Brandy Gunsolus, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Patient Safety Committee Vice Chair, ASCLS Representative to the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis The Coalition to Improve Diagnosis hosted an annual in-person meeting November 10-13 in Washington, D.C., where coalition representatives met to discuss what their organizations have been doing to improve diagnosis and to collaborate with other coalition members.…
Minh Kosfeld, PhD, MLT(ASCP)CM As a working medical laboratory scientist and educator, I have found blood gas testing a challenging concept for many, coworkers and students alike. In this brief case I will provide a basic example of blood gas analysis to illustrate its use in the diagnosis of a blood gas disorder. A child…
The ASCLS Government Affairs Committee hosted a free webinar on October 3, 2019, to provide ASCLS members with an overview of advocacy and how to get involved. The presentation focused on the importance of advocacy, the technical aspects of regulation versus legislation, and practical approaches to individual advocacy. Watch the full webinar recording. Watch a…
Learn about the latest webinar, Fall Board of Directors Meeting highlights, multiple opportunities to volunteer for ASCLS, 2020 Laboratory Legislative Symposium registration opens, and more.
Cindy Johnson, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President Life-long learning is critical to laboratory professionals maintaining their expertise and advancing in their careers, as well as advancing the profession. ASCLS develops and delivers educational programming to assure that laboratory professionals acquire that knowledge by utilizing a variety of modes, including virtual and live meetings. In this month’s…
Beth Warning, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Region IV Director Congratulations! You may have just celebrated 40 years as a medical lab professional and are looking forward to retirement. You may be known as the coagulation guru, the “pee queen,” or the key operator for one of the analyzers. You remember running lithium testing on the flame…
Christal Lane, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM Maya Angelou reciting her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration in 1993. One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” I’ve had this quote posted on mirrors, in lockers,…
Brandy Gunsolus, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM Medical laboratories are continuously faced with more obstacles. However, the theme is inherently the same: do more with less. I have seen laboratories pinch pennies in an effort to make budget when supplies, shipping costs, and labor costs continue to increase. Some of the more creative efforts include utilizing a sterilization…
W. Jon Windsor, MLS(ASCP)CM Figure 1: A map of endemic areas (in yellow) for A. americanum Imagine all of your absolute favorite foods. Now, what if every time you enjoyed one of those foods, several hours later you were plagued with vomiting, stomach cramps, dizziness, and other symptoms closely resembling anaphylactic shock.1 This is the…
PATIENT SAFETY AND HAND-OFF COMMUNICATION Courtney Shrader, MLS(ASCP)CM From 1995-2004 the Joint Commission estimated about 65 percent of 2,966 adverse events were due to communication issues. In 2005, that percentage grew to 70, and half of the events occurred during patient handoffs.2 Due to these startling statistics, in 2006 the Joint Commission created a national…