ACLA Statement on Expanding Access to Testing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the Trump Administration’s announcements today on expanding access to testing, ACLA President Julie Khani released the following statement:
“After scaling up to meet an unprecedented demand for testing, ACLA members have performed nearly five million tests for COVID-19. By expanding the availability of specimen collection materials, such as swabs and transport media, the actions announced by the White House today will help states take full advantage of the capacity available through the robust national network of ACLA member laboratories.
We are also encouraged by the administration’s actions to dedicate additional resources to the states and expand access in underserved communities. However, as noted in our letter to Secretary Azar last month, direct federal funding for laboratories performing COVID-19 testing is critical to meet the continued demand for testing.
Across the country, laboratories have made significant investments to expand capacity, including purchasing new platforms, retraining staff, and managing the skyrocketing cost of supplies. To continue to make these investments and expand patient access to high-quality testing in every community, laboratories will need designated resources. Without sustainable funding, we cannot achieve sustainable testing.”
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ACLA is a not-for-profit association representing the nation’s leading clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories, including national, regional, specialty, hospital, ESRD and nursing home laboratories. The clinical laboratory industry employs nearly 295,000 people directly, and generates over 117,000 additional jobs in supplier industries. Clinical laboratories are at the forefront of personalized medicine, driving diagnostic innovation and contributing more than $106 billion to the nation’s economy.
