There is a critical shortage of Clinical Laboratory Scientists across the U.S. According to today’s guest, there’s a nationwide gap of roughly 40% and it’s creating a national healthcare crisis that the public doesn’t quite grasp.

On this episode we talk with Dr. Rodney Rohde, a Regents’ Professor at Texas State University, and the University Distinguished Chair and Professor for Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS). Dr. Rhode helps us better understand what a Clinical Laboratory Scientist does, why they are so critical to healthcare delivery, and why it’s so important to raise awareness of the profession, as well as the risks we face due to the shortage. Dr. Rohde tells us that a big part of who he is today is because he is trying to put a face on this critical function that happens entirely in the background.

Dr. Rohde is not just an educator in academia. Throughout our conversation, and in everything he does, his goal is education. This is evident in each topic we discuss including:

• Airdropping vaccines to quell a canine rabies epidemic in Texas.
• Raising awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
• Using social media to combat misinformation (and why more scientists need to do this)

Beyond all of this, Dr. Rhode is a founding member of TIPS. He was with us from the start and continues to be one of our most impactful board members. We’re grateful for Dr. Rohde’s contribution to TIPS and are thrilled to share his story with you today.

For full show notes and links, visit https://deepdive.tips.