Greenville Reporter

Heather Duncan, the director of laboratory services at ECU Health Medical Center, has played a significant role in advocating for rural healthcare through her involvement with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC). Originally aspiring to be a dermatologist, Duncan shifted her focus after discovering a medical technologist program that aligned with her interests in biology and science. She has been with ECU Health for six years and is concluding her four-year term with CLIAC.

CLIAC provides guidance to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The committee focuses on improving clinical laboratory quality and laboratory medicine practice. Duncan was introduced to CLIAC when a former colleague suggested she consider being nominated. "They asked me if I would be interested, and it was exciting because CLIAC is so impactful," she said.

During her tenure, Duncan collaborated with 20 professionals to develop educational resources for the lab community and update CLIA regulations. She chaired workgroups focusing on Certificates of Waiver (CoW) and Provider-performed Microscopy (PPM) Procedures. “The work that has come out of those groups has allowed CLIAC to make recommendations to modernize our regulations,” she noted.

One regulation change expanded who can train new personnel in labs, addressing workforce shortages among laboratory technicians. Caryl Havasy, system administrator for laboratory services at ECU Health, praised Duncan's contributions: “Heather’s experience in laboratory operations brings a much-needed perspective to the work of CLIAC.”

Another recommendation from CLIAC involves virtual competencies that could expand training capabilities using advanced technology like Oculus headsets. “Because we serve rural communities, having this technology would cover a huge network,” Duncan shared.

Duncan also contributed to changes in histocompatibility testing rules, which will streamline processes related to organ donor matching while removing outdated requirements. Her efforts included working on updated fee schedules for laboratories operating under a Certificate of Waiver.

Through these initiatives, ECU Health benefits from direct involvement in federal-level advancements in laboratory operations. Havasy emphasized that "Heather embodies the ECU Health vision of bringing our rural health care system needs...to a national stage."