Episode 34: "An Unplanned Pathway to CLIA Lab Director" - Dr. Tiffany Bratton

<p>"Sitting in a workshop listening to two speakers talk about laboratory medicine sparked my interest in the profession"- Dr Tiffany Bratton<br> <br>Sharing your excitement for the laboratory profession is a great way to promote the career field as in the same way the two clinical chemists did for Dr Bratton. Having the opportunity to build a laboratory from the ground up, with its intimate look at processes and regulations, can provide a unique opportunity for laboratorians. Understanding additional concepts such as lab billing, marketing, and business development are pathways to serving in other capacities in the lab. </p><p>In this episode, Co-Host Tywauna Wilson sits down with Dr. Tiffany Bratton to discuss her journey to CLIA director for Histocompatibility and Molecular laboratories and how she has been able to support multiple laboratories as their director and help other labs get started. </p><p><strong><em>Key Topics Shared in this episode:</em></strong></p><ul> <li>What is histocompatibility, and how does one get into this space</li> <li>Recruitment and retention of personnel during the Covid-19 crisis and afterward</li> <li>How labs can prepare the pipeline for staff to promote up to different levels in the lab off the bench</li> <li>How serving as lab director provides one the opportunity to build business and entrepreneurial skills</li> </ul><p><strong>Special Guest Bio:</strong></p><p><em>Dr. Tiffany Bratton is an award-winning innovative scientific leader with focused experience in healthcare administration, business strategy, and clinical diagnostics. Dr. Bratton is board certified in clinical chemistry (DABCC) and histocompatibility (FACHI). She completed her fellowship training at one of the world’s leading research universities, Emory University. In 2012, Dr. Bratton began partnering to establish commercial molecular labs. She designed, built, validated, and accredited the laboratories as well as supported technical sales and marketing. From these experiences, Dr. Bratton learned the