Looking Ahead to the Next 100 Years

We recently wrapped up the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 2022 Annual Meeting and, in addition to world-class education sessions and a wealth of networking opportunities, we celebrated the ASCP’s 100-year anniversary. After more than a year of planning, the energy at the annual meeting was palpable. Attendees came together like never before and everyone left with a sense of inspiration – ready to tackle the next 100 years of research and innovation to change the face of pathology, laboratory medicine, and healthcare overall.

If the past century has shown us anything, it is that innovation and dedication are, and must continue to be, a constant if we want to grow as a profession and further our influence on healthcare. Fostering change for the betterment of patients isn’t just a nice thing to do; it’s vital to our future. What’s more, it is imperative that the laboratory leads the way for change. As pathologists and medical laboratory scientists, we touch just about every patient’s healthcare journey – and that alone means we have an enormous amount of responsibility when it comes to providing safe, high-quality care. Without the knowledge and skills of the laboratory workforce, patients and their healthcare providers would be at a loss when making medical decisions. Diagnoses are meaningless without the information the laboratory provides, which ultimately enhances care for the patient.

As we look toward the next year, or decade, or beyond, it’s exciting to think about the change we will see within the profession. We strive to raise the laboratory’s visibility and will continue to do so through partnerships with outside organizations and by enabling the committees we’ve established to help ensure the sustainability of the laboratory workforce. We continue to build on our foundational blocks and lay new ones for future growth. The opportunities for the laboratory to step forward and strengthen its presence in a patient’s healthcare journey are immeasurable; harnessing that power and directing it where it will do the most good requires our guidance and foresight.

In preparation for our annual meeting and the 100th anniversary celebration, it was remarkable to look back and see just how much pathology and laboratory medicine have advanced. Knowing that it was just the beginning fills us with a desire to do even more. Though our celebratory 100th year will end on December 31, the work ASCP does for the laboratory community will never stop.