The challenges confronting clinical laboratorians have never permitted practitioners to believe that they occupy an easy profession. From continually increasing training and performance standards to never-ending pricing pressures and reductions in reimbursement—and a lot in between—it seems that clinical laboratories have always faced the sorts of pressures that put other businesses, well, out of business. And then came healthcare reform.
In this difficult environment, CLP performs functions of increasing importance, providing the specialized information that laboratory professionals need to keep up with the rapidly changing tools and trends that affect their daily work. As the incoming editor of the magazine, I’m pleased to join a team that is committed to bringing together the interests of advertisers and readers in the common pursuit of improved healthcare—starting with clinical diagnostics.
Technology-oriented readers may recognize my name from previous stints as editor of IVD Technology and MX magazines, each of which contributed to my background in healthcare publishing. More recently, I served as vice president for programs with the Institute for Health Technology Studies, a research and education foundation that supported studies into the value of healthcare technologies—including a fair amount of research in the emerging areas of molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine.
I hope that my background and expertise will enable me to continue CLP’s tradition of focused service to the clinical laboratory community. But I equally expect and hope to receive constructive criticism from the CLP community. I’m sure that keeping me on my toes will be a big help in enabling CLP to satisfy the needs of a demanding and often unappreciated profession.
Steve Halasey
Chief Editor, CLP
