“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
The Project Santa Fe Foundation (PSFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the role of laboratory medicine in population health. Through a focus on education, advocacy, and demonstration projects, PSFF supports a vision in which laboratory professionals move beyond traditional confirmatory diagnostics toward more proactive roles in identifying and addressing chronic disease risks.
Advancing Education and Professional Development
One of PSFF’s core missions is to enhance education for current and future laboratory medicine professionals. The Foundation recognizes that the healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving and that laboratory professionals must be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to population health efforts.
Through targeted educational programs, PSFF encourages the shift from reactive test reporting to proactive participation in healthcare strategy. This includes promoting skills that allow laboratory professionals to interpret data in ways that support early risk identification and contribute to broader health initiatives aimed at improving long-term patient outcomes.
Advocacy for an Evolving Role in Healthcare
PSFF is deeply engaged in advocacy efforts to reimagine the role of laboratory medicine in healthcare delivery. The Foundation works to raise awareness about how laboratories can support public health and chronic disease management—particularly through the responsible and strategic use of lab data.
By building strategic relationships with healthcare leaders, public health officials, and policy stakeholders, PSFF seeks to promote systemic changes that support collaboration, equity, and population-based approaches to care. The Foundation also advocates for improved access to healthcare in underserved communities, emphasizing the potential of lab medicine to identify health disparities and support tailored interventions.
Supporting Demonstration Projects to Inform Practice
PSFF’s Demonstration Projects are a key initiative that highlights how laboratory data can be used to inform care strategies. These projects serve as practical, real-world explorations of how longitudinal laboratory data can help identify care gaps, predict risk, and support the monitoring of chronic diseases. Rather than developing new diagnostic technologies, PSFF supports the application of existing lab capabilities in innovative ways.
These efforts showcase how laboratory data, when used proactively, can guide clinical decision-making, help target health interventions, and align with national treatment guidelines. By engaging healthcare systems in these pilots, PSFF helps illustrate how laboratory professionals can contribute to a broader understanding of health trends and needs at the population level.
Fostering Collaboration Across the Healthcare Ecosystem
Collaboration lies at the heart of PSFF’s mission. The Foundation actively seeks partnerships with academic institutions, health systems, governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to promote its vision of a redefined role for laboratory medicine.
These collaborations allow PSFF to engage in dialogue, share insights from its educational and demonstration efforts, and encourage the adoption of lab-informed strategies that can complement broader public health goals. The Foundation serves as a connector—bringing together different sectors to explore the potential of laboratory medicine as a tool for health insight, not just disease confirmation.
A Vision for the Future of Laboratory Medicine
The long-term vision of PSFF is centered on transforming laboratory medicine into a profession that plays a leading role in population health management. Rather than focusing solely on test results, the Foundation encourages a shift toward predictive and preventive applications of laboratory science.
PSFF’s efforts aim to inspire a future where lab professionals are seen as essential contributors to health planning, risk stratification, and chronic disease prevention—especially in light of the increasing demand for value-based care models. The Foundation’s commitment to education, advocacy, and practical demonstration is a step toward realizing this future.
Conclusion
The Project Santa Fe Foundation is leading a thoughtful and innovative shift in how laboratory medicine is understood and practiced. By focusing on professional development, advocacy, and real-world application, PSFF is helping reframe the role of lab professionals as essential partners in public health and chronic disease prevention.
Rather than developing new technologies, PSFF emphasizes the strategic use of existing laboratory tools, data analytics, and longitudinal laboratory results. Through these resources, the Foundation enables smarter decision-making, early risk identification, and more proactive population health strategies. By fostering collaboration across sectors, PSFF continues to shape a new narrative—one that prioritizes foresight, integration, and long-term health outcomes.