ASCP Endorses RESULTS Act 

ASCP has joined 13 other pathology and laboratory medicine organizations in supporting the bipartisan RESULTS Act, which aims to reform the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and correct flaws in the 2014 PAMA law that led to nearly $4 billion in payment cuts. The legislation would improve data accuracy, reduce reporting burdens, stabilize Medicare rates, and prevent further cuts, with ASCP planning an upcoming Action Alert to advance its passage. Read more. 

CMS Memo Revokes Remote Review of Cytology Digital Images 

CMS issued a memorandum rescinding permission for remote review of digital cytology images without a CLIA certificate, citing a lack of statutory authority to make COVID-era flexibility permanent. While remote digital reviews remain for other pathology specialties, cytology labs will need a separate CLIA certificate for remote review within six months, and ASCP is developing an action plan in response to the policy change. Read more. 

ASCP 2025 Advocacy Sessions Empower Members to Champion Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 

ASCP’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Nov. 17–20, will highlight the Society’s advocacy efforts, offering sessions that equip members to engage in policy issues and demonstrate the laboratory’s vital role in patient care. Find out more about the advocacy-related sessions that can impact your practice. Read more.  

ASCP’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the Society’s members will be prominently featured at the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting, Nov. 17-20, in Atlanta, GA. The Annual Meeting is the perfect time to learn how ASCP represents your needs. Make it a point to attend one or more sessions that focus on the Society’s advocacy efforts on policy issues that affect your practice. These sessions will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to advocate for their profession, while also highlighting the laboratory's impact on patient care. Below are a few of the advocacy-related sessions and presentations. 

Laboratory Developed Tests: Future Directions and Lessons Learned 

Nov. 19, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST 

Presenters: Jon Genzen, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCP, and Michelle Campbell, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CMMB^CMSC^CM  

As the regulatory landscape surrounding laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) continues to evolve, this session provides a timely reflection on where we have been, lessons learned, and how to prepare for what comes next. There will be a brief overview of recent events involving LDT oversight, highlighting key milestones that have shaped the current environment. The focus will center on real-world experiences from the laboratory medicine and pathology community, and explore lessons learned across the areas of regulatory readiness and interpretation of regulation, validation, and verification processes including best practices for documentation, post-launch monitoring of LDTs, cross-functional collaboration within and external to our own institutions, strategic risk management, and increasing visibility of LDT performance and benefits.  

The session will look ahead to what the future may entail for potential LDT oversight, such as updates to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and new legislative efforts. The goal is to better answer the question: “How can we better position our laboratories for the next wave of change?”  

Public Policy Update 

November 18, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. EST 

The 2024 elections brought about a sea change in politics at the federal level, with Republicans winning the While House and both chambers of Congress. Join ASCP staff and policy experts for a discussion of federal policy regarding Medicare coverage and payment for pathology and clinical laboratory services. In addition, a panel of experts will update attendees on the recent decision in the lawsuit that successfully challenged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate laboratory developed tests and how Congress may change the landscape for these laboratory services. Lastly, learn about ASCP’s efforts to reduce the regulatory burden on the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine. 

Internship Academy: Building Internships Today to Develop the Laboratory Workforce for Tomorrow 

Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST 

Presenter: John A. Baci MBA, C-PM  

This “Path to Atlanta,” prerecorded session will focus on the new ASCP Internship Academy and show how you can develop your own program and create a supply of qualified entry level talent for your staff. The Internship Academy is designed to expand young people’s awareness about careers in the clinical laboratory. It enhances the Society’s already significant offerings to cultivate a new generation of laboratory professionals.  

The Internship Academy is directed toward high school juniors and seniors, students in STEM programs, as well as college students. The inspiration for the academy came, in part, from the career internship program Mr. Baci established in 2010 at Boston Children’s Hospital. Mr. Baci, who played a key role in developing the ASCP Internship Academy, is the senior director of the Pathology Foundation Financial Operations and Strategic Planning and chief operating officer of Children’s Hospital Pathology Foundation, Inc., part of Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), in Boston, MA.  

Pathology Workforce Poster Presentation 

Nov. 18, 12 to 12:45 p.m. EST 

Presenter: Elena Tsai, BS  

The field of pathology is undergoing both rapid change and growing strain. Advances in digital tools, including AI, are enabling pathologists to deliver diagnoses with unprecedented precision and efficiency. However, there remain regulatory, logistical, and ethical challenges to fully integrate these new technologies into everyday practice. At the same time, the profession is grappling with a significant shortage of pathologists. This supply deficit is driven by factors ranging from an aging workforce to limited visibility, and demands multi-faceted solutions     

These are some of the topics that will be addressed in this presentation, which showcases research ASCP has compiled on the pathology workforce in the United States. The research examined demographic data; supply and demand of pathologists (noting about 40 percent of practicing pathologists in the U.S. hail from other countries); and how emerging technologies are affecting the profession.    

These insights can be used to help promote visibility of the profession, strengthen recruitment for medical schools, and equip current pathologists and academics with evidence to advocate for the workforce in institutional and policy discussions.  

Lab Leaders in Action: Honoring ASCP's 2025 Laboratory Stewardship Champions 

Nov. 18, 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. EST 

ASCP’s Laboratory Stewardship Champions program (formerly Choosing Wisely Champions) celebrates influential initiatives in pathology and laboratory medicine led by pathologists, laboratory professionals, clinicians, and interdisciplinary teams. These efforts reflect a deep commitment to ASCP’s Effective Test Utilization recommendations, and exemplify best practices that are patient-centered, innovative, and transformative. This session will honor the 2025 Laboratory Stewardship Champions and highlight their inspirational work. Attendees will gain insight into how these leaders are driving meaningful change in healthcare through smarter testing and collaborative stewardship.  

New Benchmarking Platform to Enhance Laboratory Performance  
Performance and Diagnostics Insights (PDI), an innovative platform launched by ASCP, is designed to revolutionize how healthcare organizations capture clinical and anatomic pathology laboratory data to analyze and improve performance.   

PDI empowers laboratories and health systems with advanced benchmarking and quality performance insights, enabling them to measure, compare, and optimize laboratory operations, test utilization, and test quality. By providing access to aggregated and comparative analytics, PDI equips pathologists, laboratory professionals, and healthcare leaders with the actionable intelligence needed to improve clinical decision-making and ensure excellence in patient care. 

“Labs currently have a very tedious, manual process to analyze this data,” says Sachin Gupta, PhD, MBA, MT(ASCPⁱ)MB, Lean SSBB, scientific director of the ASCP Center for Quality and Patient Safety. “Moreover, benchmarking is not even available to them. Hence, labs are struggling with real-time data and getting valuable insights from their data. PDI is a tool that will benefit our members by supporting them in quality improvement.”  

PDI will enable labs to benchmark and compare their performance to other institutions. It will help demonstrate the value of the laboratory or its “downstream effect” on how it adds value to patient care by providing results in a timely manner and demonstrate to C-suite executives that the lab is a valuable asset to the institution. Finally, it will help improve patient care and patient safety.  

Check out PDI in the Exhibit Hall at the ASCP Annual Meeting! Additionally, Dr. Gupta has recorded a presentation for Path to Atlanta Pre-Recorded Session on the PDI program for the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting which is available to those registered for the conference.  

Learn more about the PDI by clicking here. 

• CMS is rescinding the remote review of cytology digital images without a CLIA certificate 

• CMS’s new policy does not impact other pathology specialties 

On September 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memorandum rescinding the remote review of digital cytology images without a CLIA certificate. ASCP has been in touch with CMS officials about the new policy. CMS staff confirmed that the rationale for the policy change is that the agency lacks the statutory authority to make permanent regulatory flexibilities it initially provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments requires “that all cytological screening be done on the premises” of a CLIA-certified laboratory. 

The policy does not impact the remote review of digital images for other pathology specialties, like surgical pathology. With the exception of cytology, CMS stated in its memo that it “will continue to exercise enforcement discretion to permit pathologists and other laboratory personnel to review digital laboratory data, digital results and digital images (“digital materials”) remotely without obtaining a separate CLIA certificate for the remote testing site, provided that the designated primary site or home base has such a certificate (using the address of the primary site) and the work being performed at the remote testing site falls within the specialties/subspecialties under the primary site’s certificate.” 

According to the memo, “Effective six months from the date of this revised memo, CMS will discontinue the temporary exercise of enforcement discretion that previously allowed remote review of cytology digital slides at locations separate from their primary CLIA-certified cytology laboratory. After that date, laboratories reviewing digital images of cytology slides at a remote location will need to obtain a separate CLIA certificate to continue reviewing cytology slides.” 

ASCP leaders are currently reviewing CMS’s new policy and are working on an action plan to address the situation. 

• New survey data suggests vacancies have lessened, though retirement rates have increased since ASCP’s 2022 survey 

The 2024 ASCP Vacancy Survey of U.S. medical laboratories has been published and is now available here. The survey reveals that although vacancy rates have declined relative to 2022, they remain elevated when compared to pre-pandemic levels. The 2024 data also show that retirement rates continue to rise: 10 out of 17 laboratory departments surveyed reported increased retirements. Among surveyed departments adapting to artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as the most common operational challenge. Despite that, respondents also expressed optimism about AI’s potential to transform laboratory workflows.   

ASCP encourages all laboratories, professional societies, laboratory educators, and policymakers to review this survey. The results underscore continuing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified laboratory professionals. The qualitative findings highlight the need for stronger advocacy for laboratory professionals, expansion of credentialing, and growth of training programs. Use these data to guide workforce planning, justify institutional investments in staffing, and support proposals for policy changes that address laboratory workforce sustainability. 

For more information on our workforce resources, please visit the ASCP workforce webpage. 

ASCP is participating as an Organizing Committee Member to ensure laboratory systems are built into financing, governance, and measurement. Priorities include quality management, reliable supply chains, maintenance plans, workforce development, and lab-forward metrics such as biopsy-to-report intervals, IHC turnaround times, proficiency testing, equipment uptime, and stock-out frequency. 

Momentum is growing on the government side. A first group of countries signed the Declaration of Support for the financing platform: Gabon, Guatemala, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. 

The high-level meeting featured opening remarks from Karen Saltser, CEO of Bloomberg Media, and remarks from Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf, President of ASCO, and Dr. Will Ngwa, Chair of the Lancet Commission on Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Felicia Knaul of UCLA moderated a panel on innovative health financing, including blended models, with Dr. Priya Agrawal of Merck, Joanne Manrique of the Center for Global Health and Development, and Dr. Tolulope Adewole of MedServe. Speakers stressed pairing development funding with technical assistance, so technology transfer delivers measurable results. A second panel featured representatives from health ministries in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Uganda’s diaspora pilot, announced at the meeting, offered a concrete test case. The model would channel voluntary remittance top-ups and matched funds into screening, diagnostics, and treatment, with public dashboards for traceability and rules that complement rather than replace government financing. The agenda emphasizes laboratory performance: shorter biopsy-to-report times, fewer stock-outs of pathology consumables, greater diagnostic throughput, and improved equipment reliability. For ASCP members, the takeaway is clear: Earlier diagnosis scales when labs are equipped and measured, and ASCP will bring a practical laboratory lens to help convert new financing into reliable, patient-centered results. 

• ASCP Seeks Exemption for $100,000 H-1B Fee for Pathologists, Laboratory Professionals 

• Several organizations are seeking exemptions from the fee for healthcare professionals 

On September 23, 2025, ASCP wrote the Trump Administration to exempt pathologists and laboratory professionals from its recently announced $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. The new fee was outlined in a September 19 proclamation restricting the ability of individuals seeking to enter the U.S. in H-1B status without paying this fee. This proclamation took effect on Sunday, September 21, 2025. 

When President Trump’s executive order was first announced there was concern that the new policy would prevent the re-admission of anyone on an existing H-1B visa into the United States who had not paid the fee.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has since clarified that the policy is currently only being applied to visas issued on or after the effective date and will not impact extensions. H-1B visas issued prior to the fee increase should be exempt from the fee. Despite the clarification, a number of major U.S. corporations have issued and are still maintaining travel warnings advising their international employees not to travel or to return if they were overseas. Some immigration attorneys are also recommending against traveling internationally due to concern about possible changes in U.S. immigration policy 

Due to the impact that the fee could have on the ability of some clinical laboratories to staff their facilities, ASCP has been working closely with other concerned stakeholders about the fee. ASCP joined a September 25 letter signed by the American Medical Association and 53 other medical specialty societies. In addition to ASCP’s exemption request, other medical and healthcare organizations, such as the American Hospital Association have urged the Trump Administration to exempt all healthcare personnel from the fee (see here). 

Several lawsuits challenging the legality of the new fee are expected, including one that was recently filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Of the nearly 400,000 H-1B applications submitted during the 2024 fiscal year, approximately 17,000 (4.2 percent) were filed on behalf of medical and healthcare professionals, with half of the applications filed on behalf of physicians. 

The American Society for Clinical Pathology urges pathologists and laboratory professionals to contact Congress in support of two bipartisan measures addressing the nation’s physician shortage: the Resident Physician Shortage Act and the Doctors in Our Borders Act. These bills would expand medical residency positions and increase visa waivers for international physicians, helping to improve patient access to care, especially in underserved areas. Read more. 

ASCP Seeks Exemption to Student Loan Limits for Pathologists and Laboratory Professionals 

ASCP is urging the federal government to exempt medical and other health professions students from new federal loan limits. They argue that the restrictions, enacted under President Trump’s budget and tax bill, could worsen workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Read more.  

Dr. Katerina Kearns Elected as Resident and Fellow Section Alternate Delegate to AMA House of Delegates 

ASCP is pleased to announce that Katerina Kearns, MD, has been elected as the Resident and Fellow Section Alternate Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates at the 2025 Annual Meeting. In this role, she will represent trainees in national policy discussions and help raise the visibility of pathology and laboratory medicine across the medical community. Read more. 

Medicare Physician and Laboratory Fee Schedules Need Reform, ASCP Argues 

ASCP submitted comments to CMS opposing proposed payment cuts in the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including a -2.5 percent efficiency adjustment and a 7 percent reduction for hospital-based services, which would heavily impact pathologists. ASCP also raised concerns about cuts to the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, warning that up to 820 test codes could be reduced by 15 percent and urged updates to PAMA’s outdated data reporting periods to reflect inflation. Read more.  

ASCP Supports Common Fellowship Application Timeline 

Several pathology subspecialties, including Hematopathology, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Forensic Pathology, and Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology, have joined the NRMP fellowship match for 2026–2027, with more subspecialties nearing eligibility. ASCP has endorsed a statement from the Association for Academic Pathology supporting a common fellowship timeline, with the goal of broad participation in a 2027 match for the 2028–2029 academic year. Read more.  

Attend ASCP 2025 in Atlanta! 

Join the medical laboratory community at the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, November 17-20. ASCP is a global leader in providing premier educational opportunities for pathologists and laboratory professionals at every stage of their careers. With expert-led sessions, attendees can build skills, access high-quality learning and learn more about advocacy efforts to benefit the laboratory and patient care. ASCP 2025 also offers valuable networking opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share perspectives with peers worldwide. Learn more. 

• ASCP strongly supports efforts to develop a common fellowship application timeline 

• Many pathology subspecialty fellowship programs’ application timelines are now in alignment

• ASCP’s opposed cuts to Medicare reimbursement for pathology, laboratory services 

• ASCP urged CMS to reimburse providers for software expenses, such as AI, algorithms, etc. 

• ASCP asked the Agency to reduce the regulatory burden of the Quality Payment Program 

On September 12, ASCP submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urging changes to its CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. ASCP opposed the agency’s proposal to impose a triennial efficiency adjustment of -2.5 percent on most physician services and a site of service payment differential that could reduce hospital-based (facility) payments by 7 percent. ASCP urged CMS to work with Congress to secure an annual update to address rising costs.  

The efficiency update would have had a significant impact on pathologists. A recent report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission identified pathologists as one of 9 medical specialties with at least 60 percent of providers furnishing 90 percent or more of their services in a facility setting.   

In addition, ASCP outlined support for a request for information on whether and how to provide reimbursement for software, such as artificial intelligence, algorithms, etc., used in the provision of medical services.   

ASCP also raised concern about the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS). In past years, Congress, which recognized serious flaws with the Agency’s payment rate setting methodology for the CLFS, has blocked CMS from cutting these payment rates. Since it is unclear whether Congress will do so again this year, ASCP urged the agency not to cut this fee schedule by the full amounts allowed under Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act.   

An estimated 820 test codes could be cut by as much as 15 percent. ASCP also urged the agency to update PAMA’s data collection and reporting periods from 2019/2020 to 2026/2027, noting that using such old data would amount to a significant cut given the amount of inflation that has occurred since 2019 is approximately 28 percent.  

Lastly, ASCP weighed in on CMS’s Quality Payment Program/Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), urging the agency to reduce the compliance burden on physicians. ASCP signaled its support for the newly developed Pathology MIPS Value Pathway but urged that reporting be incentivized rather than mandated. ASCP also joined with the AMA and other medical societies in a recent letter on the quality payment program.  

• ASCP Member Katerina Kearns, MD, has been elected by the AMA House of Delegates as the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) Alternate Delegate 

• In addition to serving as an AMA Alternate Delegate, Dr. Kearns serves as an ASCP Resident Council Member and is a Gynecologic Pathology Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital 

ASCP is proud to announce the election of Katerina Kearns, MD, as the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD)—confirmed at the 2025 AMA Annual Meeting in June. 

This endorsement reflects ASCP’s ongoing commitment to cultivating leadership within the pathology and laboratory medicine community. Dr. Kearns will represent the interests of trainees and residents in national policy discussions, helping to shape the future of medicine through her participation in the HOD. This role extends beyond the Pathology Section Council, offering a broader platform to elevate the visibility and influence of pathology and laboratory medicine across the wider medical community. 

ASCP has long been a driving force in representing pathologists’ interests at the AMA, with its delegation actively shaping discussions on critical issues such as artificial intelligence in healthcare, diagnostic integrity, and workforce sustainability. We look forward to continued collaboration with the AMA and other medical specialties to ensure that pathology remains a vital voice in healthcare. 

ASCP is urging the federal government to exempt medical students and students from other health professions from new limits on the amount of Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans they can borrow. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Education, ASCP and 27 other medical societies, universities, and hospitals banded together to urge the federal government to help address persistent health workforce shortages across rural and other underserved communities. 

In July, Congress enacted President Trump’s signature budget and tax bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which imposed major cuts and restrictions on student loan programs. The measure eliminates the GradPLUS program, used by 40 percent of medical students, and imposes limits on the amount of financial aid a student can borrow. The legislation sets a lifetime cap of $100,000 for students seeking master’s degrees and $200,000 for doctoral, medical, and professional degrees. 

Given that federal student loan programs are critical to workforce development, ASCP is concerned that the new limits could deter individuals from seeking careers as pathologists and laboratory professionals. According to the Education Data Initiative, medical school graduates exceed the loan caps, as they average about $240,000 in student loan debt. The American Association of Medical Colleges reports that the average cost of attending a private medical school is $390,848 compared to $286,454 for in-state public medical school.   

For more about changes in store for federal student loan programs, click here

The American Society for Clinical Pathology is asking pathologists and laboratory professionals to urge Congress to address a shortage of pathologists and other physicians. Pathologists and laboratory professionals are critical members of the patient care team and shortages affecting both of these professionals can impact access to the quality medical services needed to optimize patient care.    

WE need YOUR help to get Congress to enact two ASCP-supported bipartisan measures aimed at reducing the shortage of physicians in the United States and improving patient access to medical care:   

• The Resident Physician Shortage Act 

• The Doctors in our Borders Act    

According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States faces a projected physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with demand for physicians currently exceeding supply. As the population continues to age and requires more medical care, it is critical to ensure there are enough physicians to care for those who need physician services.   

The Resident Physician Shortage Act would expand the number of Medicare-supported medical residency positions by 14,000 over the next seven years. The Doctors in our Borders Act would expand the Conrad 30 program by increasing the number of waivers a state or regional commission can provide from 30 to 100.  The Conrad program allows a waiver of the J-1 visa’s two-year home residency requirement for physicians agreeing to work in rural or underserved areas. 

Click here to make your voice heard!

• Legislation reforming how Medicare pays for laboratory tests has been introduced in Congress 

• The new bill would relieve laboratories of the burden of reporting private payer payment data 

Legislation to reform the way the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) calculates clinical laboratory payment rates has been introduced in Congress. The bill seeks to address flaws in the way CMS developed its current method of establishing payment rates. Congress tasked CMS with developing payment rates that reflected the market rate for these services. 

The new legislation would relieve clinical laboratories of the burden of reporting private payer payment rates and the associated volume. Instead, CMS would use data from a “qualifying independent claims data entity” to calculate new median payment rates. Much of the old PAMA structure would remain in place, including requiring CMS to develop volume-weighted median payment rates and capping cuts at 15 percent annually.  

The measure, called the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act, was introduced by U.S. Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Scott Peters (D-CA), and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA). ASCP leaders are currently reviewing the legislation. 

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the Panel of National Pathology Leaders (PNPL) have established a new strategic partnership that underscores both organizations’ shared commitment to advancing the future of pathology and laboratory medicine by empowering leaders, fostering innovation, and enhancing patient care. 

PNPL is a national forum of pathology leaders from academic and community practices who convene to share insights, strategies, and resources including white papers, Micro Highlights, Part A Handbook for Hospital Negotiations, and the National Pathologists’ Productivity Report for addressing the most pressing challenges in the field.  

As a renowned provider of world-class education and advocacy on behalf of the entire laboratory community, ASCP is driven by its mission and commitment to providing its members with the tools they need to provide the highest quality patient care.  

Together, these two organizations can provide valuable resources and perspectives that can help pathologists and medical laboratories meet the needs of an ever-changing healthcare landscape.  

“ASCP has always firmly believed in the power of collaboration to advance the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine,” says Alexandra Brown, MD, FASCP, Interim Chief Executive Officer of ASCP. “Creating a partnership with the Panel of National Pathology Leaders allows us to expand that vision and create new space for our members to grow as leaders, exchange ideas, and drive impactful change that extends beyond the laboratory.”  

As part of this partnership, ASCP and PNPL will collaborate on several key initiatives. Through these initiatives, members of both organizations will benefit from expanded opportunities to learn, grow, and connect, whether through innovative education, leadership development, or the exchange of forward-thinking ideas that will shape the next era of pathology and patient care. 

Co-Founder and PNPL Panelist Robert Tessier notes, “ASCP and PNPL share a vision of strengthening the leadership and impact of pathology in today’s healthcare system,” adding: “By combining ASCP’s broad reach and educational resources with PNPL’s focus on innovation and collaboration, this partnership creates a powerful platform to help pathologists navigate change, explore solutions, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.” 

This collaboration reflects the shared goal of ASCP and PNPL to foster innovation and progress in pathology and laboratory medicine. As forward-looking strategies and diverse perspectives converge and leaders come together, the foundation of pathology and laboratory medicine as the cornerstone of care not only strengthens but also evolves to meet the demands of tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.  

About ASCP 
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org. Follow us on X and connect with us on Facebook. 

About PNPL 
The Panel of National Pathology Leaders (PNPL), established in 2021, brings together business leaders in pathology and laboratory medicine to advance innovation in the field and improve patient outcomes. PNPL achieves this through collaboration, focus groups on key issues such as integrative diagnostics, digital pathology and AI, peer networking teams for C-suite executives, data mining and benchmarking, and practical, hands-on resources, including toolkits and reports. To learn more, visit www.pathleaders.org, and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Learn about key updates from the past year and engage in the governance of the American Society for Clinical Pathology at the 103rd Annual Business Meeting, taking place on Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Held in conjunction with the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting (November 17–20), this session offers members an opportunity to stay informed and involved in the Society’s direction. 

Details regarding the ASCP Annual Business Meeting, including Board of Directors nominations and election information, are available here. 

ASCP is developing a strategy that focuses on expanding exposure to pathology through education pathways, enhancing recruitment and retention, integrating innovation into practice, and leveraging workforce data to inform planning. Without timely investment and strategic coordination, the pathology workforce risks a critical shortfall that could compromise diagnostic care and patient outcomes. 

“Data show that we will need approximately 3,000 more pathologists by 2037,” says Edna Garcia, MPH, ASCP Director Scientific Engagement and Research, who is overseeing the pathology workforce initiative. “We only have about 600 pathologists entering the profession each year, and that is not sufficient.”  

In support of pathology workforce development, ASCP has created two new resources which includes an infographic showing data about the current status of the pathology profession in the United States, and a four-page document titled, What does a pathologist do? These materials are designed to support pathology residency program directors, medical school course directors, and ASCP members, including Ambassadors, to share when they give presentations to medical students and students interested in going to medical school.  

The infographic presents data on the number of pathologists in the United States, compensation, and projected demand, while the accompanying four-page document offers an in-depth look at the pathologist profession.    

Building awareness of the profession  

“The goal is to introduce the field of pathology to students early on,” says Savanah Gisriel, MD, MPH, Chair of the ASCP Resident Council. “While pathology courses are incorporated into the preclinical years of medical school, many medical students already know which specialty they are choosing before they get to this point (and they may have not even known pathology was an option before deciding on a specialty). That's why we need to raise visibility of pathology earlier, such as during undergraduate education or even high school."    

The workforce shortage has become critical in recent years. Baby boomers are retiring, there are ongoing supply deficits of individuals entering the profession, and limited public visibility, according to Anna Owczarczyk, MD, PhD, FASCP, Chair-elect of the ASCP Pathology Council. “Many of us acutely feel the short staffing in our day-to-day jobs. Young learners need to be made aware of the phenomenal opportunities in our field. Pathology no longer wants to be the “hidden gem” within medicine!”  

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects a 7 percent decline in the supply of pathologists and a 16-percent increase in demand by 2037. Rural areas are predicted to have only 20 percent supply adequacy. Although the number of pathology resident placements per year has fluctuated, it consistently hovers around 600—far below the projected demand of 700 to 840 additional pathologists in the near future.  

Meanwhile, rapid technological advancements are reshaping diagnostic practice, requiring pathologists to be adaptive and forward looking.  

Next steps  

“It all boils down to awareness of the profession,” Dr. Owczarczyk explains. “There is a common misconception that pathologists do not interact with patients,” she adds. “Our resources seek to dispel these misconceptions and make the public aware of the vital contributions that pathologists make in health care.”  

“The pathology workforce faces challenges that are distinct from the laboratory professional workforce,” says ASCP Interim CEO Ali Brown, MD, FASCP. “ASCP’s Blueprint for Action outlines targeted interventions for medical laboratory professionals, many of which are relevant to pathologists. However, a dedicated, data-driven strategy tailored specifically to pathology is essential to ensure a sustainable, diverse, and well-trained pathologist workforce.”  

Learn more about ASCP’s workforce initiatives here. 

ASCP members have identified their top 10 concerns within each of their professions, according to the results of the annual ASCP Hot Topics membership survey.    

The leaders of the ASCP Pathologist Council and the ASCP Resident Council recently talked about which concerns to prioritize and how they will address them.   

"We were pleased to get such a strong response from our members, and I know that the Resident Council, under the leadership of our incoming chair, will be tackling these issues in the coming year,” says Savanah D. Gisriel, MD, MPH , FASCP, Resident Council Chair. “The ASCP Resident Council's main goal is to amplify the voices of pathology residents and fellows. The best way for us to do that is by understanding their concerns and advocating for positive changes in our profession.” 

Resident Council concerns 

Top concerns among residents and fellows are job searches, salary benchmarks, and contract negotiations.   

Sri Bharathi Kavuri, MD, Chair-elect of the Resident Council, says the council is gearing up to address some of these issues in the coming year. “The top priorities are very clear. As a freshly graduated fellow navigating my own first job contract right now, I completely understand how overwhelming and important these steps can feel,” she says.   

To kick things off, the Resident Council will co-host a roundtable with the Pathologist Council in September, titled Navigating Your Career as a New-in-Practice Pathologist. The panelists, all of whom have recently made this transition, will share practical advice and lessons learned.   

Also in collaboration with the Pathologist Council, the Resident Council will be developing a “New in Practice” toolkit, covering everything from job transitions and contract guidance to CME maintenance for medical licenses.   

Another area of focus will be laboratory directorship, a much-overlooked skill that nearly every pathologist will need early in their career, according to Dr. Kavuri. “We hope to continue our Ask Me Anything sessions on the Resident Council community page in the ASCP Communities, giving residents a chance to connect directly with peers and mentors.”  

Later, the Council will address professional growth, including public speaking and teaching skills. The Resident Council has a full agenda in the year ahead so keep an eye on announcements via social media and the online community.  

Hot topics for pathologists 

Pathologists want to stay on top of advances in pathology and subspecialty areas as well as new research. Each year, the Pathologist Council develops a set of SMART goals, which means specific, measurable, achievable and relevant. “One of our SMART goals this past year evolved around creating educational content for pathologists, and to help them stay abreast of new developments,” says Pathologist Council Chair-elect Anna Owczarczyk, MD, PhD, FASCP. “The Pathologist Council, in collaboration with the Resident Council, is creating content for social media dissemination which will target individual pathology subspecialties. 

Another topic to address is leveraging digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice. The Council is hosting a roundtable on this topic for early February 2026, featuring a panel of digital pathology/AI experts.  

“We knew, as a group, that is important and the survey results indicate that as well. We cannot ignore AI. It is already here, and there are a lot of health institutions that are already using it. We need to embrace it to make our ever increasing workload more efficient and manageable,” Dr. Owczarczyk says. 

She emphasized that the results of the Hot Topics survey give the Pathologist council mission and purpose. “We are not undertaking these projects just for ourselves, but for our members who have indicated these are critical topics in their professions that really need to be addressed,” she says. 

For example, in the previous year, many of the identified hot topics revolved around matters critical to those who are early in their practices. This led to the council’s work on the “New in Practice” toolkit which they hope will go live soon. 

Watch for updates from the Pathologist Council and the Resident Council on social media and the ASCP Online Communities!