Miss Serrano goes to Washington

By Daniel P. Smith

Working as a phlebotomist and processing tech at a New York hospital years ago, Elizabeth Serrano saw firsthand her work’s impact on patient diagnoses and care.

But Serrano noticed something else as well: few people understood the vital position lab workers played in the health care system. Yet more, staffing shortages plagued the profession. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, Serrano was visiting 50-60 patients during her morning rounds alone.

“Those experiences made me want to use my voice to show how important quality lab work was to the entire health care system,” says Serrano, now a second-year student in the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) graduate program at Loyola University Chicago’s Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health.

In October, Serrano got her wish when she ventured to Washington, D.C., alongside MLS program director Dr. Kristen Pesavento for two days of advocacy training and meetings with Illinois legislative offices to champion lab work. 

Embracing an advocacy opportunity

As co-president of the Illinois Constituency of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) as well as the organization’s Illinois Government Affairs Committee chair, Pesavento planned to attend the group’s annual legislative symposium in the nation’s capital. The two-day affair aims to inform legislators about lab education and highlight clinical labs’ essential role in health care.

In discussing different capstone project options with students enrolled in Loyola’s MLS program, Pesavento mentioned advocacy and noted her impending trip to D.C. Immediately intrigued given her past experiences, Serrano communicated her interest to Pesavento.

“Lab folks are often far in the background, and I saw this as a valuable opportunity to spotlight the profession’s important work,” Serrano says.

On October 23-24, Serrano accompanied Pesavento to D.C. as a student representative, the first-ever Loyola student to attend the annual ASCLS event.

Two active days in D.C.

On the symposium’s opening day, participants took part in lobbyist training, including sessions about key legislative updates as well as how to present issues to legislators and their staff members. In particular, the group focused its efforts on the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), a bill promising to protect patient access to clinical laboratory services and set Medicare reimbursement for lab services on a sustainable path.

“SALSA impacts every person in the U.S.,” says Pesavento, an assistant professor in the Parkinson School’s Department of Applied Health Sciences. “Without money going to labs, we’re going to see cuts and heightened risk of adverse health outcomes.”

The ASCLS training also included information and talking points around a proposed Senate bill designed to address pressing workforce shortages in allied health fields, including laboratory sciences. Pesavento says the nation’s lab science programs graduate approximately 3,600 students each year. However, nearly six times as many laboratorians are leaving the field each year due to retirement.

“People hear of health care shortages and their mind immediately jumps to nursing or primary care physicians, but the need for lab workers is just as critical and legislators need to understand the potential impact if this shortage persists,” Pesavento says.

On day two of the symposium, Pesavento, Serrano, and their Illinois peers traveled around Capitol Hill speaking with legislative assistants from the offices of Illinois Senators Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Sean Casten, who represents large swaths of Chicago’s west and southwest suburbs.

Defending an oft-overlooked profession

Serrano described her experience in D.C. as “eye opening.” She gained key insights to propel her interest in advocating for lab professionals and learned to speak about something she’s passionate about with clarity and authority.

“It was beyond my comfort zone, but I found I could use my voice in a powerful way,” she says.

Pesavento calls Serrano’s discovery valuable as laboratorians battle for recognition, particularly among governmental leaders. She says advocacy efforts from individuals like Serrano are necessary to ensure quality patient care prevails.

“Though so many medical decisions are based off laboratorians’ work, we still need to increase our visibility and public awareness,” Pesavento says. “One voice can be that spark to facilitate change and I hope we can continue to empower students like Elizabeth to be leaders in the field and change the way we approach health care in the future.”