AACC (formerly known as the American Association for Clinical Chemistry) is a global

scientific society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

dedicated to

clinical laboratory science Health technology is defined by the World Health Organization as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of liv ...

and its application to healthcare. AACC's current president is Carmen Wiley, PhD, and the association headquarters are located in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

(United States).

AACC Members

AACC's approximately 8,000 members come from all areas of lab medicine—clinical and research laboratories, diagnostic companies, government agencies, original equipment manufacturers, and more. Collectively they develop and run lab tests and lab instruments used throughout healthcare. They also manage labs, conduct research involving biomarkers, and promote accurate diagnostic testing. AACC represents the diverse interests of a global lab community: its members come from 110 countries and hold the spectrum of lab-related professional degrees, certifications, and credentials.

AACC Annual Scientific Meeting

AACC holds several scientific conferences each year, the largest of which is the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo. First held in 1949, this educational meeting and technology exposition is an event in the field of laboratory medicine, attracting an average of 20,000 participants.

Clinical Chemistry

AACC's journal is a journal of clinical laboratory science.

The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine

Launched by AACC in 2016, it is an international, peer-reviewed publication.

Clinical Laboratory News

Published since 1975.

Lab Tests Online

Lab Tests Online is a

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

, patient-centered web resource focused on clinical laboratory testing. It is a resource to help patients and their caregivers better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine medical care as well as the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases.

Controversy

At the 68th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting in 2016,

Elizabeth Holmes Elizabeth Anne Holmes (born February 3, 1984) is an American convicted fraudster and former biotechnology entrepreneur. In 2003, Holmes founded and was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Theranos, a now-defunct health technology company that ...

, CEO and founder of

Theranos Theranos Inc. () was an American privately held corporation that was touted as a breakthrough health technology company. Founded in 2003 by then 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos raised more than US$700 million from venture capitalists and ...

, spoke at what AACC described as a “special session.” Holmes, who the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer M ...

(CMS) had recently banned from owning, operating or directing a blood testing service for a period of two years, was invited to present scientific data on her company's much discussed Edison device. Instead, Holmes took the opportunity to unveil a new product dubbed miniLab. Several people on the Theranos scientific advisory board were members of the association.

COVID-19 pandemic

AACC members who are frontline laboratory specialists also encounter significant challenges in carrying out such studies. Lack of product selection and research materials as well as

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...

, known as PPE, are the most important of these barriers. In recognition of these obstacles to optimizing research ability, AACC sent a letter to the Coronavirus Task Force advising the Task Force and White House to minimize supply chain issues, and to identify and organize tools such that doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel and other healthcare staff may do their jobs. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) has produced instructional videos demonstrating

serology Serology is the scientific study of Serum (blood), serum and other body fluids. In practice, the term usually refers to the medical diagnosis, diagnostic identification of Antibody, antibodies in the serum. Such antibodies are typically formed in r ...

, treatment of

polymerase chain reaction The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) t ...

(PCR), and more through research in the spotlight during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

References

{{authority control Scientific organizations established in 1948 Chemistry societies Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C. 1948 establishments in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1948