2024 ASCP 40 Under Forty Honoree

Leah Daily-Palmer, MLS(ASCP)^CM, MEd

Leah Daily-Palmer, MLS(ASCP)^CM, MEd, is the clinical laboratory education manager for Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, WA. She has taken a leadership role in workforce development for laboratory programs to support the seven-state Providence Health and Services health care system. Her experience and innovation challenges traditional recruitment and retention strategies. Current strategies include providing guest lectures in basic science courses, paid internship programs with work contract agreements, “grow your own" workforce models, and developing laboratory career ladder opportunities. Ms. Daily-Palmer’s personal stance is: As laboratory professionals, we must determine quality solutions to address the workforce shortage or others will do this on our behalf.” She has developed curriculum for a new Advanced Laboratory Assistant position, allowing certified scientists to work at the top of their certification. She has expanded an internal phlebotomy training program to multiple distance sites in three states and has assisted with the expansion of the hospital-based MLS program. She provides resources and facilitates partnerships for caregivers completing online laboratory training programs. Ms. Daily-Palmer has attended more than 70 career promotional events and facilitated hundreds of laboratory tours. A member of ASCP and ASCLS, she has held state and regional ASCLS positions, attended Legislative Days, served on committees, and has presented at professional conferences. She has a bachelor’s from Weber State University in Clinical Laboratory Science and a master’s in Health Professional Education from Rosalind Franklin University, with an emphasis in interprofessional education. She worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist for several years before fully transitioning to professional development and laboratory medicine education.