WASHINGTON, DC–The College of American Pathologists is proud to join forces with a group of laboratory and health care association leaders working to identify and implement strategies to strengthen the workforce of laboratory professionals and pathologists. To address a trend of laboratory workforce shortages, a coalition of more than 20 national and regional laboratory, pathology, and other health care associations has formed to work toward building a robust, more diverse medical workforce.
“The CAP supports a variety of solutions to strengthen the workforce of laboratory professionals and pathologists, and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the Medical and Public Health Laboratory Workforce Coalition on these efforts,” said CAP President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP. “Along with this group, we will continue to advocate for health care policies across the country to alleviate pathology and clinical laboratory workforce shortages wherever they exist.”
The medical and public health laboratory workforce that underpins the US health care system is currently experiencing a personnel shortage. A significant number of laboratory professionals—experts at performing patient laboratory testing—have left the workforce due to retirement, others because of the burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of this, many accredited training programs for non-physician laboratory professionals have closed. As a result, the number of pathologists and qualified laboratory professionals has rapidly declined, and this has the potential to disrupt the delivery of high-quality patient care.
As the Coalition embarks on this new task, we welcome those interested in joining the effort to address laboratory personnel and pathologist shortages. Learn more about the Coalition at www.MPHLcoalition.org.
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About the College of American Pathologists
As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. As a 501(c)(6) membership organization, the CAP is the only entity representing pathologists with unrestricted advocacy capability and a political action committee, PathPAC. For more information, visit yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care. Read the CAP Annual Report.