Page 2

“The Joint Commission specifically has stated that the personnel standards required by CLIA are insufficient to adequately protect patients and the public health”

Licensure continued      

e-LABorate

4.  The bill will encourage Med Techs/CLS with 4 year degrees to leave the state to find employment.  This has not been found to be the case in other licensed states, including neighboring North Dakota, which has had licensure since 1992.

5.  The bill will greatly complicate and encumber the administration of the laboratory by pathologists and laboratory administrators, and will raise challenges due to laboratory practitioners claiming greater professional autonomy.  This bill was supported by both the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). No claims of professional autonomy were included or intended.  The bill specifically addresses qualification for entry level personnel at the associate and bachelor degree level.  It does not address or make changes for laboratory directors, supervisors or technical consultants as established in CLIA.

6.  The bill will negatively impact the growing area of molecular biology by restricting the individuals who can perform this testing. 

This bill does not restrict who can perform this testing.  Certification in Molecular Pathology is one option to obtain a license, but molecular testing is included in the scope of practice of all categories of personnel licensure.

7.  Licensure will endanger the profession of histotechnology.  This bill is supported by the Minnesota Society for Histology.  We agree that there is a shortage of histology technicians, as there is a shortage of other laboratory professionals.  We want to assure that qualified individuals are hired in all categories. 

8.  The licensure bill, as written, is unnecessary due to the CLIA regulations.  We have contended all along that this bill is built on top of the CLIA regulations and that CLIA, alone, is not a sufficient level of regulation to assure quality in the laboratory.  The Joint Commission specifically has stated that the personnel standards required by CLIA are insufficient to adequately protect patients and the public health.

As a coalition, we will shortly be regrouping.  Among the items for us to consider is how to learn from the experience.  A few things that we will specifically address

include:

1. How to engage our professionals to actively advocate for this legislation with their Representatives and Senators at the capitol in St. Paul.  We were inconsistent in that regard, whereas our opposition did an excellent job of voicing their opposition to their elected officials

2. How to more effectively argue the opposition’s points as presented above. How to do a better job of working within each of our healthcare organizations.  We need to do a better job of advocating internally within the workplace to gain support.

We will continue to keep everyone apprised of the progress through the spring, summer and fall as we prepare for the 2009 legislative session.  Please send any questions and concerns to panningri@usa.redcross
.org or khansen3@fairview.org

 

I close with a quote from the late Senator Paul Wellstone.  “If we don’t fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to realize that we really don’t really stand for them.  Passion is not enough, action is required.”