Show notes

1. Workforce First
We begin by tackling the workforce crisis in the clinical lab world: new data show 1 in 4 healthcare workers are considering leaving the industry — and our labs are not immune. What does that mean for QC, turnaround times, validation, and staffing resilience? We walk through actionable steps labs can take today — from cross-training to automation prioritization and career ladder improvements.

2. AI Governance Gaps
Next: why AI is being adopted everywhere but few labs are ready. We reference CAP’s AI Committee and its charge to “create and maintain an AI strategy” for laboratories and pathology practice.
We present our LabReflex 5-Step AI Governance Framework, aligned with CAP principles, to help labs build their own strategy. That includes inventory, risk-tiering, validation, monitoring, and policy. We highlight how labs can lead rather than react.

3. AI Diagnostic Wins
Moving from risk to opportunity: we showcase emerging successes in lab AI. For example, machine-learning models predicting urine culture outcomes and digital pathology classifiers like bone marrow smear AI. These are tangible signs the lab of the future is here — and we map out how labs can pilot or prepare for these technologies, not just watch them.

4. Infectious Disease Alerts
Finally, we cover the pressing lab-relevant outbreaks and infectious signals: the first U.S. human case of a novel bird flu strain (H5N5), a significant measles resurgence (highest U.S. annual case-count in decades), and a backdrop of a severe influenza season. For each, we break down what labs should be doing: specimen routing, surge workflows, assay verification, TAT planning, and public‐health coordination.

Wrapping Up
We conclude by tying all four themes together — workforce + governance + innovation + outbreak readiness — showing how they converge on the lab’s mission: remain resilient, lead innovation, and ensure patient safety in turbulent times.

Key Resource Links

• CAP Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee – charge & strategy: CAP AI Committee - College of American Pathologists
• CAP AI in Pathology Resources – deep dive, webinars, review series: CAP AI in Pathology - College of American Pathologists