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June 11, 2025
ASCP is relaunching its Leading Laboratories recognition program and opening the program to more laboratories. The Leading Laboratories designation recognizes laboratory teams for exemplary leadership, mentorship, and innovative best practices. The designation supports a positive, patient-centric mission, increasing visibility for laboratories and their vital role in a patient’s healthcare journey.
“We are expanding the program to give more laboratories the opportunity to showcase the great work they are doing to raise awareness of the laboratory community,” says Ali Brown, MD, FASCP, ASCP Chief Medical Officer. “This is a celebration of laboratories and their positive impact on patients.”
When it first launched in 2021, the Leading Laboratories program was a collaborative initiative with The Joint Commission and was only open to Joint Commission-accredited laboratories. With the relaunch, much of the content in the program remains the same, though now laboratories accredited by other providers will also be eligible to apply for the designation, according to Dr. Brown.
Leading Laboratories, developed and refined by laboratory leaders, provides a set of criteria that is designed to quantify and exhibit excellence in the areas of elevating quality outcomes, supporting professional development, cultivating trusted leadership, and promoting laboratory visibility.
This designation sets the gold standard for laboratory excellence, providing:
Public recognition of a laboratory’s meaningful achievements in improving patient outcomes
Evidence of a laboratory’s commitment to the ongoing professional development of its team
Proof of laboratory leadership’s dedication to their team and to their patients.
Torrance Memorial Medical Center, in Torrance, CA, was the first system to attain the Leading Laboratories designation. “This recognition validated the tremendous effort and dedication of our entire laboratory team — from bench techs to leads, supervisors, and managers — who work tirelessly every day to ensure quality, patient safety, and efficiency,” says Ihab Abumuhor, MS, MLS(ASCP), SBB, MSHCA, director of laboratories at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
“It significantly elevated our laboratory’s visibility both within the organization and externally. It also brought greater awareness and appreciation from the C-suite and other key stakeholders, reinforcing the critical role the laboratory plays in patient care and operational excellence,” he adds.
Internally, Torrance Memorial Medical Center leveraged the Leading Laboratories designation to celebrate its laboratory team by hosting a recognition event to which key stakeholders across the organization were invited to share in the achievement.
“We displayed signage outside the main laboratory and at each of our phlebotomy draw stations, featured it in newsletters, and highlighted it during conference presentations, laboratory inspections, tours, and advisory board meetings,” says Mr. Abumuhor.
The designation also made a real difference in recruitment, especially for hard-to-fill roles like medical laboratory scientists. It gave the laboratory a competitive edge in attracting top talent and strengthened the laboratory’s case for operational and capital investments from the C-suite.
Likewise, when laboratory leaders at Dignity Health-Glendale Memoria Health and Hospital, in Glendale, CA, embarked on the application process to gain Leading Laboratories status, they found it provided a valuable exercise in team reflection and continuous improvement, according to Ramy Moawad, MBA, CLS, director of laboratory services.
“The process required a comprehensive self-assessment across various domains—from quality and safety to leadership and collaboration,” he says. “It prompted us to look critically at our operations and brought to light areas where we were excelling, as well as a few that needed strengthening.”
“The Leading Laboratories designation underscored our laboratory’s role as a cornerstone of patient safety and care quality,” Mr. Moawad adds. “It has helped foster deeper collaboration with nursing, providers, and executive leadership. By aligning our work with the values recognized in the designation, we've been able to champion patient-centered initiatives, reduce diagnostic errors, and improve turnaround times—all of which directly impact the patient experience and outcomes.”
What has been especially encouraging is that many of his peers have reached out, expressing interest in the process and enthusiasm about pursuing the designation for their own health systems.
“The Leading Laboratories designation has set a powerful example,” Mr. Moawad adds. “We now hold ourselves to the highest standards of patient care and safety, not just for recognition, but as part of our ongoing mission.”
He encourages other laboratories to embark on seeking Leading Laboratories status. “It is more than just a badge of honor; it serves as a strategic opportunity to reflect on your laboratory’s performance, culture, and alignment with patient care goals. The process itself drives improvement and team engagement. It helps laboratories create a roadmap to excellence and reinforces a laboratory’s value within the larger health system.”
Learn more about Leading Laboratories at www.leadinglaboratories.org.
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