Meet Our Volunteers

Volunteer Spotlight and Member Highlights

Exciting news! AABB’s Professional Engagement Program will be showcasing all of the great work our members do for AABB and the world at large.

Our PEP Volunteer Spotlight will consist of a short Q&A with one of our members published each month in AABB News. Our members play an integral role here at AABB and we want to share their accomplishments.

Member Highlights can be any volunteer accomplishment directly involved with AABB and will change as new highlights are added. These highlights may range from publications, committee work, webinars and everything in between!

We are currently soliciting names of individuals to showcase for the coming year in either our Volunteer Spotlight or a Member Highlight capacities. If you or a fellow AABB member are interested, please email us at PEP@aabb.org.

Professional Engagement Program Volunteer Spotlight on Phil Accooe, MLS(ASCP)SBB, CLS, CABP, PMP

Supervisor, Transfusion Service Laboratory – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Long Beach, CA

How long have you been an AABB member?

I have been an AABB member for about ten years.

In which AABB volunteer activities are you currently active? In which have you participated?

I have participated in AABB’s mentoring program as both a mentee and a mentor. I have been an abstract reviewer and I currently review award submissions. I have served on the Continuing Education Advisory Committee, the Education Advisory Accreditation Committee, the Blood Banks & Transfusion Services Accreditation Committee, AABB’s DEIA Task Force, and AABB’s Board of Directors. I have been an assessor for about 10 years now, and I am currently both Co-Chair of AABB’s DEIA Committee & AABB’s representative to ASCP’s Board of Certification.

What motivates you to volunteer?

A few things motivate me to volunteer. The primary reason is that I want to make a significant difference in the lives of both patients, and the professionals that support them. I can also be a bit of an overachiever at times, and I LOVE learning. I have learned so much in each volunteer opportunity that I have participated in.

How has your volunteer work impacted your professional work?

My volunteer work has impacted my professional work immensely, and I am so grateful for every opportunity that has been presented to me. I started off as a mentee in the mentorship program just as I was taking on my position as an inexperienced laboratory supervisor. I was overwhelmed when I started the position, but my mentor gave me so much amazing advice to help me excel in in that position and beyond. My experience on the BBTS accreditation committee and my experience as an assessor have provided a level of familiarity with both accreditation and regulatory requirements that is unmatched. I am completely comfortable with external audits, inspections, and surveys because of the knowledge I acquired working with AABB accreditation. The Education Advisory Accreditation committee taught me how to build a large-scale educational program and it helped me to feel more comfortable giving presentations to a large group of individuals. I was able to work with so many gifted, hard-working individuals on the DEIA task force to create the DEIA committee (among other task force accomplishments). That experience and my board experience have taught me to always keep the big picture in mind when it comes to achieving goals.

What have you learned from volunteering with AABB?

I’ve learned how many resources are available through AABB, and I’ve learned that I don’t have to figure everything out on my own. There’s an entire community of professionals in our field who are more than willing to help each other out. I’ve met so many new colleagues who are now friends and we’re all working towards a common purpose. It’s a great community.

And what advice would you give to someone interested in volunteering?

Just do it! There really is something for everyone, and the time you put in really will pay off. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t placed on your first choice as a volunteer. Keep trying, and you’ll eventually find something that works for you. The CEAC and reviewing abstracts weren’t for me, and that’s okay! I moved on, and I was able to have some amazing experiences as a volunteer (and I still do).

Who is your favorite musician?

That’s a really hard question! I have quite a few in heavy rotation on my Spotify account. However, I’ll settle on Beyonce for now since I just bought tickets to her upcoming tour, and I’m very excited for the show.