiology techs have the highest vacancy rate. Any work being done to join the lab groups with the radiology groups to promote healthcare careers?
Houston, TX

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): According to my data (AHA 2001 Workforce Survey), Radiology is currently at 18% vacancy rate in U.S. hospitals and the clinical laboratory professions are at 12%. One of the things to remember here is that there are about 600,000 of us making the raw number if vacancies VERY big. That being said, the CCCLW has been in contact with radiology professional groups toward the end you suggest. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

We often find that newly graduated lab trainees are unprepared for the fast pace and volume of testing at our large institution. Do you think there is any value to approaching the administrators who oversee the educational programs that produce med techs? Ideally, I’d like to create a kind of informal “pipeline” that would funnel trainees from our local community college and university, but I’d like to see them more prepared for the “real world” experience. Any suggestions?
San Francisco, CA

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): The problem here is the expectation of “real world”. If you are the faculty of a community college or university academic program, you have an obligation to prepare your students for the world in a broad context. That your facility would be part of that context is on the educational institution’s radar screen, but often difficult to get a feel for. Most educational institutions over the past 15 years have been hearing from the real world workplace sites, “we really don’t have time for training issues, we have to get the work out” and lots of variations. This makes for a lot of guess work on the part of those faculty who have issues of their own, like affordability of their programs and their program’s costs within their institutions (usually among the most expensive). The fact that you are realizing a common problem here speaks well of your institution. My advice is to contact those institutions that you would like to have a better view of your type of work environment and try to help one another out. I assure you that while you need clinical laboratory professionals who can hit the ground running, they want to be good at what they do. We have found that in general U.S. ‘post education’ entities (hospitals, businesses, etc.) work MUCH LESS with ‘educational entities’ (technical training institutes, colleges, etc.) than in most European countries. Your attitude could help us turn the corner. Please let me know how this works out for you. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

We are thinking of using temporary laboratorians to fill in until we can fill positions with full time staff. Do you have any recommendations on training, assignments, or contracts?
Kansas City, MO

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): I think the deal here would be “how long is temporary ?” There are of course many “temp agencies” in the healthcare field and lots of them have clinical laboratory professionals to shop around. Costly but effective. Longer term would be to try to contact some local CLS or CLT academic programs to see if they have alumni that may want a change of pace (i.e. from where they are now) or older alumni that may want a part time, post-retirement position. Most academic programs keep very good alumni lists and you may even find some help at hospital-based programs. If you find someone who is a bit rusty but capable, try to work out a ‘refresher’ assessment and training at one of those local colleges. They will probably be happy to do it for some fee that is a LOT less than the loss of productivity you would have trying to retrain the person yourself or be without the slot filled at all. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

Can you point to any signs that the workforce shortage may be getting better soon? I’m looking for any positive news you could provide, because from where I stand the problem can’t get much worse.
Tampa, Fla.

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): The workforce shortage situation will get better because all these organizations are working on it. I know it sounds a bit trite and maybe even a little sappy, BUT this is the time to be a part of the professional association movement. This kind of cooperation is UNPRECEDENTED in our field and indeed IS having an effect. The passage of the National Bioterrorism Preparedness Act - - with language specifically about the importance of having a good supply of clinical laboratory professionals - - and funding to accomplish it is testimony. Now if we can only get the White House to release the approved funding. ? ? Absent these efforts, the situation could get MUCH worse, but the resolve of all of the participants will not let that happen. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

Our biggest problem areas nights and weekends. We have cut the services offered during these times and are questioning our practice of rewarding day shifts to those who are already working in our lab but prefer a 9 to 5. Any suggestions on how to staff nights and weekends?
Cleveland, OH

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): This is definitely one of those generation “X” things. The information we have is that younger people today want a quality of life that would not have been mandatory a generation ago. Frankly there is probably nothing wrong with that anyway - - I say as an American where we have the highest worker productivity in the world ( . . . thought it was Japan or Korea, didn’t you ?). This work ethic may have made us the gorilla of industrialized economies, but our children are rejecting it as a way of being. You need to find a way to have you nites & weekends fit in to someone’s “quality of life” (have a spouse who also works that shift - - police, fire, ER, etc. or ‘still going to school’ or . . ). When you have what they need, the positions will be filled - - this of course assumes that you are financially making it worth their while. Ask folks in your lab what it would take for them to work nites & weekends willingly, that may give you a starting point. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

I certainly agree with your assessment that the clinical laboratory is an invaluable component of health care, but as you also pointed out, the general image of the lab is that we are an auxiliary service. As you know, it’s difficult to generate outcomes data that accounts for all the downstream benefits that accrue from laboratory testing services. Will the CCCLW be gathering data that will help me show the hospital administrators that it is absolutely worthwhile to focus attention and resources on laboratory services?
Austin, Texas

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): The current Strategic Plan (and all subsequent versions) has some of this information in it. The CCCLW is most intent on providing resources to lab managers to make this exact case. There should be an important new addition to the material we already have as a result of the Fall 2002 meeting the CCCLW will be having. We will be meeting with representatives of the AHA and industry partners to figure out exactly how to say this and then make the preset arguments available. Beyond the fact that 75-85% of all verifiable, objective information collected on a patient coming from a clinical laboratory in the U.S. and the fact that institutions where some phenomena has cause the flow of clinical laboratory information to stop with the healthcare institution stopping 1 hour later - - there are lots of other arguments with which to make the case you want to make. We will do our best to keep this information coming in subsequent work products of the CCCLW. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

I have been approached by a colleague at another hospital to establish a program that would pool staff. For example, if they were in a desparate need, someone from my lab would "volunteer" to help them out. I am not very open to this type of situation. Any thoughts? Tucson, AZ

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): I think I’d want to have a VERY good relationship with this other institution (what they do, how they do it, etc.) before I would try this. On the other hand, if you and they are in the same geographic area and have a natural “community of interest”, then such effort at knowing one another may be very worthwhile. If the technology and culture of the two labs is such that the migrated laboratory professional would not consider that day’s assignment a punishment, you could both win and perhaps have the basis for even greater collective recruiting power. In other words if the two of you can work this out, you are probably BOTH pretty enlightened. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

How can I apply for a job in Germany?? Four weeks minimum!
San Diego, CA

James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA): Well what I said earlier was the good part, the other part is that you have to uproot yourself, learn German (they are not very tolerant of non-German speaking workers there). if you do not already speak it, and move to Germany. HOWEVER, once you do that you will find a way of thinking about healthcare that is a bit more considerate of what we call clinical laboratory professionals and their contribution to the health care team. In fact most European countries have a more liberal attitude toward “off time” and worker support than is commonly experienced in the industrialized U.S. - - I guess we aren't perfect . . . James T. Griffith, Ph.D., CLS(NCA) Chancellor Professor and Chairperson Dept. of Medical Laboratory Science University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 Tel. (508) 999-8328 FAX (508) 999-8418

Well, that wraps up this session of Expert Access Live Online. Thanks to everyone who posted a question for this month’s expert, and thanks also to our expert, Dr. James Griffith. We hope you found today’s presentation and Q&A segment to be informative and useful. The interactive portion of our program is now closed, but Dr. Griffith has kindly agreed to answer the remaining questions in queue, so check back later to see a complete Q&A transcript. This Expert Access session, and all previous sessions, are archived on our website in order to serve as a continuing source of education.

When we return on October 1, Dr. James Wittliff, MD, PhD, from the Hormone Receptor Laboratory at the Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville (Ky.), will address issues surrounding “Estrogen Mimics.” Dr. Wittliff will be online October 1 between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. Eastern time to answer your questions. Don't miss the opportunity to ask an expert about this timely and important topic.

AACC would like to again thank the Bayer Corporation for making this educational program possible.

See you in October!