A consortium comprised of international laboratory professional bodies has formed to build on the success of Abbott’s Labs Are Vital program. The goals of the program remain the same: to emphasize the critical role that laboratory professionals play in improving patient care, and to raise the profile of laboratory medicine as an attractive career choice.
A new Members Board has been formed to achieve these goals. It is made up of representatives from IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine), WASPaLM (World Association of Societies of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine), ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathology), and IFBLS (International Federation for Biomedical and Laboratory Science).
Labs Are Vital was launched in 2006 as an industry initiative by Abbott and has had a significant impact, with more than 16,000 supporters around the world. It will now operate as an independent program driven by the community it serves. Abbott will continue to support Labs are Vital as a key sponsor.
Graham Beastall, IFCC President and long-term supporter of Labs Are Vital, comments: “We are committed to making Labs Are Vital a powerful voice in support of the essential contribution laboratory medicine makes to our healthcare system. Our first task has been to build a new blog, web, and social media-based home for Labs Are Vital. We anticipate that this will be the place where supporters interact with the program and each other.” Visit the Labs Are Vital website.
