Inside the lab of 2026: Insights from 12 laboratory experts

Amy M. Acevedo, MLS (ASCP)^CM 

Director, Laboratory Services

Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital

Phenix City, Alabama 

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

More automation and AI. This would help laboratory personnel to spend more time on higher level task that require more human judgment and expertise.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

I have to say lab waste management and sustainability. It would be great to see more sustainable practices, like reducing waste or using eco-friendly materials without compromising the integrity of tests.

Paola Pagan

Associate Vice President UHealth Laboratories

University of Miami Health System

Miami, Florida

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

Looking ahead to 2026, I see U.S. laboratories, particularly those within academic medical centers, continuing to transform into fully integrated, technology-driven, and data-enabled systems. The future will be defined by consolidation, connectivity, and collaboration.

At UHealth Laboratories, for example, we are already moving toward a unified laboratory enterprise that brings together multiple sites under a single governance, quality, and operational structure. This mirrors what I expect to see nationally: laboratories functioning as coordinated systems rather than siloed departments, with harmonized policies and real-time analytics driving decisions.

Digital pathology, AI-based image analysis, and advanced automation will continue to expand, helping address workforce challenges while enhancing quality and turnaround times. I also anticipate laboratories becoming even more visible in strategic hospital and ambulatory decisions, actively shaping care pathways, supporting precision medicine, and contributing directly to institutional value and patient outcomes.

In essence, 2026 will be about laboratories reclaiming their role as a strategic partner in healthcare delivery, not just a support function.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

The most critical challenge I hope our industry addresses by 2026 is the workforce crisis. Across the nation, and certainly within academic health systems like ours, we face an ongoing shortage of skilled laboratory professionals. This affects every area of the lab.

At UHealth Laboratories, we are tackling this through cross-training, leadership development, and partnerships with academic programs to create sustainable pipelines. However, the solution must go beyond local initiatives. We need a national commitment to modernize laboratory education, expand training capacity, and reimagine career progression for laboratory scientists.

Simultaneously, we must leverage automation, LIS innovation, and digital tools to redesign how work gets done, allowing laboratorians to focus on what only humans can do: ensuring quality, interpreting data, and driving collaboration with clinicians.

Luis Carvajal

Director, Business Operations UHealth Laboratories

University of Miami Health System

Miami, Florida

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

By 2026, U.S. laboratories within academic health systems will operate as integrated, performance-driven networks focused on Operational Excellence. This evolution will emphasize standardized processes, real-time analytics, and a strong culture of continuous improvement, supported by digitalization and AI to optimize workflows and decision-making.

Laboratories will become strategic partners in healthcare delivery, leveraging data and advanced technologies to improve efficiency, quality, and institutional value. Through robust governance and digital tools, they will strengthen their role in shaping operational strategies and enhancing patient outcomes.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

A key challenge to address is operational fragmentation. Many laboratories still function with inconsistent workflows and duplicated efforts, which limit scalability and performance. Harmonizing processes across multi-site networks is critical to achieving excellence.

Solving this will require embedding a culture of Operational Excellence and using digitalization and AI-driven insights to reduce variability, improve resource utilization, and position laboratories as essential contributors to high-quality, cost-effective care.

Christine Goldman, BS, MLS(ASCP), NY CLT

Director of Laboratory Services

Mohawk Valley Health System

Utica, New York

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

I think it's going to be about trying to retain our reimbursements and survive on whatever we are allotted under current administrations. We will need to try to trim spending even more than we already do without compromising the test results, and that will be tricky. We're already spread pretty thin staffing-wise and delay entering into new technology contracts because of cost reductions. Eventually, there will be fewer and fewer laboratories in the country that can afford to be "cutting edge" or even keeping up with the newer, improved testing methodologies that are invented to better patient care.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

We need to severely reduce, or eliminate completely, the "traveling" or interim staff members. This practice has reached an epidemic state in my mind where laboratories can no longer be cost efficient due to the amounts of money they are forced to pay for staff members from these agencies. The agencies claim to "help" us find staff and charge astronomical rates to do so. With the reimbursements for tests continuing to decline at a fast rate and the cost for supplies increasing, there is absolutely no way to pay these kind of fees for staffing as well. There's just no balance, not to mention the constant change over in staff having to try to keep up with training and competency documentation, it is nothing short of impossible.

Brett Hall, MT(ASCP)

Laboratory Manager

St. Mary’s Medical Center

Huntington, West Virginia

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories? 

I foresee a greater demand for specialized testing focusing more on PCR and sequencing type applications. I also believe there will be a slow integration of AI capabilities within the laboratory. While I don’t see AI taking the place of laboratorians and their critical decision capabilities, I do see where it could be beneficial is some areas such as QC review.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

One challenge I hope that can be addressed is getting more people interested in the laboratory field. We’re at a critical stage of aging staff and retirees and the technician/technologist schools have a low number of students interested in a career in the laboratory.

Nancy Ross MS, MT(ASCP)^cm, CQIA, CMQ/OE, CLC

Assistant Director Clinical Pathology and Quality

Montefiore Medical System

Bronx, New York

Founder, Improov

Looking ahead to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

As we move into 2026, I see U.S. laboratories continuing to evolve from reactive testing environments to proactive, data-driven operations. The integration of artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced informatics will further enhance quality and operational efficiency. These tools will enable predictive analytics that support early detection, process optimization, and continuous quality improvement—freeing laboratory professionals to focus on higher-level interpretation, leadership, and innovation. The future belongs to labs that harness technology not just to work faster, but to work smarter and more collaboratively across healthcare systems.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

Beyond staffing, I hope we can make meaningful progress toward reimagining workforce models—introducing greater flexibility, recognition, and compensation that reflect the critical contributions of laboratory professionals. The next phase of retention isn’t just about filling vacancies; it’s about cultivating environments that nurture professional growth, well-being, and belonging. If we can achieve that, we’ll not only stabilize our workforce but also elevate the profession as a whole.

Sharon Bracken

Head of Diagnostics

Siemens Healthineers

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

I see stronger collaboration between labs and clinicians, further improving patient care. Research we conducted with 400 U.S. doctors revealed that increased communication with test ordering clinicians should be part of strategic lab priorities. Doctors’ requests for communication include greater transparency about test costs—they are increasingly mindful of their patients’ financial situations. And, also, transparency about things that affect their care decisions such as proactive communication about turnaround times, indicating which tests are outsourced, flagging instrument downtime, or informing them about changes to the test menu. The more information the lab can provide, the more informed test ordering decisions doctors can make. Greater transparency can alleviate frustration for both clinicians and laboratory professionals.

We also see an ask for stronger collaboration as partners to improve care. Being accessible to answer doctors’ questions on lab tests in real-time matters. As test menus expand, doctors have become more open to guidance about test ordering decisions and how they can order the most pertinent, cost-effective tests. They also value when the lab provides education about test limitations. This is increasingly important as patients have become more demanding in requesting tests. Labs can provide information to support those requests and manage expectations. In addition, the research showed that lab test results have been shown to help doctors encourage patients to maintain lifestyle changes, as positive outcomes often reinforce their commitment.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

I hope that we can reignite the central laboratory as an exciting place to work. GenZ has higher standards for employers—they want their work to be meaningful, and they are more motivated to job hop if they feel their work is too mundane or their employer isn’t investing enough in their career. 

But I think this resonates with employees from all generations. Innovation within the lab is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and yet, in terms of what we can achieve with biomarkers, automation, informatics, and AI—that still has so many opportunities. 

We need the right medical laboratory professionals in the lab to realize this potential. So, in addition to delivering technology that is exciting to work with and helps minimize the manual task that have made laboratory work less attractive, we’re also focused on amplifying recent data that illustrates how the work laboratory professionals perform impacts patient care and the overall health system. It’s time to elevate the conversation on why the laboratory is vital to healthcare, beginning with more compelling arguments that resonate with this generation of workers.

Stephen Bishop, MBA, MS, CLS, MLS(ASCP)^CM, CPHQ

Market Director, Laboratory Services Southern California

CommonSpirit Health

Los Angeles, California

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

Looking forward to 2026 and beyond, I think laboratories will need to offset financial pressure and workforce shortages through technology, especially with AI. AI applications can be used to alleviate administrative burden and non-technical tasks, allowing labs to focus on delivering value.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

In 2026, I really want to see bipartisan legislative reform to counteract the catastrophic effects of PAMA. Doing so will mitigate multiple years of compounding cash-flow pressure from underpayments and help secure financial viability in the long run.

Ephrem Chin

VP Global OMICS Services Strategy, Technical Operations & Commercial

Revvity

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

Now that the FDA has officially declined to appeal the recent court ruling in AMP vs. FDA, the decision stands that the agency lacks authority to impose premarket review requirements on laboratory-developed tests without explicit legislative direction. This outcome will likely provide relief to the laboratory testing industry.  This could help prevent further consolidation driven by regulatory burdens. With ongoing skilled laboratory staff shortages, we can expect a continued push toward end-to-end automation of wet lab processes, as well as broader adoption of AI tools for data review and interpretation. This enables better use of available talent and will help reduce time needed to release a test result.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

Whole genome sequencing is increasingly becoming the genomic assay of choice in rare disease research, especially in newborn sequencing and have even found applications in oncology. As we learn from research programs like Genomic England’s Generations and RTI Early Check programs, we see the conversation changing from organizations globally from initially speaking about “should we setup a program” to “how do we do this.” Laboratories will face growing pressure to implement scalable, cost-effective end-to-end workflows that can handle rising whole genome sequencing volumes in their organization. We look to engage and join in conversations to assist organizations looking to scale, leveraging our experience in our laboratories.

Kathleen D. Hainsworth, MBA, MLS(ASCP)

Director, Laboratory – Regional/Hospital 
Kaiser Permanente
Portland, Oregon

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

I’m excited about the growing role of technology in strengthening the laboratory’s connection to patient care. Artificial intelligence and automation are advancing rapidly, and I’m particularly interested in how AI-driven quality checks and smart analytics can improve accuracy and efficiency. I’m also intrigued by the potential use of drones for specimen transport. The advancements we're seeing in technology could redefine how we think about turnaround times and access to testing. My hope is that these tools continue to evolve in ways that free laboratorians to focus on interpretation, collaboration, compassionate care and the other human aspects of laboratory medicine.  

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

One of the most pressing challenges continues to be ensuring that the right test is available at the right time. Whether it’s attracting and retaining skilled professionals, overcoming supply chain constraints, or improving alignment across systems, our success depends on how effectively we act on the information we have and how quickly we can deliver actionable results to providers and patients. If the industry can meet the growing need for agility by integrating data, technology, and logistics more seamlessly, we’ll take a major step toward more efficient patient care.

Yuri Fesko, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Quest Diagnostics

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

Laboratories across the United States will need to continue being agile and flexible to meet demands from patients, providers, and health systems. That is particularly true in areas like preventive health and wellness, where growth of alternative, consumer-driven models of care will force traditional healthcare providers to be more innovative, dynamic, and user-friendly, allowing patients to interact with this new and growing system closer to home through lab networks like Quest Diagnostics. It will be important to ensure that this laboratory data is accessible to this new ecosystem and to traditional health care providers, allowing for care to be delivered across the continuum. There is also a growing interest in advanced diagnostics for wellness areas like cardiovascular or brain health, as well as chronic conditions like kidney disease or diabetes. This may prompt hospitals to collaborate more closely with lab partners instead of maintaining these services in-house.  Allowing, again, for hospitals to focus on clinical excellence while laboratory providers provide the testing insights needed to meet the demand of the clinical segments in a seamless manor. I also expect some labs will play a bigger role in helping hospitals solve issues in staffing and supply chain that persist following the COVID-19 pandemic as entities work together to create innovative solutions.

Jonathan Kron

CEO

BloodGPT

Looking forward to 2026, what do you see in the future for U.S. laboratories?

In 2026, U.S. labs need to strengthen the infrastructure that makes results reliable and interoperable, beginning with standardized codes, stable APIs, and systems that prevent errors before they reach clinicians. AI can help by reinforcing data quality and ensuring consistency, without taking over decision-making. The broader goal is a technical foundation that supports safety, trust, and smooth collaboration across the entire care ecosystem.

Additionally, if OpenAI becomes the new front door for health questions, it would be pointless to fight it. Instead, we should show up in tools that people already use, like EHRs, lab portals, employer and payer apps. Healthcare AI isn’t about writing better summaries, which are already becoming commoditized. The winners will go deep into labs, outcomes, and real-world safety, building on trust and compliance, not hype. The real opportunity is in developing solutions rooted in close relationships with clinicians, which is something that the top level of infrastructure won’t be able to achieve.

Therefore, healthcare AI startups should see OpenAI as a distribution channel, not a rival.

For BloodGPT, that means staying model-agnostic, doubling down on lab interpretation and longitudinal insights, validating relentlessly, and building co-branded modules with our partners. That’s how we keep growing, no matter who owns the top layer.

What is one challenge you hope the laboratory industry could solve in 2026?

The biggest problem labs need to solve in 2026 is the last mile, which means turning an abnormal result into the next right step quickly and safely. Too many results sit untouched while patients wait and clinicians chase paperwork. If a value needs attention, the system should help the care team move immediately, not days later.

Achieving this requires clarity and workflow, not more dashboards. In practice, that means plain-English views that highlight the abnormal result or what changed since the last draw, simple handoffs into clinician systems such as reflex orders, referrals and scheduling, and administrative steps built in from the start. These systems should also incorporate pre-approvals in public health, benefit checks in private settings, and pre-filled authorisations where they are allowed. 

AI should act as a quality assist by flagging anomalies, routing critical values to the right on-call person and reducing noise. But clinicians always own the decisions. Privacy, consent, and provenance remain non-negotiable.