PLENARY SESSION

Co-Organized with AMP

Wednesday, August 25 | 11:45 AM-12:45 PM

11:55 am Panel Introduction
Burke Tara Burke, PhD, Senior Director, Public Policy & Advocacy, Association for Molecular Pathology

12:00 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Lessons Learned About COVID-19 TESTING and Recommendations for Future Emerging Outbreaks: Advocacy, Education and Clinical Practice
Co-Organized with the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP)
Moderator:
Antonia R. Sepulveda, PhD, Ralph E. Lowey Professor of Oncology, Pathology, George Washington University; Current President, AMP
Since the beginning of the pandemic, AMP has monitored and assessed the impacts to clinical practice, regulation, and reimbursement on molecular laboratories and worked to support the needs of the laboratory community in navigating the challenges. Despite the ramping up of vaccinations, the spread of variants is of concern and testing remains a key aspect of the pandemic. Continued adjustments by clinical laboratories are needed to meet ever-evolving challenges. Clinical laboratories continue their work on the front lines to monitor and respond to changing testing needs, highlighting their importance in supporting the worldwide pandemic response. Looking to the future, addressing shortfalls within testing supply chains and staffing will help to ensure all clinical laboratory testing can be performed in a timely manner in future pandemics. During this session, the AMP leaders will discuss:

An overview of the COVID-19 pandemic to date: A laboratory perspective
Evolving utility of testing: PCR vs. antigen vs. serology vs. whole genome sequencing
Variant identification and reporting
Recommendations for future pandemics

Panelists:
Jordan S. Laser, MD, Medical Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; LIJMC; Associate Medical Director, Core Laboratories; Director, Division of Near Patient Testing, Northwell Health; Associate Professor, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Donna M. Wolk, MHA, PhD, D(ABMM), Division Director, Molecular and Microbial Diagnostics and Development, Diagnostic Medicine Institute, Laboratory Medicine, Geisinger
Erin H. Graf, PhD, D(ABMM), Director, Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic