Candice L. Freeman, PhD, MLS(ASCP), BB(ASCP), CPHQ

At age 7, Candice received a chemistry set and a microscope, two tools that led her to be the first person in her family to escape poverty and earn a PhD in the healthcare field. To her, it was like gaining magical powers. “The lab was a way to heal people using that ‘magic’ and technological innovation,” Candice said. Today, she brings over 30 years of experience in clinical laboratory medicine, with expertise spanning rural hospitals, critical access facilities, community health systems, and academic Level I trauma center labs. She started as a phlebotomist and progressed to a regional laboratory director with time spent in higher education as both a researcher and an instructor, instilling students with the idea that laboratory science goes beyond technical skills. “My courses taught me how to develop a personal mission, vision, and values as much as medical laboratory theory and practical application,” Candice said. Her expertise includes transfusion services, hematology, new laboratory design and implementation, training and development, and quality management systems. She is an ASCP-certified medical laboratory scientist (MLS), a certified professional in healthcare quality (CPHQ), and a former inspector for the College of American Pathologists (CAP). She has published research in healthcare quality, education, and workforce development, and it has helped her understand the necessity of collaboration and transparency through the lens of human performance. Candice and her husband now live in South Carolina where they lead their pack of three incredible dogs. Outside of work, she enjoys supporting canine rescue, studying American history, and exploring useful applications of artificial intelligence.