Laboratory Genetic Counselors to the Rescue
Speaker:
Michael Astion, MD, PhD, Paige Haas, PhD, MS, LCGC, Darci Sternen, MS, CGC , Creator and Co-Founder, PLUGS, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington; Laboratory Genetic Counselor, Seattle Children’s Hospital; Laboratory Genetic Counselor, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Contact Hours:
1.0
Date:
January 29, 2026 - January 31, 2027
Description:
"Dr. Mike Astion talks with Paige Haas and Darci Sternen, Laboratory Genetic Counselors at Seattle Childrens Hospital. Their conversation covers a number of topics, including differentiating the role of lab genetic counselor from clinic-based genetic counselor. They also discuss laboratory stewardship strategies to reduce low-value testing and approaches for obtaining optimal genetic testing while minimizing test denials.
Learning Objectives:
- Compare and contrast the roles of laboratory genetic counselors and clinic-based genetic counselors.
- Describe three laboratory genetic counseling strategies or tactics to expand access to optimal testing, using examples from inherited disease testing.
- Give one example of how cross-institution knowledge sharing improves laboratory genetic counseling practice.