The Georgia Society for Histotechnology invites you to the 2009 meeting to be held at Sea Palms Resort at St. Simons Island, Georgia, March 20-22, 2009. The program is outlined below but both the separate registration form and the program can be downloaded from www.histosearch.com/gsh. Complete hotel information can be found by clicking on the announcement link. Please make your reservations now by calling the Sea Palms Resort at 1-800-841-6268. Be sure to tell them you are attending the GSH meeting and visit their web site at www.seapalms.com. Special GSH Room Rates are $99 for two double beds and $109 for two double beds or a King bed Suites are available as well as Villas.
March 20, 2009 - Friday 1 to 5 p.m.: HT/HTL Review Session for Students: Carl Sagasser, BS, HT(ASCP), Educational Coordinator and Taiquanda Winbush, AS, HT(ASCP) Clinical Laboratory Coordinator, Darton College Histology Program 5 to 7 p.m.: Meeting Registration 7 to 9 p.m.: Vendor Reception in Vendor Area March 21, 2009 - Saturday 7:00-8:00 a.m.: Meeting Registration 8:30 a.m. to 12: Workshop #1 - Today's Artifacts - Tomorrow's Facts 8:30 a.m. to 12: Workshop #2 - Expense Analysis and Reduction in the IHC Lab (10:00 - 10:30 a.m.: Break in Vendor Area) 12:00 - 1:00-GSH AWARDS LUNCHEON 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.: Workshop #3 - Decalcified and Undecalcified Bone: Histology Techniques 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.: Workshop #4 - Basic Troubleshooting for Histology Laboratory Equipment (2:30 - 3:00 p.m.: Break in Vendor area) 4:30 p.m.: GSH General Membership Meeting (GSH Board Meeting to Follow) March 22, 2009 - Sunday 7:00-8:00 a.m.: Meeting Registration 8:30 to 12 a.m.: Workshop #5 - Commitment in the Workplace - What Does it Mean to the Employee and the Employer 8:30 to 12 a.m.: Workshop #6 - Contemporary Trends in Immunohistochemistry (10:00 - 10:30 a.m.: Break in Vendor Area) WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS: #1: Today's Artifacts - Tomorrow's Facts? Lamar Jones, BS, HT(ASCP) - This workshop will teach the participant to recognize and identify artifacts from the gross board, fixation, processing, embedding, microtomy, staining, coverslipping and other areas of histotechnology. #2: Expense Analysis and Reduction in the IHC Lab Joe Myers, -This presentation is intended to review the financial aspects of performing immunohistochemistry (and related heat-retrieval) procedures, with an emphasis on using cost analysis and comparison tools, to assist a laboratory in calculating its existing reagent costs and determine where expense-reduction opportunities exist. Participants will be shown how to gather essential data and enter it into simple spreadsheets that ensure "apples to apples" comparisons. Through this process, participants will also gain an appreciation of how the mechanisms by which various heat-retrieval and automated slide-staining instruments 'work' affect the cost of the resulting slides. Handout material, including comparison tables, spreadsheets, and published papers will also be provided. #3: Decalcified and Undecalcified Bone: Histology Techniques Vicki Kalscheur - Decalcified and undecalcified bone samples are a constant challenge for research histology laboratories. This workshop will start with an introduction on research protocol and collaborative methodologies. Next, it will cover decalcified specimen collection, fixation, processing, sectioning, routine, and special staining of bone samples that are received in the research histology laboratory. The second half of this lecture will discuss the proper handling, preparation, and staining of undecalcified plastic embedded bone samples. Handouts include PowerPoint slides and additional information based on presenter's research protocols and methodology. The presenter understands many of the attendees may not work in research settings: however, the technical information may be helpful in diagnostic laboratory settings. Time is allowed at the end to look at embedded blocks and histological microscopic slides. #4: Basic Troubleshooting for Histology Laboratory Equipment Jason Velasquez, Technical Engineer -This course will provide a basic preventive maintenance guide that will assist users of histology equipment in the upkeep and troubleshooting of their instruments. The type of cleaning solvents that can and cannot be used will be discussed (along with some pictures that show what happens when the wrong cleaning supplies are used) and how and where to clean for best results. The types of tools that should be kept in the laboratory's tool chest and how and when to use them will be demonstrated. Common types of faults that can be reasonably repaired by the average Histotech will be discussed and the ways, tools and thoughts behind the troubleshooting process will be investigated. Some symptoms that precede failures will be made known so that the users can notify their bio-medical technicians or repair group of a pending failure, before the instrument breaks completely. #5: Commitment in the Workplace - What Does it Mean to the Employee and Employer - Wanda Grace Jones, - Hospitals, Research Labs, and Private Laboratories still struggle with continuous loss of employees and finding new employees to fill these positions. Past research has isolated two variables that impact employee turnover. 1st variable is employee's identification with and involvement in an organization (how involved are you). 2nd variable is the employee's perception of level of commitment an organization has to the employee. We will discuss the attitude toward an organization which attaches the person to an organization, the process by which the goals of the organization and employee become integrated, building better communication between employee and employer and cost associated when an employee decides to leave. #6: Contemporary Trends in Immunohistochemistry Mary Cheles, MPH, HTL, DLM(ASCP) - The analysis of a patient has historically relied on morphology and the evaluation of individual antibodies on pathological tissue. Immunohistochemistry has been in practice for the past 40 years. During that time, we have seen an evolution from individual reagents to optimized systems and from manual staining practices to fully automated options. Pathology and laboratory medicine is changing faster than ever. In the future, personalized medicine will define the effect of a therapy based on an individual's gene and protein profile. What does this mean and where does the histology community fit in? This workshop will briefly review immunohistochemistry basics, opportunities for automation, process standardization, antibody validation, regulatory product labeling and current proficiency testing. Shirley A. Powell, HT(ASCP)HTL, QIHC Technical Director Histology Curricular Support Laboratory Mercer University School of Medicine 1550 College Street Macon, GA 31207 Ph: 478-301-2374 Fx: 478-301-5489 _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet