Medical Laboratory Board

About the Medical Laboratory Board

The Tennessee Medical Laboratory Board was created in 1990 by an act of the State Legislature. The Board is responsible for safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans, by requiring that all who provide medical laboratory services within this state is qualified. The Board interprets the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice in an effort to ensure the highest degree of professional conduct. The Board is also responsible for the investigation of alleged violations of the Practice Act and rules and is responsible for the discipline of licensees who are found guilty of such violation.

The Board licenses qualified candidates who have graduated from approved clinical laboratory training programs in combination with higher education requirements, culminating in either an associate or baccalaureate degree. The Board licenses and monitors the performance of medical laboratory facilities. In addition to licensing clinical laboratories, the Board licenses collection stations, blood donor centers, ambulatory surgical treatment centers, and plasmapheresis centers. Medical laboratories are charged with providing the medical practitioner with vital information, which is essential to a determination of the nature, extent, cause, and condition of individuals who seek medical treatment in Tennessee. The Board is authorized to approve medical laboratories or medical laboratory training facilities to operate training programs for the instruction of laboratory personnel.

The administrative staff of the Division of Health Related Boards supports the Board by issuing licenses to those who meet the requirements of the law and rules. Renewal notices are mailed from the Board's administrative office forty-five (45) days prior to the expiration of the license to the current address on record. Licenses can be renewed on-line seventy (70) days prior to expiration at Tennessee.gov/health.  Click on the "License Renewal" link and follow the prompts. Licensees are responsible for renewing their licenses on time and keeping the Board apprised of current information. It is a violation of the law and of the board’s rules to practice on an expired license.

Licenses awarded by the Board include:

Licenses of Laboratory Personnel

• Medical Laboratory Director
• Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Medical Technologist Chemistry
• Medical Technologist Hematology
• Medical Technologist Immunology
• Medical Technologist Immunohematology
• Medical Technologist Microbiology
• Special Analyst Andrology
  
• Special Analyst Cytogenetics
• Special Analyst Cytotechnology
• Special Analyst Flow Cytometry
• Special Analyst Histocompatibility/Immunogenetics
• Special Analyst Immunogenetics
• Special Analyst Molecular Diagnostics
• Special Analyst  Toxicology     
• Trainee Permits for students enrolled in approved training programs
• Temporary license for personnel awaiting examination results

Licenses of Clinical Laboratory Facilities

• Medical Laboratory-Clinical
• Medical Laboratory-Esoteric
• Independent Laboratory
• Blood Donor Center
• Collection Station (facilities who receive laboratory specimens from Tennessee and are not licensed by the Tennessee Medical Laboratory Act)
• Plasmapheresis Center
• Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center (clinical lab located in the center)

Licenses of Programs for Clinical Laboratory Personnel

• Medical Laboratory Technologist Training Program
• Medical Laboratory Technician Training Program
• Special Analyst-Cytotechnologist Training Program
• Special Analyst-Cytogenetics Training Program

The Board meets four (4) times a year. The meetings are scheduled for three (3) days with the first day devoted to issues related to the Personnel and Education Committee, a subcommittee of the full board. A quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of the members is required to conduct business. The meetings are open to the public. The thirteen (13) members of the Board are appointed by the Governor and serve four (4) year terms. The Board is comprised of pathologists, medical laboratory personnel, clinical laboratory managers, laboratory educators, a hospital administrator, and a nonlaboratory (public) representative.

Contact the Medical Laboratory Board

Call (615) 532-5128 local or 1-800-778-4123 nationwide
Medlabs.Health@tn.gov
665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN  37243
(for overnight delivery mail use 37228 for zip code)