Thumbs up!

Thumbs up!

Over the recent holidays, I read in one of the many books gifted by family and friends there are at least four things we can do with our hands: wring them in despair, fold them in idleness, clench them in anger, or put them to some useful task.

Although I prefer to fold mine around a good book (which some might consider idleness), it seems to me that this would be a good year to put them to a useful and upbeat task. In my case, professionally, to feature solutions to clinical laboratory problems continues to top the list.

To achieve MLOs mission (see
About MLO), we depend on people staffers, advisory board members, interviewees, and many others who are dedicated to living in the solution, not wringing their hands or clinching their fists over the problem. 

Providing information on new and updated testing products will, of course, continue the tradition of MLOs focus on positive options for the laboratory.

Investigating details on the latest equipment, designed to ease the pressures created by the current shortage of qualified lab personnel, is another way in which MLO can lend support.

Engaging knowledgeable legislative activists for example, our Congressional guest columnists in this months Washington Report offers you opportunities to participate in issues directly affecting essential components of your laboratory that determine its success.

Interviewing industry executives in our renamed interview series, Executive Forecast, ensures that MLO readers are aware of the directions in which these visionaries see the clinical laboratory industry heading, providing insight for important management decision making. 

Industry-wide meetings CLMA, ASM, and AACC put the MLO staff in your presence, one-on-one, face-to-face, where we can interact and find out upfront what immediate concerns of yours we need to address. Co-sponsoring a CLMA executive fast-track Q&A discussion each year gives us the chance to learn what issues are of utmost urgency to you.

Highlighting your needs for continuing education (CE) is addressed in our cover CE test series, and will be in MLOs planned features focused on in-house and online connections for learning.

Presenting our well-known columnists for Tips from the Clinical Experts, Liability and the Lab, and Management Q&A allows them to give detailed explanations to crucial queries from our readers.

Issuing MLOs weekly LABline brings its e-mail subscribers up-to-date information on timely and often unique topics (and if you are not yet a subscriber, put your hands to the useful task of signing up).

All of these action items mean someone, some place, some times, somehow gets his hands dirty. In this New Year, let us all make a commitment to 

• raise a hand and ask a question,
• take pen in hand to register for a CE class or sign up for an interesting meeting,
• pat someone on the back for a job well done in the lab,
• use dexterous fingers on the keyboard to type an industry-related letter or send an e-mail of support to a military MLT overseas,
• dial the phone to talk to a legislator about a significant lab issue,
• hold a young persons hand and guide him to learn about an exciting career in medical laboratory science, 
• shake hands with someone who is new to the clinical laboratory world, and
• applaud ourselves for keepin on keepin on!

No, in this New Year, twiddling our thumbs is not allowed!