By Max Reiboldt
CPA, Managing Partner/CEO, The Coker Group
11/11/08

In the wake of the economic crisis facing America today, it seems that people are learning how to do more with less. We are stretching our dollar just a bit further by cutting coupons or buying things only when they are on sale, we are utilizing mass transportation rather than driving our Suburban to the office to help cut down on our household costs, and we are spending weekends at home rather than taking those trips we had considered just a few months ago.

Clinical labs are also learning how to do more with less these days. Unfortunately for the industry, however, it hasn’t just been the past month that they have been feeling a squeeze. Lab personnel shortages have been increasing over the past 10 years and are now at a critical juncture. As seen below, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ), employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, faster than the average for all occupations.

The BLS states that job opportunities are expected to be excellent in the future because the number of job openings will continue to exceed the number of job seekers. They go on to note that although significant, job growth will not be the only source of opportunities. As in most occupations, many additional openings will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or stop working for some other reason.2

While the BLS approaches the state of affairs as a positive, noting the plethora of open positions within the field, the situation is actually quite dire to those within the industry. Suddenly there are not enough people to go around, and organizations are forced to reassess how their lab will function. One consequence is the inability to staff the lab at capacity at all times during the day. Third shift is being done away with in many hospitals, or is being forced to run with only a skeleton crew; there are simply not enough people to perform the necessary tasks. Another consequence is a delay in test reporting. Some tests that had previously been run every day are now being batched and run every other day . As a result, physicians must wait longer for the results of the tests they order. Patient care is then also prolonged, as physicians must wait for the results before they can decide and act on the appropriate course of treatment. It is estimated that between 70 and 85 percent of a physician's medical decision about a patient is a direct result of information obtained from the laboratory.3 With that in mind, the importance of timely and accurate reporting of lab tests cannot be understated, yet there are not enough personnel to ensure this occurs.

One major cause of this labor shortage is the decline in medical technology programs. There was a 39 percent decline in the number of medical technology programs from 1993 to 2003.4

According to the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, there are currently only 222 Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist and 202 Clinical Laboratory Technician/Medical Laboratory Technician programs throughout the United States . This decline in programs has led to a corresponding decline in the number of certified medical technologists. From 1990 to 2003, there was a 37 percent decline in the number of people within this profession.5 With a limited through-put in terms of graduates, there is bound to be a personnel shortage, and this is only further exacerbated over time. While we have seen this coming since 1990, we are truly feeling the effects today.

Another major cause of this shortage is the exodus of Baby Boomers from the workforce. By 2015, the Baby Boom population will reach 77 million. The Census Bureau predicts the nation will have more than 1 million centenarians in 2050, up from 71,000 in 2005. These Baby Boomers are starting to retire from their places of employment, with no exception to those in the health care field. Not only are there less technologists and technicians, but also in keeping with the previous point, there are also fewer professors to teach the medical technology courses. It’s no wonder then why programs are having to close down, and why there are less graduates now than ever before. And based on the vastness of the Baby Boom population, we should all be aware that this shortage has the potential to grow exponentially in the coming years as they begin to leave the industry in large numbers.

While it seems that everyone is required to do more with less these days, the clinical laboratory industry is being hit particularly hard. While we can hope for an end to our economic woes, hope alone will not cure what ails the lab industry in terms of personnel shortages. Without an increase in the number of certified medical technology employees, an increase in the number of medical technology programs, and greater awareness of the issue, the necessary change will not occur. While physician and nursing shortages have been publically touted for quite some time, the same fervor has not been associated with the clinical lab personnel shortage. Now is the time for this to change.

1 Source data taken from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm

2 Ibid.

3 http://www.naacls.org/news/naacls-news/archives.asp?article_id=785; http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=21223&fID=345

4 Dr. Thomas Tiffany , Associates Medical Laboratory, Spokane , Washington . Data taken from http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=21223&fID=345

5 Ibid.

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