Letter to the Editor

Extract

To the Editor:

RE: Response to Fall 2014 article entitled From Technical Assistants to Critical Thinkers: From World War II to 2014 by Michelle Butina and Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach

Karen Brown, Chair of the BOC Board of Governors and I feel that the information discussed in this article may mislead readers in regards to the function, administration, and governance structure of the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC).

Ms. Brown and I want to clarify the following points concerning the ASCP BOC:

• The ASCP BOC is an independent certification agency that develops relevant standards and procedures to assure the competence of twenty categories of medical laboratory personnel. Included are not only medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians, but also phlebotomists, pathologists' assistants, histotechnologists, cytotechnologists, and numerous other laboratory professionals. The ASCP BOC is the only professional certification agency representing the entirety of the medical laboratory profession and recognized by thirteen U.S. states and territories. The international certification program, ASCP, is accepted by a number of international bodies for licensure or employment eligibility; likewise, MT(ASCP) is acceptable for licensure in the state of California.

• While maintaining a corporate relationship with ASCP for fiscal and operational purposes, the BOC has complete autonomy in all governance and credential-related activities.

• The Board of Governors (BOG) of the BOC is interprofessional and members of the BOG as well as all BOC committees represent stakeholders at all levels in the laboratory profession. The BOC BOG and its committees are not governed…