Program

2025 Schedule at a Glance

All times Eastern Standard
Stay tuned for additional session information.

2025 Opening Keynote

Artificial Intelligence in the Clinical Laboratory: Leveraging Opportunities and Mitigating Risks 

Thomas Durant, MD

As automation expands in the clinical laboratory, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are becoming more prevalent. This session provides a practical overview of AI/ML, builds technological literacy, and equips laboratory leaders to make informed, strategic decisions on implementing these tools at their institutions. 

Dr. Thomas Durant is Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Biomedical Informatics & Data Science at Yale. He serves as Medical Director of Chemical Pathology and Laboratory IT Services, and Associate Director of the ACGME Chemical Pathology Fellowship. His work focuses on AI/ML, lab quality, informatics, and data-driven improvements in clinical pathology. 

2025 Plenary Session

Common Misconceptions About Laboratory Compliance 

Kim Ogren, BS, MLS(ASCP)^CM

This presentation will clarify widespread misunderstandings and help your team stay aligned with regulatory expectations. Topics include the complexity of laboratory testing, personnel qualifications, training and competency, performance verifications, and more. Join us as we uncover the most frequent misconceptions in laboratory compliance—and learn how to avoid them. 

Kim Ogren is Director of Clinical Accreditation at COLA. Since 2015, she has performed on-site surveys across diverse laboratory settings and advanced through leadership roles. She now oversees the clinical accreditation program, that includes Surveyor recruitment and training, process improvement initiatives, and applying strategic approaches to enhance Surveyor performance, laboratory collaboration, and regulatory compliance. 

2025 Closing Keynote

The Connected Leader: Three Ways to Strengthen Your Team

Susan Dawson, MBA, MLS(ASCP)

Often, we get promoted because we are exceptionally good at what we do, have successfully trained others, or have consistently gone the extra mile. Once promoted, we need to develop new skill sets and approaches to handle the day-to-day challenges that come with leadership. This session focuses on three ways for a leader, new or seasoned, to connect to and strengthen staff relations. 

Susan Dawson is a retired Laboratory Director with over 40 years of experience in laboratory science. She holds an MBA as well as an MT(ASCP) certification. She currently has a consulting business and has written a book, Growing Into Leadership: Lessons Learned Along the Way. 

Educational Sessions Preview

We invite you to explore some of the educational opportunities you will experience at the 2025 ELMC². All educational sessions will be recorded and registered attendees will have access to these recordings for 45 days after the event. Each educational session is one contact hour of P.A.C.E.^® credit. Stay tuned for additional sessions!

Bridging the Gap: Financial Literacy as a Compliance Tool in Clinical Laboratory Leadership

Presenter: Jehan Abukharmah, DHSc, CQA

Avantic Medical Laboratory

Gain insights into how financial acumen strengthens CAP/CLIA compliance, supports leadership, and drives smarter decision-making in resource-limited settings. Based on original research, this session reveals the risks of limited financial training—most leaders support integrating financial education into curricula to improve healthcare quality through stronger leadership and value-based decisions.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Budget Like a Boss: Lab Leadership Starts with the Bottom Line

Presenter: Elana Postawa, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM

Medical Laboratory Experts, LLC

This session equips emerging laboratory leaders with practical strategies to understand, manage, and influence clinical lab budgets. Attendees will learn how budgeting connects to operational success, how to communicate with finance teams, and how to use financial data to advocate for their teams and drive smarter decision-making.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Building Accountability: Creating High-Performing Lab Teams in Health Systems

Presenter: Zaid Naima, DHA, MB(ASCP)

UI Health

This session will explore how to foster a culture of accountability within clinical laboratory teams by aligning leadership, clarifying ownership, and establishing systems for performance transparency. Attendees will gain practical strategies to drive team engagement, responsibility, and results across complex healthcare environments. 

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Building a Strong Biosafety Program in the Clinical Laboratory Environment 

Presenter: Patrick Conley, MS, CBSP (ABSA), RBSO (CABs), a-IPC (CBIC) 

Merrick & Company 

This presentation will cover the biosafety principles and practices designed to help medical laboratory scientist, laboratory managers, and QA/QC personnel anticipate, recognize, control, and evaluate potential biological hazards associated with the clinical laboratory environment, diagnostic tests and processes, internal workflows, clinical and healthcare operations, equipment, and practices.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Code-Switching

Presenter: Melissa Duong, MS, PA(ASCP)^CM, ASQ CSSGB 

Penn Medicine, Chester County Hospital 

The laboratory is a highly technical space. To optimize stakeholder engagement and buy-in, laboratory leaders must leverage the power of communication via code-switching and apply systems-thinking to navigate organizational complexities.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Collaborating with University Programs: A Strategic Approach to Lab Workforce Recruitment

Presenters: Whitnee Brame, MS, MLS(ASCP) and Sonya Hidalgo, EdD, MLS(ASCP)

McNeese State University

Clinical laboratories are grappling with burnout, overtime, and compromised patient care due to understaffing. This session will outline a proactive solution: forging partnerships between clinical laboratories and accredited university programs.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Culturing the Right Candidate: How to Grow Your Laboratory Team with a Successful Interview

Presenter: Miles Tompkins, MLT(ASCP)^CM

Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma

Have you ever conducted an interview only to feel like after you were done, you really didn't know the individual any better? In this session we will look and best practices for conducting interviews that will contribute to a collaborative atmosphere and make you more confident in your hiring decisions.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Emergency Preparedness and Safety Planning in the Clinical Laboratory

Presenters: John Ko, DHSc, MLS(ASCP)^CM and Matthew Kostinas, DHSc, MHA

SSM Health St. Mary's Madison and St. Joseph's Health Paterson

This session provides laboratory professional with a framework to build and maintain a compliant and functional emergency preparedness and safety plan. Attendees will learn how to identify key team members for emergency planning, define laboratory roles in the chain of response, and implement policies that address both internal threats and broader community hazards.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Empowering Change Through a Gap Analysis

Presenter: Jeana Houseman, MHSA, DLM(ASCP)^CM

HealthPartners

Learn how a large healthcare system built a standardized laboratory quality program using a gap analysis tool to drive measurable improvements in patient safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. Attendees will be provided with a template to use for their own future laboratory assessments and improvement projects.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Mastering the Art of Negotiation in the Laboratory to Influence Outcomes

Presenter: Patty Eschliman, MHA, MLS(ASCP)^CM, DLM(ASCP)^CM

NKC Health

Virtually any relationship whether personal or professional has some degree of problem negotiation.  How you approach these conversations and building your negotiation skills is paramount to your success and will be learned in this presentation.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Navigating Change in the New Normal

Presenter: Nancy J. Lewis, MS, SHRM-CP, MLS(ASCP), SBB

Progressive Techniques, Inc.

In this fast-paced world of work, one thing is certain change will happen whether you embrace it or not. This presentation will provide you with strategies to navigate change in times of uncertainty and chaos. You will identify keys to learning how to look at change with a new perspective. Don't miss this content packed session!.

Level of Instruction: Advanced

Reagent and Supply Inventory Management in the Medical Laboratory 

Presenter: Hayley Vinchattle, BS, MLS(ASCP)^CM

Children's Hospital Colorado

Examining the value of optimal reagent and supply inventory management in a medical laboratory, unique challenges of implementation, and some tools and techniques to aid in the process will be included in this session.

Level of Instruction: Basic

Rebuilding a Competency Program for the General Laboratory

Presenter: Ally Storla, MSQA, CSSBB(ASQ), MLS(ASCP)^CM

Wellstar Health System

This presentation will discuss challenges and opportunities to meeting the demands and requirements for a CAP accredited hospital focusing on the General Laboratory. Presenter will move through the 6 required competency elements and provide interactive discussion for interpretation of this tricky topic. Focus will be on utilizing a competency program to drive process improvement initiatives.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Re-framing Resistance: Supporting the Work Unit Through the Lens of Relational Neuroscience 

Presenter: Julie Freidhoff, MS, MLS(ASCP)

SafeSpace Consulting

Learn to transform challenging or resistant employee behaviors into opportunities for connection and growth. This presentation equips you with practical, immediately usable strategies grounded in relational neuroscience. Walk away confident, calm, and ready to strengthen workplace relationships. 

Level of Instruction: Basic

Resilient Labs, Resilient Leaders: Burnout Prevention and Mental Health in Management

Presenter: Sapphire Starr Wilder, MLS(ASCP)

Burnout is one of the biggest unspoken challenges facing new lab managers today. This session introduces the STARR Method, a practical framework for building personal resilience and fostering mental wellness in high-pressure lab environments. Attendees will walk away with tools to lead with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

Level of Instruction: Basic

The Mindful Medical Laboratorian

Presenter: Kerry Toups, MS, MLS(ASCP)

Fletcher Technical Community College

Learn how the practice of mindfulness can be applied in the clinical laboratory setting to reduce errors. Topics will include "ancient wisdom" from our urinalysis analyzers, creation of your own personal maintenance plan, transition practices between work and home, mindful use of social media, and more. 

Level of Instruction: Basic

Time Management in a Busy World

Presenter: Deb Rodahl, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM

Effective time management and organizational skills are a critical asset of today’s leaders. Today’s leaders are expected to do more with less (time and money). This session will provide some simple and realistic insight on this topic as well as practical tips to employ.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Workforce in the Shadows of Healthcare: Update on the Survival Status of Laboratory Medicine & Public Health

Presenters: Rodney Rohde, PhD, SM(ASCP)^CM and Angela Tomei Robinson, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM

Texas State University and NUHealth NUMC

This talk explores the critical challenges facing lab medicine and public health professionals who remain the backbone of our healthcare system. We will share the current state of the lab workforce crisis, its impact on healthcare delivery, and why urgent action is needed. The session will highlight sustainable, long-term solutions to strengthen and protect this essential workforce for the future.

Level of Instruction: Advanced

Workplace Toxicity & The Mental Workout You Can Flex to Reduce The Hostility

Presenter: Ali Murphy, MHHA, MLS(ASCP)^CM

HealthPartners

Laboratories are known for having highly toxic workplace environments. Every person is susceptible to being the cause and recipient of workplace toxicity, intentionally or not. By integrating mindful techniques, we can change our perception of the world and reduce the emotional trauma of the day-to-day grind.

Level of Instruction: Basic