Steven, It would be my suggestion that the Histology team get together to include the supervisor to facilitate and address the quality issues that you, your labs Pathologist (s) and Director are experiencing since there has been questions raised in this arena. The "team" needs to come up with a plan to meet the needs to demonstrate increased quality and/or productivity. If all are on board and "bought in" to a change, the results and plan will happen much more quickly and smoothly. The Supervisor/Manager should be in a position to take this responsibility, motivate staff as well as personal initiative. Steven, It appears from what you explained the Supervisor/Manager need to step up to the plate to understand your concern of all your associates/coworkers and that your methodology may increase quality and/or productivity with demonstrating by example. (what you explained, sounds like a nightmare)! You do know what its like to be in a new vehicle, the technology, the feel, the looks the smell...? Every Histologist has a certain talent and if it should be ignored by the Supervisor/Manager/Director/Pathologist, it may be time to give your seat up on that old bus and get on a much newer model to allow you the opportunity to feel good at what do what you do best...fortunate for us in histology /pathology there are plenty of new vehicles out there ! Your current employer is fortunate to have an employee that demonstrates care and compassion for high quality expectations for the patient! Michael Michael R. LaFriniere Executive Director Cytology Services of Maryland (CSM) 301-206-2555 ext 27 301-206-2595 fax michael.lafrini...@csmlab.com
>>> On 1/15/2009 at 12:29:16 PM, Rene J Buesa <rjbu...@yahoo.com> wrote: Steven: Are you just complaining to vent some sort of frustration, or can you actually do something about it? If venting, my sympathies go to you. What you describe could become the nightmare of anybody with the slightest idea about histology good practices, not to mention somebody that tries to take the flow into a "more or less" Lean semblance. The "muda" is astonishing. If you can do something about, what you describe you are used to do is just what has to be done. Use your knowledge and credentials to try to solve the mess you describe. You know how to do it and good luck. I am sure that "somebody" in that lab has done it that way for years and will be difficult to made to change. René J. --- On Wed, 1/14/09, Steven Coakley <sjchta...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Steven Coakley <sjchta...@yahoo.com> Subject: [Histonet] Work flow, quality issues To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 3:53 PM I have worked in several HT labs and as expected most differ in individual technique. Most are very good as far as work flow from grossing, processing, embedding and sectioning. I work in a lab now where the grossing and processing of "like specimens" are in case order until there embedded. Embedded totally out of order, even within a case. One person will rough cut the blocks on 1 microtome, approx 20 microns. After all the embedding is done the trimmed blocks are put in order, placed on ice in which about half are to be cut on another microtome. Although the microtomes are adjusted close I have found that by the time I'm ready to section my blocks on the microtome not used for trimming I often have to go into the tissue 20-40microns, 5 microns at a time, to get a complete section. This often makes it tough to get a good, rehydrated 2nd section not to mention often the 1st if the event the tissue is larger and or firm to start with. Often I have to re-trim the blocks to match my microtome then rehydrate them again. This all takes time and makes it impossible to section all my cases in order, waiting on blocks to rehydrate, hold slides sometimes leading to mistakes. I have always, and in every lab I worked except this one, trimm ed my own blocks for a specific microtome. At the end of trimming, I always fine cut 4-5 microns 2-5 times to deminish the artifact often caused by too aggressive initial trimming. Then I rehydrate and ice the tissue.. With this technique I use less knifes also. I temped in this lab about 1/1/2 years ago and was asked by the Pathologist and Lab Director to address these very issues and section quality. Now that I'm back nothing has changed. The pathologist still has section quality issues. What ever happen to the idea of Quality Improvement. The works getting done I suppose, maybe thats all that matters these days. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet