Importance of Clinical Microbiologists for U.S. Healthcare Infrastructure (Clinical Practice) (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Public Health authorities have documented well the alarming rise of drug resistant bacteria, viruses and fungi. (1-3) Clinical microbiologists are the first line defense within national hospitals and reference laboratories against these emerging pathogens. They critically analyze patient specimens to identify the causative agents of disease, inform healthcare professionals on the life saving drugs needed to treat patients, and help monitor patient treatment. With regard to infectious patients, activities of clinical microbiologists can eliminate disease-causing microbes within these patients and prevent further spread of dangerous agents within society. Clinical microbiologists possess highly specialized skills that include, but are not limited to, collecting, examining and analyzing body fluids, tissues, and cells, and they require years of technical laboratory training in advanced courses in biology and chemistry to acquire these skills. (4) Originally, hospital personnel conducted clinical microbiology training, but during the 1970's and 1980's hospital programs closed as a result of enrollment shortages and rising costs in relation to profits. Today, most clinical microbiology education occurs at U.S. colleges and universities, where an individual receives certification as a "Medical Laboratory Scientist" (MLS). Unfortunately, many MLS programs have closed in the country. This paper explores the present crisis in MLS training and its ramifications for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the economics of hospitals, and the overall health of the United States, and provides resolutions for better public health policy with respect to MLS education.