The New Orleans event will focus on workforce pressures, digital pathology adoption, and federal reimbursement reforms.
The 31st annual Executive War College on Diagnostics, Clinical Laboratory, and Pathology Management will convene in New Orleans from April 28–30, 2026, to address major disruptions affecting the industry, including artificial intelligence (AI), workforce challenges, and evolving federal reimbursement reforms.
The event aims to provide clinical laboratories, genetic test companies, and anatomic pathology laboratories with strategies to modernize operations for long-term sustainability. According to conference organizers, laboratory medicine is currently facing significant structural pressures from regulatory changes and technology shifts.
“Clinical laboratories are facing disruptions on multiple fronts—external regulatory scrutiny, reimbursement volatility, workforce instability, and accelerating technology that are all reshaping the ecosystem in real time,” says Ashleigh Harris, conference producer of Executive War College, in a release.
Addressing Industry Pressures
The conference features 145 expert speakers and more than 90 presentations covering a range of management and operational topics. The program is designed to help senior lab executives, administrators, and pathologists develop strategies to remain competitive.
The conference’s 145 expert speakers include:
Syed T. Hoda, MD, director of digital pathology, director of bone and soft tissue pathology, clinical professor, NYU Langone Health, will review how their organization achieved a fully digital workflow in one year that accelerated diagnostics.
Susan Van Meter, president, American Clinical Laboratory Association, will co-present with experts to discuss federal reforms, including the RESULTS Act, that could reshape reimbursement, market competition, and revenue stability.
Cory A. Roberts, MD, MBA, CEO, Sonic Healthcare, USA, will address the strategic considerations for laboratory mergers and acquisitions, as well as opportunities for laboratories to grow organically and harness emerging technologies.
Lâle White, CEO, XiFin, Inc, will discuss how AI is transforming the forces reshaping healthcare into catalysts for growth, denial reduction, and workforce efficiency.
Ted Schwab, innovator, strategist, and entrepreneur of Schwab Tremblay Solutions, LLC, will lead a discussion with technology experts who will cover the emerging technologies of automation and robotics that are transforming diagnostics and the future of the lab workforce.
“Our expert content is what differentiates Executive War College and provides true value to our attendees,” says Harris, conference producer, in a release. “The event is fine-tuned to provide real-world solutions for laboratories and pathology practices to be successful. We will navigate, propose, and present solutions for the urgent issues that continue to challenge the clinical laboratory industry.”
Focus on Digital Pathology
In addition to the main sessions, the event includes two post-conference sessions on April 30. One session is the Executive Forum on Digital Pathology Management: Scalable Implementation Strategies That Deliver Business and Operational Impact.
Christopher Garcia, MD, chair of the data strategy committee in the department of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic, will moderate the forum. The session will focus on implementation strategies that affect business and operational outcomes.
Industry organizations supporting the event include AstraZeneca, Roche, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Organizers expect maximum-capacity attendance for the 2026 gathering as lab leaders seek to navigate reimbursement reforms and other market disruptions.
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