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Cardinal Health sponsors continuing medical educational events for healthcare professionals across the country. You can register for upcoming sessions here, or watch archived webinar recordings at any time, from anywhere. These Cardinal Health sponsored events are presented by esteemed professionals in the world of healthcare and research, and managed by Whitehat Communications to ensure a professional environment. Attend these basic level webinars at no cost - all offer one P.A.C.E.® Continuing Education contact hour for up to six months after the live event. Simply fill out the evaluation after viewing the webinar, and you will receive a follow-up certificate via email. Be sure to check back often for new event postings. For information on Cardinal Health laboratory products, please visit our website here.

Overview of Direct-to-Consumer Testing from the Hospital Laboratory Perspective
Live Event: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until September 27, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Register
Direct-to-consumer testing (DTC) and Direct Access Tests (DAT) are tests marketed directly to consumers without involving a healthcare provider or health insurance company in the process. Types of these tests vary from general wellness, nutrient deficiencies to genetic testing that offers information about individual ancestry composition or health risks for certain conditions. The process of getting these tests performed is quite simple: a customer can order a test online and either have a collection kit delivered directly to their doorstep and send a sample back to the company for analysis (DTC) or the customer can go to the laboratory directly where the sample is collected and analyzed (DAT).

There are clear benefits to DTC testing such as self-empowerment of customers, convenience, and anonymity, but also significant challenges, including test utilization and interpretation, burden to healthcare systems and unnecessary stress and extra cost to the consumer if results come back as abnormal. Understanding the limitations of DTC/DAT can help costumers deciding if they want to pursue such testing or if they prefer to rely on their primary care providers.

This presentation will provide an overview of different types of DTC/DAT, describe benefits and limitations of such tests, discuss how the process differs from typical testing in the healthcare setting and identify what consumer should look for when choosing a DTC.


This webinar will:
  • Describe different types of DTC testing
  • Compare DTC to tests performed in the traditional hospital setting from a quality perspective
  • Examine the benefits and limitation of DTC
  • Discuss what the laboratory professionals can do to support safe and effective DTC testing for the general public

Presenter:
Kornelia Galior, Ph.D., DABCC, FADLM
Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry and Medical Director of POCT, Grady Hospital, Atlanta, GA
Kornelia Galior Photo
Dr. Galior received a PhD in chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta, GA in 2017 and completed a clinical chemistry fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN in 2019. She started as a pathology faculty and director of clinical chemistry and POCT at University of Wisconsin in Madison where she practiced for 4 years. She came back to Emory University few months ago where she has oversight of clinical chemistry and POCT. Dr. Galior's interests in the field of laboratory medicine focus on tools that can help detect laboratory errors caused by analytical interferences, biological variations and quality metric
Strategies for Ensuring Consistency in Patient Results Across a Healthcare System
Live Event: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until September 13, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
With eight clinical laboratories in multiple locations across Dr. Li's health system, standardization in pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases in all eight labs dramatically improves quality, lowers cost, provides better efficiency and equivalence of patient results, and presents opportunities to cross-train staff members. These benefits carry over to improved quality of care and patient satisfaction. During this webinar, Dr. Li's approaches and experience in bringing standardization across her health system will be shared and discussed.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the advantages of standardization in clinical laboratory services, including but not limited to instrumentation, quality management and workflows
  • Discuss common challenges encountered in the process of implementing laboratory standardization
  • Implement practical approaches to assess the comparability of patient results within one healthcare system

Presenter:
Jieli Shirley Li, MD, PhD, DABCC, NRCC, FCACB
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology
Co-Director, Clinical Chemistry & Toxicology Laboratory
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Jieli Shirley Li Photo
Dr. Li obtained her MD and PhD degrees from the Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine and completed her fellowship training in clinical chemistry at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her professional interests center around enhancing laboratory tests for the in vitro diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning of cancer, endocrine disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.
Payment & Policy Outlook for Clinical Laboratories in 2024
Live Event: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until July 17, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
With the end of the federal Public Health Emergency, the clinical laboratory industry is coming to grips with the business and policy realities at play during this shifting environment. The webinar speaker will analyze the current Medicare reimbursement and policy climate affecting labs and pathologists in the post-pandemic era and help participants to better understand what to expect in 2024 and beyond from some noteworthy congressional & regulatory actions.

Specific focus will center on the latest updates affecting PAMA payments and policy, the status of proposals affecting CLIA fees and personal requirements, proposed FDA and legislative initiatives involving oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and several unexpected regulatory “red flags” for labs at the federal level.


This webinar will:
  • Assess how the end of the federal public health emergency has impacted the financial and policy environment for the lab industry
  • Discuss the 2024 outlook for Medicare reimbursement for labs and pathologists along with the latest PAMA legislative and policy updates
  • Analyze the status of CLIA regulatory revisions and how they would modify fees and personnel requirements for labs going forward
  • Examine how proposed FDA and legislative proposals would change how LDTs are regulated

Presenter:
Dennis Weissman, M.S.
Dennis Weissman & Associates LLC, Falls Church, VA
Dennis Weissman Photo
A nationally known consultant for the clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology sectors, Dennis is President of Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC, a consultancy which provides market intelligence and public policy guidance to health care organizations. His expertise is in Medicare and health care policy as well as business & financial trends affecting the health care industry. Dennis previously founded Washington G-2 Reports (now G2 Intelligence), an information company that reports on the U.S. clinical lab industry.
2023 CAP Accreditation Checklist Updates: Changes that Matter
Live Event: Thursday, December 14, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until June 14, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
This webinar is intended to provide insight on the changes made to the August 24, 2023 edition of the CAP Accreditation Program Checklists. It will help laboratories identify relevant checklist changes and implement strategies to ensure compliance for their next on-site CAP inspection.

Along with the presentation of the checklist changes, the presentation will also include commonly encountered compliance scenarios, as well as answers to frequently asked questions to help participants gain a better understanding of the checklist requirements.


This webinar will:
  • Describe key changes and the rationale for the changes in the 2023 version of the CAP Accreditation program checklists
  • Use CAP resources to identify changes
  • Implement any necessary changes to ensure compliance with new accreditation requirements



Presenters:
Harris Goodman Photo  Harris S. Goodman, MD, FCAP
Chief, Anatomic Pathology, Alameda Health System, Co-Director, Clinical Laboratory, Highland Hospital and former Chair of the CAP’s Checklists Committee
Blue Line 
Steven Sarewitz Photo  Stephen Sarewitz, MD, FCAP
Retired Pathologist
Chair of the CAP’s Checklists Committee and Vice Chair of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation
Situational Awareness in the Workplace
Live Event: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until May 8, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
When a crisis emerges, it is often without signs or warning. Most organizations have planned for a crisis and have procedures to follow. Most plans fail to recognize the crucial factors in effective crisis management: emotional intelligence (EI) and situational awareness (SA). An emotionally intelligent leader will handle any crisis better than someone without EI competencies. A situationally aware leader will comprehend the given circumstances and address potential risks, hazards, or events that may occur.

This webinar will introduce Situational Awareness, or the ability to see clearly what is happening around you and develop an effective response within seconds. SA gives you the ability to see from the bottom up, everything that is around you, with more perspective. That perspective allows you to clearly assess the situation to make a practical and informed decision.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the four domains of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management
  • Discuss the three stages of situational awareness – information gathering, understanding information, and anticipation
  • Determine how to improve your SA in the workplace
  • Illustrate how to use and direct your senses to train for observation

Presenter:
Margaret Blaetz, CLC, MLT (AMT), CCCP (AAPOL), CLC(ACHC), MLT, MCM(ASCP)
CEO/Technical Consultant, East Coast Clinical Consultants
Chief Compliance Officer, Preprogen
Margaret Blaetz Photo
Margaret Blaetz is a motivated Laboratory Consultant with more than 30 years of success across the clinical laboratory space. Margaret is the CEO and Technical Consultant at East Coast Clinical Consultants as well as Chief Compliance Officer at Preprogen. Margaret is a frequent contributor to The Point of Care Testing Network (POCT) and the American Medical Technologists (AMT). Her passions include promoting quality laboratory testing through regulatory compliance and continuing education.
Upcoming Respiratory Season: An Update
Live Event: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until April 11, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
In 2022, as the world was starting to emerge from the pandemic, we began to see the impact of leaving our social isolation, physical distancing, and other required mandates like masking behind. We witnessed what some were calling a “tripledemic” of flu, COVID, and RSV.

As we approach the upcoming 2023-24 respiratory season, it will be important to be aware and prepared for what it might bring. This fall’s landscape is already different, with new vaccines and treatments, like the game-changing antibody that protects kids from RSV, offering new ways to tamp down infections and transmission. We have seen new variants of COVID-19 continue to emerge and the always diabolical influenza virus remains a constant threat. New vaccines and new therapies are here and on the horizon.

Emerging and reemerging pathogens leading to a global outbreaks, as well as right here in our backyards, is a complex issue driven by globalization and neglect for preparedness in health security. Obviously, we have reached a dangerous tipping point. The nature of this critical public health and healthcare problem has two primary components: 1) the emergence of diverse and novel pathogens, and 2) the alarming ability of these pathogens to be translocated and transmitted in a wide array of geographic and densely populated regions.

This webinar will summarize risk factors associated with common respiratory viruses, describe the diagnostic microbiology, medical laboratory role and molecular epidemiology of these viruses, and discuss the changing epidemiology of these respiratory viruses between the community, healthcare setting and occupational health.


This webinar will:
  • Describe Influenza (flu), RSV, and COVID-19 history and background
  • Summarize the risk factors associated with these common respiratory viruses
  • Describe the diagnostic microbiology, medical laboratory role and molecular epidemiology of these common respiratory viruses
  • Discuss the changing epidemiology of these respiratory viruses between the community, healthcare setting and occupational health
Presenter:
Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, SM (ASCP)CM, SVCM, MBCM, FACs
Global Fellow, Regents’ Professor, Texas State University System
Rodney Rohde Photo
Rodney E. Rohde, PhD is a Regents’ Professor, Texas State University System, University Distinguished Professor and Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Program in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. He also serves as Associate Director for the Translational Health Research Center. Dr. Rohde is a Global Fellow, Fellow of the Association of Clinical Scientists, and Honorary Professor of International studies. He is an ASCP board certified Specialist in Virology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology. He spent a decade as a public health microbiologist and molecular epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Bureau of Laboratories and Zoonosis Control Division prior to his academic career, including two terms as a CDC Visiting Scientist.
The Importance of Independent Quality Control Materials
Live Event: Thursday, September 21, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until March 21, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
Using an independent quality control material can provide several advantages over a first- or second-party QC. This presentation will discuss the difference between manufacturer and independent quality control materials.

Most regulatory organizations recognize that independent quality controls are an important part of an effective lab QC system. This webinar will identify some of the different risks possible when using manufacturer or first party quality control materials compared to independent materials.


This webinar will:
  • Define the purpose of quality control
  • Review the difference between first, second and third party QC
  • Describe at least 3 risks when using manufacturer QC


Presenter:
Nico Vandepoele, BSc
Global Product Manager Informatics
Bio-Rad Laboratories
Nico Vandepoele Photo
Mr. Nico Vandepoele works as Global Product Manager for Informatics for the Bio-Rad Laboratories Quality Control Division. He works on the Unity and EQAS software development by collecting information about quality control processes from laboratories and regulatory bodies. He also promotes an understanding of laboratory regulations and best practices as they pertain to QC and EQA/PT programs. 
Stewardship and Quality in Point of Care Respiratory Testing
Live Event: Thursday, August 17, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until February 17, 2024  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides

Join experts as they examine goals and benchmarks for assessing quality within the laboratory and at the point of care. Gain new insights on quality measures and methods for laboratory and clinical teams to improve antibiotic and diagnostic stewardship related to respiratory infections. Learn how healthcare teams can collaboratively evaluate and implement new processes with quality in mind.



This webinar will:
  • Evaluate factors that impact quality improvement programs including patient satisfaction, healthcare-associated infections, and antibiotic usage
  • Analyze quality improvement strategies that include the use of rapid respiratory testing at the point of care
  • Assess case examples and evidence that led to improved patient care across a variety of healthcare settings
  • Identify areas of collaboration between the laboratory and clinical team to help improve antibiotic and diagnostic stewardship utilizing point of care respiratory testing



Presenters:
Sandra Sieck, RN
President and Owner
Sieck Healthcare Consulting
Mobile, AL
Sandra Sieck Photo
Joel Mortensen, PhD, FAAM, HCLD
Director, Diagnostic Infectious Diseases Testing Laboratory
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Joel Mortensen Photo
Moderator:
Sean-Xavier Neath, MD, PhD, FACEP
Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine (Recently Retired)
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA
Sean Neath Photo
The Life Cycle of a New Test Request for Point of Care
Live Event: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until December 13, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides

Evaluation Link
This webinar will cover steps for reviewing and approving new test requests. We will breakdown and review the key components needed to implement new tests, walk through the steps for implementing a new test once it is approved, and discuss how to build, test, and maintain a successful IT interface. This session will also include case studies reviewing decision-making criteria for adding, or not adding, new POCTs.



This webinar will:
  • Identify key components in developing a formal approval structure for new test requests
  • Recognize and overcome common IT issues when interfacing point of care devices and tests
  • Learn how to integrate new tests into your point of care program

Presenter:
Jeanne Mumford, CLS(ASCP)
Manager, POCT
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Jeanne Mumford
Jeanne Mumford is the Pathology Manager for Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Jeanne offers 23 years of experience in Point-of-Care testing regulatory oversight, quality assurance projects and laboratory inspection preparedness and planning as a medical laboratory scientist (CLS, ASCP certified). She participates in many professional organizations including the Critical and POCT Division of AACC and the CLSI Expert Panel for POCT.
Clinician vs. Laboratorian: Conflict or Collaboration?
Live Event: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until November 17, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
While laboratorians and clinicians share the same goal, optimal patient care, they sometimes seem to be working in opposition. These conflicts are exacerbated by point of care (POC) testing and the need for operator compliance with laboratory regulations. In part this is due to different outlooks and ways of approaching questions. This presentation addresses these and other sources of conflict and suggests approaches to maximize cooperation.



This webinar will:
  • Describe common factors leading to conflict between labs and clinicians
  • Discuss possible changes to processes and procedures to minimize these conflicts
  • Review collaborative initiatives to alleviate conflict

 


Presenter:
Marcia L. Zucker, PhD
President, ZIVD LLC
Marcia Zucker Photo
Marcia Zucker is an independent consultant specializing in all aspects of point of care (POC) diagnostics. Prior to starting her company, Marcia was the Director of Clinical Support for Response Biomedical Corporation. In this capacity, she was responsible for Technical Support, clinical evaluations and developing customer tools for response products, including POC cardiac markers, rapid viral diagnostics, biodefense and environmental assay systems.
Labvocate: Amplify Your Voice for Your Profession and Your Patients
Live Event: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until October 25, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides
As medical laboratory professionals, we have a responsibility to advocate for our profession and our patients, but what does advocacy really mean? This webinar will offer medical laboratory professionals a crash course in advocacy and government affairs. Participants will learn how to effectively communicate laboratory issues to federal and state lawmakers and other stakeholders.



This webinar will:
  • Identify the differences between legislative and regulatory advocacy at both the state and federal level
  • Explain how legislation and regulation impact the practice of medical laboratory science
  • Discuss the best approach to engage with elected leaders, legislative staff, and other stakeholders to maximize their impact

 



Presenters:
Stephanie Noblit Esq., MLS (ASCP)CM
Legislative attorney
Stephanie Noblit Photo
Letycia C. Nuñez Argote, PhD, MPH, CPH, MLS(ASCP)CM
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
Letycia C. Nunez Argote Photo
Donna J. Spannaus-Martin, Ph.D., MLS
Professor & Program Director, Medical Laboratory Sciences
University of Minnesota
Donna J. Spannaus-Martin Photo
The Clinical Lab’s Most Misunderstood Tests: Creatinine, eGFR, Cystatin C and mGFR
Live Event: Tuesday, March 14, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until September 14, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording
Slides

There is great misunderstanding about the value of serum creatinine in detecting and monitoring changes in kidney function. Several studies have shown that, by appropriately monitoring changes in serum creatinine, this test is equally or more reliable than measured GFR, which is often erroneously called a “gold standard”. Measured GFR has large variability in both methodology and physiology. While some have made their careers on trying to make eGFR equations more “accurate”, meaning trying to make them agree with mGFRs, this is a fruitless and unnecessary endeavor.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various kidney function tests: Creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C, and measured GFR
  • Identify the classification system for CKD based on GFR and urine albumin
  • Discuss the early change of creatinine in blood in declining kidney function
  • Explain the basic methodology of mGFR by both urine clearance and plasma disappearance methods

Presenter:
John G Toffaletti, PhD, DABCC
Professor of Pathology and Director of Blood Gas Lab
Clinical Pediatric Lab and Clinic Labs
Duke Health System
John Toffaletti Photo
John Toffaletti has been at Duke University Medical Center since 1979, where he is Professor of Pathology and Director of the Blood Gas Laboratory, the Clinical Pediatric Laboratory, and several Clinic Labs. He is also Chief of Clinical Chemistry at the Durham VA Medical Center.
Opportunities and Risks of Direct-to-Consumer Testing
Live Event: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until August 15, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording

Slides

Patients are looking for easy access to laboratory diagnostics in order to take control of their health. Manufacturers and laboratories have found a new market by delivering lab tests to the patient with direct-to-consumer marketing. While the test menu varies from state to state depending on local laws, direct-to-consumer tests offer convenience for patients to order their own tests and either test directly in the privacy of their home or mail the sample to a laboratory and receive test results over the internet or via mail in confidence.

However, direct-to-consumer testing poses the risk of incorrect result interpretation, variable quality of test results, and overutilization or inappropriate utilization as consumers may not have the medical savvy to make appropriate test selection choices. This presentation will review the opportunities and risks of direct-to-consumer testing.


This webinar will:
  • Identify new healthcare trends
  • Describe the benefits and risks of direct-to-consumer testing
  • Discuss the role of POCT in evolving healthcare

Presenter:
James H. Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FAACC
Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry and POCT
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
James H. Nichols Photo
Dr. Nichols is board certified in both Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. Dr. Nichols spent several years as Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry, Director of Point-of-Care Testing, and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Dr. Nichols’ research interests span evidence-based medicine, information management, laboratory automation, point-of-care testing and toxicology.
Lab Industry Outlook 2023: Latest Reimbursement & Policy Updates
Live Event: Wednesday, January 18, 2023 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until July 18, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording

Slides

In effect since early 2020, the ongoing federal public health emergency has resulted in some wide-ranging challenges and opportunities for the clinical laboratory industry, including significant impacts affecting lab reimbursement and regulation. To help participants better understand what to expect in the coming year, this webinar will analyze the current policy and legislative agenda for labs affecting the following key areas: Medicare reimbursement and PAMA revisions; changes in CLIA fees and personnel requirements; regulatory and legislative oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and red-flag warnings for labs involving fraudulent and abusive practices.


This webinar will:
  • Examine how the federal public health emergency has affected the reimbursement and policy environment for the clinical laboratory industry
  • Track current PAMA regulatory, legislative and legal developments and learn how they would change Medicare payment rates for labs in 2023 and beyond
  • Identify how proposed CLIA changes would modify fees and personnel requirements for labs starting next year
  • Explain how policy initiatives and proposed legislation would affect oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs)
  • Discuss the current federal anti-fraud actions affecting labs and what to look out for in 2023
Presenter:
Dennis Weissman, MS
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates LLC
Falls Church, VA
Dennis Weissman Photo
Dennis Weissman is a nationally known independent consultant with expertise in Medicare policy, health care reform and federal regulatory and reimbursement issues affecting clinical and anatomic laboratories and related provider interests. He previously founded and served as publisher of Washington G-2 Reports (now G2 Intelligence), an information company that covers the U.S. laboratory industry via newsletters, research reports, webinars and live conferences.
2022 CAP Accreditation Checklist Updates: Changes that Matter
Live Event: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until June 14, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
This webinar is intended to provide insight on the changes made to the October 24, 2022 edition of the CAP Accreditation Program Checklists. It will help laboratories identify relevant checklist changes and implement strategies to ensure compliance for their next on-site CAP inspection.

Along with the presentation of the checklist changes, the presentation will also include commonly encountered compliance scenarios, as well as answers to frequently asked questions to help participants gain a better understanding of the checklist requirements.


This webinar will:
  • Describe key changes and the rationale for the changes in the 2022 version of the CAP Accreditation program requirements
  • Use CAP resources to identify changes
  • Implement any necessary changes to ensure compliance with new accreditation requirements

Presenters:
Harris Goodman Photo  Harris S. Goodman, MD, FCAP
Chief, Anatomic Pathology, Alameda Health System, Co-Director, Clinical Laboratory, Highland Hospital
Chair of the CAP’s Checklists Committee
Blue Line 
Steven Sarewitz Photo  Stephen Sarewitz, MD, FCAP
Retired Pathologist
Vice Chair of the CAP’s Checklists Committee

Respiratory Pathogen Testing at the Point of Care: Lessons from the Past, What to Use Now, What to Expect Tomorrow
Live Event: Monday, November 14, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until May 14, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Diagnostics for respiratory infections are evolving rapidly, particularly in the context of COVID-19. New technologies and new tests for emerging and existing pathogens make the testing landscape increasingly complex. When the testing environment changes from the lab to point of care (POCT), new questions arise.

The history of POCT has lessons for testing today. This webinar will put current POCT in historical context, review current issues and practices for respiratory viruses, and allow persons involved in performing or overseeing POCT to ask the right questions to maximize testing quality and impact, as well as being able to look toward future technologies and anticipate their role in testing for respiratory infections.


This webinar will:
  • Summarize themes in the history of POCT
  • Evaluate current technologies in POCT for respiratory infections
  • Assess possible future POCT for respiratory infections



Dr. Campbell's song: Every Patient is Mine
Presenter:
Sheldon Campbell, MD, PhD, FCAP
Professor of Laboratory Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
VA Connecticut
Sheldon Campbell Photo
Dr. Sheldon Campbell is Professor of Laboratory Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Associate Chief for Clinical Laboratories for the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. He completed his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and did residency and fellowship in Laboratory Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. He is board certified in Clinical Pathology and Medical Microbiology by the American Board of Pathology.
Twists, Turns and Accelerations: The Effect of Pneumatic Tube Specimen Transport on Clinical Laboratory Testing
Live Event: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until April 19, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
In most healthcare settings, specimens are transported to the clinical laboratory through the pneumatic tube system. These tube systems provide rapid, efficient, cost-effective, internal logistical solutions for laboratory specimens and other items such as blood products, pharmaceuticals and documents. Notwithstanding these advantages, PTS transport can induce changes in blood specimens that can interfere with laboratory analyses.

The requested and much-awaited follow-up to our September Lab Briefings event on external specimen transport, this webinar will discuss the impact of pneumatic tube transport on clinical laboratory specimens and strategies to mitigate these impacts so that specimen integrity is maintained during transport. Each PTS is unique and customized to meet the delivery needs of a given institution, and consequently, the impact of transport is difficult to determine prior to commissioning, as it may vary between institutions and even between different routes within the same institution. The webinar will detail studies that can be performed to validate pneumatic tube systems for clinical laboratory specimen transport.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the structure of the pneumatic tube system (PTS) as it pertains to the environmental conditions that specimens experience during transport
  • Discuss the impact of PTS transport on specimen integrity and mitigation strategies
  • Review the importance of validation and continuous monitoring of an institutions pneumatic tube system

Presenter:
Christina Pierre, PhD, DABCC, FAACC
Clinical Chemist
Section Director of Clinical Chemistry and Technical Supervisor of Coagulation
Christina Pierre Photo
Dr. Christina Pierre is a board-certified (ABCC) clinical chemist who is currently employed as the Director of Chemistry, Toxicology, Immunology and Urinalysis Sections at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital. She received her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She then went on to complete a ComACC accredited clinical chemistry fellowship in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Virginia, before joining Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital.
Neither Heat, Nor Snow, Nor Gravitational Force: The Effect of Specimen Transport Conditions on Clinical Laboratory Testing
Live Event: Monday, September 19, 2022 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until March 19, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Sample collection, handling, transport, and storage are essential areas to monitor in the preanalytical phase of laboratory testing. Before samples reach the clinical laboratory for analysis, they will often originate at either a remote collection site or in an inpatient setting. Each unique route presents numerous difficulties in the maintenance of sample integrity. This webinar will focus on challenges and practical solutions associated with external and internal sample transport, as well as several methods to detect various preanalytical errors.



This webinar will:
  • Identify current challenges in transporting specimens to the clinical laboratory
  • Discuss the need for standard instructions for specimens stored in courier lockboxes
  • Explain the importance of validation and continuous monitoring of an institutions pneumatic tube system
  • Review resources that could be implemented in detecting errors in these steps of the preanalytical phase of the total testing process

Presenter:
Joe Wiencek Photo  Joe Wiencek, PhD, DABCC, FAACC
Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine,
Service Line Medical Director of the Core Laboratory, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
 
Test Standardization: Some Practical Guidance
Live Event: Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until February 25, 2023  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The integration of physician practices into IDNs has fundamentally changed access to care over the past twenty years. Fewer practices remain independently owned, and the challenge to provide the best standard of care remains, resulting in a drive toward standardization. While standardization of care is critical, one unintended outcome is an increasing need to integrate the individual physician practice’s testing process with the current methods and portfolio of the overseeing IDN core lab.

Additionally, the successful path to care requires that clinicians have the lab tests needed to either initiate or modify a patient treatment program during the patient visit. Having the information available during the visit informs the clinical decision process and permits a more productive counseling session with the patient, resulting in greater compliance with the treatment program. The question then remains: how does the need to have tests available during the patient visit balance with the quality and portfolio breadth of testing available through the core lab? This webinar provides some thoughtful and practical thoughts on how to determine the optimal balance.


This webinar will:
  • Identify why standardization matters
  • Describe the impact of the testing setting on standardization considerations
  • Discuss innovation in the standardized environment
  • Review questions to ask that can help guide standardization discussions

Presenter:
Jim Poggi
Principal
Tested Insights
Jim Poggi Photo
Jim Poggi is a commercial professional in the lab business, acting as a practitioner, category director, and sales and marketing professional over the course of his career. Jim has a record of achievement in revenue, margin, and category growth from the lens of both the lab manufacturer and distributor. In fact, he successfully developed a complete suite of moderate complexity lab products and launched it into the primary care market, growing share above market rate. Jim is a peer reviewed author in hemoglobin A1C and serves as a member of the Repertoire Magazine editorial board.
The Promise and Reality of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-Based Testing for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases
Live Event: Thursday, June 30, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until December 30, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Molecular diagnostic methods have revolutionized diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. From real-time PCR to syndromic multiplex panels, and more recently next-generation sequencing (NGS), laboratories can now detect pathogen specific nucleic acid with high sensitivity and specificity without waiting for growth in culture. NGS-based tests also present the possibility of an agnostic diagnostic method capable of comprehensive detection of multiple pathogens simultaneously and directly from a patient sample.

Despite the incredible promise of NGS-based tests for infectious diseases, there are numerous hurdles preventing wide-scale use of this testing for frontline diagnostic, including high cost, long turnaround times, complicated interpretation and, at times, unclear clinical utility. This webinar will review NGS technology compared to traditional molecular methods and describe currently available NGS-based tests, as well as available literature describing its performance and clinical utility. Recommendations for appropriate use and forecasts of prospects will be presented.


This webinar will:
  • Compare NGS-based testing to traditional nucleic acid amplification methods
  • Describe advantages and limitations of NGS-based testing for diagnosis of infectious diseases
  • Identify clinical scenarios in which NGS-based testing should be considered
  • Evaluate strategies to improve appropriate use of NGS-based testing for infectious diseases

Presenters:
Huanya Wang Photo  Huanyu Wang, PhD, D(ABMM)
Assistant Professor of Pathology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Assistant Director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunoserology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Blue Line 
Sophonie Jean Photo  Sophonie Jean, PhD, D(ABMM)
Assistant Professor of Pathology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Assistant Director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunoserology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

A Fresh Look at Reflexive Urine Testing
Live Event: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until November 24, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent some of the most common bacterial infections and affect an estimated 150 million people worldwide, with a substantial healthcare economic burden. Urinalysis and urine culture are important laboratory tools in diagnosing UTIs and identifying patients who need treatment. Many laboratories use macroscopic (i.e., dipstick) urinalysis as a screening tool to determine when to reflex urine samples for a microscopic urinalysis and/or urine culture. However, evidence-based guidelines regarding optimal reflexive criteria and workflows for reflexive urine microscopy and reflexive urine culture are lacking. Standard approaches are hindered by a lack of harmonization of urinalysis and urine culture practices as well as heterogeneity in patient populations.

This session will summarize studies that have evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of reflexive urine microscopy and reflexive urine culture. The speaker will describe reported clinical outcomes from reflexive urinalysis interventions and their impact on antibiotic stewardship efforts. Finally, the speaker will discuss operational considerations for clinical laboratories in implementing urine reflexive algorithms.


This webinar will:
  • Compare the correlative performances of urinalysis, urine microscopy, and urine culture
  • Describe motivations for and clinical outcomes associated with urine reflexive testing
  • Contrast various laboratory workflows and operational considerations for implementing reflexive urine testing
Presenter:
Allison Chambliss, PhD, DABCC
Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology Keck School of Medicine of USC
Director of Clinical Chemistry and Point of Care Testing
LAC+USC Medical Center
Allison Chambliss Photo
Allison Chambliss, PhD, DABCC, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. She is the Section Director of Clinical Chemistry and Point-of-Care Testing in the clinical laboratories of the Los Angeles County + USC (LAC+USC) Medical Center. Dr. Chambliss has research interests in validating new diagnostics and biomarkers, procalcitonin and sepsis, and laboratory utilization initiatives. She teaches medical students and Pathology residents at USC.
Recruiting Medical Laboratory Staff: An Educator’s Point of View
Live Event: Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until October 28, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Clinical laboratories are amidst a severe workforce shortage and have struggled to recruit and retain qualified staff. Demographic shifts and consequences of the pandemic have affected the pool of students in educational programs and led current professionals to evaluate their continued employment.

Many think that recruitment and retention are the responsibilities of human resources and, to some degree, upper management. This may be true when the workforce is plentiful, but it is less likely to be true in the current environment. This webinar will outline factors that influence career choice and job selection, particularly for post-secondary students, and provide practical suggestions for laboratory staff at all levels to participate in recruitment and retention to the profession.


This webinar will:
  • Review the shifts in the educational environment that are contributing to fewer students in medical laboratory programs
  • Describe shifts in employment nationally, especially in healthcare since the pandemic
  • Discuss what motivates new graduates and other laboratory professionals to accept employment offers
  • Identify steps employers and laboratory staff can take to increase the desirability of the medical laboratory profession, specifically positions within your lab

 


Presenter:
Diane Davis, Ph.D., MLS (ASCP)CM, SCCM, SLSCM
Director, Medical Laboratory Science Program
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD
Diane Davis Photo
Dr. Diane Davis graduated from Salisbury University in 1980 with a Medical Technology degree, summa cum laude, and in 1989 with a Master’s of Education degree. Dr. Davis later earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Laboratory Science with distinction from Catholic University of America in 2000. She has almost 40 years of full-time and per diem experience in a clinical chemistry, joining the Salisbury University Medical Laboratory Science Program in 1987. Dr. Davis served 25 years as the Clinical Coordinator for the SU MLS Program and began serving as Program Director in 2011.
Resiliency in Supply Chain Planning: A Supplier’s View
Live Event: Tuesday, March 22, 2022  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until September 22, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides

Healthcare faces many supply chain threats, exacerbated by the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on global planning. The ability to respond to a disruption through resistance and recovery in a timely manner defines the resiliency of the organization. Labs, dependent on critical supplies to support patients, require resilient supply chains to prevent disruptions created by supply chain bottlenecks and lack of visibility. Removing these bottlenecks, providing better transparency and alternatives, improves results.

In this webinar, you will learn about resiliency blueprints from a supplier’s perspective. We will walk through each element to interpret the value that robotic process automation and digital transformation can have in establishing a resilient health system supply chain. The following considerations will be discussed:

  • Modern digital universe using advanced planning systems (APS), augmented intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation
  • Formal sales and operations planning, sales and operations execution and collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment strategies
  • Business continuity plans with redundant supply chains
  • How well-trained employees in medical supplies manufacturing industry can identify gaps early

 

This webinar will:

  • Identify how collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment improves the supplier/provider relationship
  • Review industry practices in demand and supply planning
  • Examine resiliency blueprinting from a manufacturer’s perspective
  • Explain supply chain visibility, what it means and why it is important in today’s planning environment

 

Presenter:
Peter Bennett, CPIM
Vice President, U.S. Demand and Supply Planning
Cardinal Health
Peter Bennett Photo
Peter Bennett is the Vice President of U.S. Demand and Supply Planning for Cardinal Health. In this role, he is accountable for all U.S. demand planning, supply planning, field inventory management/deployment, and key customer collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) teams. He supports Cardinal Health's U.S. product brands, national brands, Presource, Aero-Med and at-Home Solutions businesses. Bennett earned a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a Master of Science from Central Michigan University.
Lab Industry Outlook 2022: Latest Reimbursement & Policy Updates
Live Event: Wednesday, January 26, 2022  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until July 26, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The unprecedented public health crisis in the COVID era and the roller coaster effect it has had on the U.S. health care system has resulted in a turbulent ride for the nation’s clinical laboratories. Though labs have experienced some key business and policy adjustments during the pandemic, this has done little to alter longstanding industry pressure points related to Medicare and private payor payment and regulatory oversight. This webinar will explain what lab professionals can expect to see in reimbursement and policy changes in the year ahead and provide insights on how these shifts will impact lab organizations.


This webinar will:
  • Identify key impacts the COVID pandemic is having on the laboratory industry
  • Examine the latest PAMA policy developments and how they will affect lab payment in the future
  • Review the outlook for government payment and private payor policies for clinical labs and anatomic pathology services
  • Describe the shifting policy dynamics affecting laboratory-developed tests and the status of pending LDT legislation
  • Explain how labs should manage regulatory mandates in ERKA, OSHA, No Surprise Billing and Stark self-referral requirements

 


Presenter:
Dennis Weissman, MS
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates LLC,
Falls Church, VA
Dennis Weissman Photo
Dennis Weissman has been an independent consultant for the past decade with expertise in Medicare, health care reform and federal regulatory policies affecting clinical and anatomic laboratories and related health interests. He previously founded and served as publisher of Washington G-2 Reports (now G2 Intelligence), an information company that covers the U.S. laboratory industry via newsletters, research reports, webinars and live conferences.
Diabetes Management and the Value of Point of Care Testing
Live Event: Thursday, November 18, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until May 18, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The number of adults with diabetes in the world is expected to increase to 700 million by 2045, including as many as 1 in 3 US adults. Diabetes leads to changes and symptoms in multiple organ systems. Monitoring and treating these effectively takes time and attention from the patient and the healthcare team. Yet, most often these patients are seen and managed in primary care practices who are often under heavy time and cost containment pressures.

Managing patients diagnosed with diabetes according to the ADA Standards of Care guidelines is critically important, yet overall testing compliance is poor. Only 26.7% of patients diagnosed with diabetes meet targets for glycemic, blood pressure, or cholesterol control. Several studies suggest that POCT for HbA1c is beneficial in multiple areas. Outcomes included in these studies suggested patients had greater understanding and were more satisfied with the state of their disease and treatment and had better glycemic control. Increased compliance with ADA testing frequency, improved operational efficiencies, and better care for under-privileged populations have also been observed in studies investigating POC testing.


This webinar will:
  • Discuss the current situation in terms of diabetes prevalence now and looking towards the future
  • Examine current guidelines and goals surrounding diabetes diagnosis and management and the challenges associated with achieving them
  • Review how point of care testing may improve operational efficiencies and lead to better outcomes

 

Presenter:
Naseer Ahmed, MD
Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Abbott Laboratories
Naseer Ahmed Photo
Dr. Naseer Ahmed received his medical degree from the college of Physicians and Surgeons in Pakistan and completed residencies in both Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Military Hospital in Rawalpindi. Since moving to the United States, Dr. Ahmed has worked for Johnson & Johnson as a Director of Clinical Affairs, St. Jude Medical as a Director of Clinical Research and is currently employed by Abbott Laboratories as a Senior Director of Clinical, Medical & Scientific Affairs.
SARS CoV-2 Test Performance Update
Live Event: Thursday, October 21, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until April 21, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
SARS CoV-2 emerged in 2019 in Asia and rapidly blanketed the global population with disease. This pandemic continues to cause unprecedented morbidity and mortality despite the availability of effective vaccines and disease control methods including contact tracing and isolation. Testing is the cornerstone of contact tracing. The reliability of SARS CoV-2 tests impact both patient care and public health responses.
Due to the reliance on accurate SARS CoV-2 testing for clinical care and disease control efforts, quality management of these tests are critical. Testing methods were rapidly developed and distributed by individuals and diagnostic corporations and offered by clinical, public health and non-traditional testing sites. Are the SARS CoV-2 tests reliable? Proficiency testing results are one method to monitor individual laboratory performance and detect trends in method accuracy for further investigation.
This presentation will provide an overview of SARS CoV-2 laboratory diagnostic approaches and analysis of RT PCR proficiency testing performance.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the laboratory methods used for SARS CoV-2 testing
  • Explain the role of proficiency testing in a laboratory quality management system
  • Describe the participant, methods, and results of multiple SARS CoV-2 RT PCR proficiency testing results

 



Presenter:
Frances Pouch Downes, DrPH, HCLD (ABB)
Professor, BioMedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program, Michigan State University
Frances Pouch Downes Photo
Dr. Frances Pouch Downes is current faculty at Michigan State University, with experience teaching courses in microbiology, laboratory management, public health administration and policy, as well as a study abroad program in infectious diseases of Africa Malawi. She holds a Dr.P.H. and MPH from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Public Health and a BS Medical Technology from Indiana University.
Demonstrating the Value of Clinical Laboratory Medicine: Partnership with Case Management
Live Event: Wednesday, September 15, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until March 15, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The healthcare industry continues to face the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include falling margins, flattened revenues, and rising expenses1. Given the low Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) based reimbursement under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prospective payment system, it is more important than ever for hospitals to focus on quality measures to provide timely and effective care, prevent complications and deaths, reduce readmissions, and minimize the overall cost of care. While Case Management is typically tasked with addressing these issues, partnership with the clinical laboratory can provide valuable and unique insight and strategies.

Until recently, Case Management and clinical laboratories were thought to be an unlikely partnership. However, this webinar will explore real world examples of how collaboration with the laboratory can improve quality metrics within a hospital and demonstrate the value of the clinical laboratory. Dr. Fletcher will outline laboratory strategies for driving improvement in length of stay, transitions of care, denials in payment, readmissions, and hospital-acquired conditions. Each of these strategies has the potential to save millions of dollars or drive additional revenue while simultaneously improving patient care.

1https://www.kaufmanhall.com/ideas-resources/research-report/national-hospital-flash-report-november-2020



This webinar will:
  • Identify and discuss potential laboratory strategies to address length of stay issues
  • Understand how laboratory tests can impact transitions of care and readmissions
  • Demonstrate how laboratory tests can influence denials in payment due to medical necessity
  • Discuss how laboratory testing can improve hospital acquired conditions
Presenter:
Andrew Fletcher, MD, CPE
ARUP Medical Director, Consultative Services
Andrew Fletcher Photo
Dr. Fletcher is a board-certified anatomic/clinical pathologist and certified physician executive. He has significant experience in leading quality initiatives that enhance organizations’ safety and value. In addition to pathology board certification, he has worked as a Physician Advisor with case management and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. As ARUP’s medical director of Consultative Services, he leads a team of expert consultants focused on hospital quality, laboratory stewardship, laboratory efficiency, and outreach growth. He has helped develop laboratory stewardship programs throughout the U.S., which have captured millions of dollars in cost savings.
Strategies for Managing Blood Product Shortages
Live Event: Thursday, August 26, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until February 26, 2022  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Blood product shortages arise due to a variety of external circumstances. Seasonality and severe weather events routinely disrupt our blood supply. But in today’s pandemic environment, an entirely new layer of powerful externalities related to COVID-19 public health interventions are having unintended negative effects on our blood supply.

These necessary public health interventions, such as school closures, work-from-home policies, and stay-at-home mandates, are all creating unprecedented challenges for our nation’s blood collectors. As a result, blood product availability is increasingly unpredictable regardless of the weather or seasonality.


This webinar will:
  • Identify the key drivers of blood supply
  • Describe how these factors are challenged by routine and extraordinary negative events, such as COVID-19
  • Discuss how provider organizations can be as prepared as possible to navigate blood product shortages when they occur
  • Develop best practices to implement when experiencing a severe blood product shortage, ensuring optimized access to available resources and existing inventory

Presenter:
Chris Godfrey, BBA, MHL
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bloodbuy
Chris Godfrey Photo
As the founder and CEO of Bloodbuy, Chris Godfrey is responsible for the overall strategic direction and growth of the organization, its technology solutions, and its people. Bloodbuy uses patented technology, developed to seamlessly connect hundreds of hospitals to a nationwide network of independent blood centers. Prior to founding Bloodbuy, Chris focused his energy on a variety of entrepreneurial and institutional investment activities within healthcare, spanning the entire care continuum.
Blood Management and Utilization
Live Event: Wednesday, June 23, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until December 23, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Blood product utilization is a critical hospital laboratory function that is a potential source for both lost revenue and patient harm. The total dollar cost of red blood cell transfusion to hospitals is more than four billion dollars per year with more than 200,000 documented adverse reactions per year.

Blood management is a necessary function to address blood and monetary waste, as well as to protect patients from unnecessary transfusions. This discussion will provide tools and tips to either start your facility on the path to a functioning management program or enhance a program that may already be in place.


This webinar will:
  • Demonstrate the need and required elements of a blood management program
  • Develop a template for the establishment and functions of a blood review committee (BRC)
  • Discuss long term objectives of the BRC and how this will impact both patient care and the bottom line

Presenter:
Michael Veri, MLS (ASCP), MS, CPT (US Army)
Michael Veri Photo
Michael Veri has been a laboratorian for 18 years with 8 years of director and regional director experience in both civilian and military medical settings. He is the principal author of Laboratory Management 101, a webinar series for the education of current and future laboratory leaders. His work includes both quality improvement and cost savings initiatives such as blood management.
Laboratory Finance: 101 and Beyond
Live Event: Wednesday, May 19, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until November 19, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Effective management of a laboratory includes financial management. How and how much do you get paid for your services? Do you really know how much it costs to perform your testing? A clear understanding of both sides of the balance sheet is necessary to effectively budget and manage the finances of the laboratory. Regardless of reimbursement models, it is increasingly necessary to be able to demonstrate an accurate bottom line, as financial contribution can be an important part of demonstrating overall laboratory value. In this educational session, you will learn the basics and beyond of laboratory finance.


This webinar will:
  • Define commonly used financial terms and how they can be applied within the laboratory
  • Analyze laboratory costs through accurate cost accounting
  • Describe the different laboratory revenue streams and how to measure them; demonstrate laboratory financial contribution
Presenter:
Jane Hermansen
Director, Outreach Consulting and Health Plan Contracting
Mayo Clinic
Jane Hermansen Photo
Jane Hermansen has over 30 years of clinical laboratory experience within community hospital and academic medical center settings. At Mayo Clinic since 1988, she currently directs the outreach consulting and health plan contracting network activities for hospital laboratories across the country.
Improved Liver Cancer Surveillance with Serum Biomarkers AFP-L3 & DCP
Live Event: Tuesday, April 27, 2021  3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until October 27, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide and occurs almost entirely in patients with chronic liver disease. Unfortunately, most patients are diagnosed at late stages, thus precluding curative therapies. However, new biomarkers are available for early detection.

This webinar will review the epidemiology of HCC, briefly discuss staging and curative treatment options, and describe in detail the available biomarkers for early detection of HCC, as well as their application.


This webinar will:
  • Identify patients at risk for HCC
  • Understand the importance of early detection of HCC
  • Describe and apply the available serum biomarkers for HCC



Presenter:
Michael Volk, MD, MSc, AGAF, FAASLD
Medical Director of Liver Transplantation
Division Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Robert and Gladys Mitchell Professor of Medicine
Loma Linda University Health
Michael Volk Photo
Dr. Volk is the Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at Loma Linda University. He is triple board certified in Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Internal Medicine, and has been frequently selected by Best Doctors as among the top Hepatologists in the country.
Medical Laboratory Staffing: Where is Everyone?
Live Event: Wednesday, March 31, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until September 31, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
The medical (clinical) laboratory has long been dealing with employment staffing shortages due to a variety of factors. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the laboratory staffing issue has been revealed as reaching a critical and dangerous breaking point due to several already known but now amplified challenges. This webinar will explain several factors including retirements, burnout, and free agency travelers at the intersection of laboratory staffing and quality patient healthcare.



This webinar will:
  • Explain the challenges around recruitment and retention in the laboratory revealed in ASCP’s Wage and Vacancy surveys
  • Discuss the evolution of medical laboratory staffing over the past several decades
  • Describe how factors such as retirement, burnout, traveling laboratory professionals (free agency) and visibility play a role in staffing shortages
  • Discuss the challenges of education, visibility and salary on the future of our profession as it relates to staffing

Presenter:
Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, SM(ASCP)CM, SVCM, MBCM, FACSc, Global Fellow
Professor & Chair, Texas State University
Rodney Rhode photo
Dr. Rohde is a passionate advocate for the medical laboratory and public health laboratory profession, as well as a globally recognized science communicator. He loves to mentor students, alumni and colleagues and has received numerous awards and honors during his career. Most recently, he was named to The Pathologist’s Power List 2020. His primary research and subject matter expertise is in rabies and antibiotic resistance, especially MRSA.
The New Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute Final Rules: Implications and Considerations for Laboratories
Live Event: Wednesday, February 17, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until August 17, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
In late November 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services published final rules relating to the federal Self-Referral (Stark) Law and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). The intention of both rules is to update the two legal frameworks in a way that gives providers greater flexibility to implement delivery of care structures that embrace care coordination and value-based programs.

Labs remain under intense scrutiny from government authorities. This was highlighted by the fact that clinical laboratories were expressly excluded from certain exceptions and safe harbors in the new final rules. This scrutiny is unlikely to change in the near future. Implementation of new and more innovative structures between healthcare providers will likely only increase investigation and audit activities by government regulators and government payors. Fraud, waste, and abuse initiatives are also expected to increase as a result of the multiple COVID-19 relief programs that have been rolled out over the past nine months.

This presentation is designed to provide an overview of the federal Stark and AKS frameworks and highlight the updates that are likely to impact clinical laboratories. Participants will have an overarching understanding of the federal Stark and AKS rules and regulations and will learn the new exceptions and safe harbors applicable to clinical laboratories. This presentation will also highlight some of the well-publicized exceptions and safe harbors from which clinical laboratories are excluded. This will allow participants to help identify proposals and opportunities that may not be acceptable under the updated laws, even if they are acceptable between other providers.


This webinar will:
  • Discuss the basic regulatory framework for federal Stark and AKS laws and the areas where the laws most often impact clinical laboratories
  • Review the changes to Stark and AKS as a result of the new final rules that are applicable to clinical laboratories
  • Identify potential Stark and AKS considerations in new opportunities and proposals
Presenters:
Liz Sullivan pic 
Elizabeth Sullivan, Esq., Co-Chair, National Healthcare Practice Group, McDonald Hopkins LLC

Elizabeth is Co-Chair of the National Healthcare Practice at McDonald Hopkins LLC. She has experience providing regulatory, licensing, compliance, reimbursement, contractual, and corporate guidance to healthcare providers, including clinical laboratories and pathology groups.
   
Courney Tito pic  Courtney Tito, Esq., Member, National Healthcare Practice Group, McDonald Hopkins LLC

Courtney is a member of the Health Law group at McDonald Hopkins LLC and is in its West Palm Beach office. She counsels and represents clients in a variety of health law areas, including federal and private payor audits and disputes, reimbursement, contract, and more. 
   
Emily Johnson  Emily Johnson, Esq., Member, National Healthcare Practice Group, McDonald Hopkins LLC

Emily is a member of the Health Law group at McDonald Hopkins LLC and is in its Chicago office. She provides regulatory and compliance assistance on both a federal and state level. 
Lab Payment and Policy Update & Outlook in the Age of COVID-19
Live Event: Wednesday, January 27, 2021  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until July 27, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust clinical laboratory testing into the national spotlight and created unprecedented financial and policy challenges and opportunities for the laboratory industry. This webinar will explain how labs are impacted by critical reimbursement and regulatory changes and trends under both government and commercial payers. The speaker will also highlight the healthcare and political dynamics at play for the new Administration and how they inform the Medicare payment and policy outlook for labs in 2021.



This webinar will:
  • Assess key lessons for policymakers & clinical labs in implementing a diagnostic testing strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Describe how COVID-19 affected the financial health and government policies for labs
  • Discuss how scheduled PAMA reimbursement cuts and reporting requirements for labs have been delayed by COVID-19 policy mandates
  • Examine how a new Administration and Congress will influence policy changes for labs in 2021

Presenter:
Dennis Weissman
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates LLC
Dennis Weissman Photo
Dennis Weissman has been an independent consultant for the past decade with expertise in Medicare, health care reform and federal regulatory policies affecting clinical and anatomic laboratories and related health interests. He previously founded and served as publisher of Washington G-2 Reports (now G2 Intelligence), an information company that covers the U.S. laboratory industry via newsletters, research reports and conferences.
2020 CAP Accreditation Checklist Updates: Changes that Matter
Live Event: Wednesday, December 16, 2020  3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
P.A.C.E.® Credit available until June 16, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
This webinar is intended to provide insight on the changes made to the June 4, 2020 edition of the CAP Accreditation Program Checklists. It will help laboratories identify relevant checklist changes and implement strategies to ensure compliance for their next on-site CAP inspection.

Along with the presentation of the checklist changes, the presentation will also include commonly encountered compliance scenarios, as well as answers to frequently asked questions to help participants gain a better understanding of the checklist requirements.




This webinar will:
  • Describe key changes and the rationale for the changes in the 2020 version of the CAP Accreditation program requirements
  • Use CAP resources to identify changes
  • Implement any necessary changes to ensure compliance with new accreditation requirements


Presenters:
Harris Goodman Photo  Harris S. Goodman, MD, FCAP
Dr. Harris Goodman is the Chief of Anatomic Pathology for the Alameda Health System, Co-Director of the Clinical Laboratory at Highland Hospital and owner of Paragon Pathology. Dr. Goodman is an avid ultramarathoner with a love of pathology.
Blue Line 
Stephen Sarewitz Photo  Stephen Sarewitz, MD, FCAP
Dr. Sarewitz is a retired Pathologist, and is currently Vice Chair of the CAP’s Checklists Committee and Vice Chair of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation.

Finding the Right Referral Laboratory
Live Event: Wednesday, November 18, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until May 18, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides 
A referral laboratory offers a broad test menu ranging from routine assays to highly specialized or esoteric assays to consultative services. Selecting a referral laboratory that offers the assays or services physicians need to inform patient treatment decisions can be overwhelming. What questions should be asked? What criteria are important? How are the answers analyzed to help with selection? Who should be involved in the selection process?

This presentation will review the process for identifying appropriate qualification criteria and establishing a selection process for selecting a referral laboratory, developing an agreement and implementing processes to utilize the referral laboratory’s services. A variety of metrics will also be presented to assist with evaluating the referral laboratory’s performance.



This webinar will:
  • Describe the process to select a referral laboratory or consultative services
  • Discuss processes needed to utilize referral laboratory or consultative services
  • Develop metrics to evaluate a referral laboratory’s or consultant’s performance


Presenter:
Laura McClannan, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQA(ASQ)
Quality Director, Oklahoma Blood Institute
Laura McClannan Photo
Laura McClannan is the Quality Director at Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI). Laura previously worked at Laboratory Corporation of America as the Vice President of Quality and prior to LabCorp had a long career in Transfusion Medicine and Quality Management. Laura received her Medical Technology degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia and her master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Laura holds a Specialist in Blood Bank certification and is a Certified Quality Auditor through the American Society for Quality.
Building the Laboratory and Antimicrobial Stewardship Relationship to Improve Patient Outcomes
Live Event: Thursday, October 29, 2020  2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until April 29, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is primarily driven by antimicrobial prescribing. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are now required by regulatory and accreditation agencies and help play a key role in optimizing antimicrobial utilization and improve patient outcomes.

Microbiology laboratories and antimicrobial stewardship can form key collaborations that are mutually beneficial. This webinar will provide an overview of antimicrobial stewardship programs and describe how microbiology laboratories serve an integral role in promoting appropriate antimicrobial utilization, optimizing patient outcomes, and decreasing infection rates.



This webinar will:
  • Define antimicrobial stewardship
  • List laboratory strategies that help promote appropriate antimicrobial utilization
  • Identify examples of laboratory and antimicrobial stewardship collaboration that improve patient outcomes




Presenter:
Jerod Nagel, PharmD, BCIDP
Pharmacy Lead, Infectious Diseases & Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
University of Michigan Hospital and Health Systems
Jared Nagel Photo
Dr. Nagel is currently the pharmacy lead for the Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship program at the University of Michigan Hospital and Health Systems. He graduated from Purdue University and completed Infectious Diseases residency at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. He directs the infectious diseases residency and holds a faculty appointment as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Instructor.
A Critical Evaluation of Critical Value Notification
Live Event: Wednesday, September 30, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until March 30, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The webinar will explore the role that laboratories play in critical value notification to patient care teams. The landscape of resources available to benchmark thresholds for notification will be discussed and considerations for setting critical values. Evaluating glucose critical values and how evolving recommendations for management of hypoglycemia are impacting critical value thresholds will be used as a case study.




This webinar will:
  • Identify existing recommendations for critical value thresholds
  • Contrast different mechanisms for critical results notification
  • Investigate the origin of the latest ADA glycemic definitions and their impact on the lab



Presenter:
Steven W. Cotten, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Director of Automated Chemistry and Critical Care Testing
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Steven Cotton Photo
Dr. Cotten is Director of Automated Chemistry and Critical Care Testing at UNC Hospitals Medical Center. He is an assistant professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
COVID-19 Serology: Implementation, Clinical Utility, and Outstanding Questions
Live Event: Wednesday, August 26, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until February 26, 2021  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. As a result, there has been a dramatic availability of serological assays for COVID-19 and often considerable pressure on laboratories to adopt these assays. However, the clinical utility of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays is not fully elucidated, the test performance between assays may vary considerably, and the guidelines for implementation and reporting onerous. This webinar will address these important issues for SARS-CoV-2 serological testing with a focus on implementation and how to guide health care providers when ordering testing.




This webinar will:
  • Examine the proposed utility of serological testing for COVID-19
  • Describe the shortcomings associated with COVID-19 serological testing
  • Review the method to validate COVID-19 serological assays


Presenter:
Christopher W. Farnsworth, PhD
Instructor, Pathology and Immunology
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Christopher Farnsworth Photo
Dr. Farnsworth is an instructor of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis and a Medical Director of clinical chemistry and point of care testing at Barnes Jewish Hospital. He has assessed multiple serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 and has overseen their implementation for clinical use. Dr. Farnsworth’s research laboratory is actively engaged in assessing SARS-CoV-2 serological assays including correlating commercially available assays with protection, assessing their analytical performance, and their utility for prognostication.
The Importance of Information Technology for your Outreach Program
Live Event: Wednesday, June 24, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until December 24, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Expectations of the laboratory from clients are changing. It is no longer okay just to offer interfaces. There are many new complexities in laboratory ordering, resulting, billing and overall customer service that the laboratory needs to address. Information Technology plays a major role in every aspect of your program. From ordering in the practice, patients presenting in your Patient Service Centers, to the generation of the final bill.

Organizations all have different suites of applications that are used within the laboratory. This webinar is designed to help you understand systems available to help you maximize the benefit of your existing applications. It will offer suggestions on how to get clean orders into your laboratory, deliver results in the way your physicians want to see them, and make the process of having lab work completed easy for your patients.


This webinar will:
  • Illustrate how to better utilize applications that may already exist your health system
  • Identify other applications on the market that can complement your systems and help you grow your programs
  • Discuss examples of solutions other laboratories have implemented

Presenter:
Marci Dop MT(ASCP), MBA Laboratory IT Executive and Consultant
Marci Drop Photo
Ms. Dop has worked as an independent consultant for many years working with numerous labs including academic medical centers, large health systems, independent labs and specialty labs. She has also served in various leadership roles including CIO of a large reference lab in California and System Vice President of a large health system. She has managed many laboratory integrations and consolidations, multiple system selection and implementations and specializes in process improvement that include both operational workflow and IT applications that support the workflow.
Lab 2.0 - The Golden Age of the Clinical Laboratory:
Reshaping the Way Healthcare is Delivered
Live Event: Wednesday, May 27, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until November 27, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
The world of healthcare is changing – the clinical laboratory is changing with it. As healthcare shifts from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement, the current lab model is not sustainable. While the traditional, transactional lab model continues to serve as a foundation, the emerging Clinical Lab 2.0 business model leverages longitudinal laboratory data to product actionable, clinical insight, driving better outcomes and financial stakeholders alike.

The Clinical Lab 2.0 Movement is helping to empower laboratory leaders, and clinical lab scientists to drive population-level programmatic initiatives that quantifiably improve patient outcomes, reduce the cost of care and align with the future of value-based healthcare.


This webinar will:
  • Discuss the quantitative value of the clinical lab in Value Based Care (VBC)
  • Describe why the current business model of the clinical lab is NOT sustainable
  • Discuss why we must have a seat at the table at the C-Suite to help design and drive future care delivery models managing population health

Presenter: Khosrow Shotobrani, President and Executive Director Project Santa Fe Foundation - “Clinical Lab 2.0 Movement”
Founder and CEO, Lab 2.0 Strategic Services LLC
Khosrow Shotorbani Pic
Khosrow Shotorbani is the CEO and founder of the newly established Lab 2.0 Strategic Services, LLC. He is a member of the board, and President, Executive Director of Project Santa Fe Foundation, advocating for Clinical Lab 2.0 Movement.
Mr. Shotorbani was instrumental in the creation of Project Santa Fe - a initiative with like-minded executives - helping to drive new frontiers that will define future economic valuation and placement of diagnostic services and practice of laboratory Medicine.
Laboratory Interpretive Services:
Taking Your Lab to the Next Level in Meeting Medical Needs
Live Event: Wednesday, April 22, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until October 22, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Laboratory testing is an integral part of clinical decision-making. Yet, physicians are challenged with ordering the right test for their patient that will best answer their clinical question. Laboratories don’t make it easy, with multiple tests that have similar names and multiple names for the same test. The consequence is clinical confusion that causes doctors to order the wrong tests, miss the necessary tests and overuse the laboratory. Physicians also have less time to keep up with best practice literature given the rapid addition of genetic, molecular and other diagnostic tests to the market. The laboratory can help by providing interpretive services. A team of experts reviews the patient’s chart, orders the appropriate tests and provides a concise interpretive narrative based upon best practices and medical evidence for the clinician.

This webinar will explore examples of how a laboratory can add value by providing interpretive services to the physician that will save money, enhance laboratory efficiency, decrease unnecessary testing, and improve adherence to current best practices.



This webinar will:
  • Recognize the complexity of physician ordering to select the right test for the patient
  • Identify how to provide an interpretive service
  • Describe the benefits of a Laboratory Formulary Committee



Presenter:
James H. Nichols Ph.D., DABCC, FAACC
Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry and Point-of-Care Testing
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Jim Nichols photo
Dr. Nichols  is board certified in both Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. He spent several years as Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry, Director of Point-of-Care Testing, and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Jim later served as Medical Director of Clinical Chemistry for Baystate Health in Springfield, MA and was a Professor of Pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Nichols’ research interests span evidence-based medicine, information management, laboratory automation, point-of-care testing and toxicology.
Three Percent is For Wimps: Achieving and Maintaining
Blood Culture Contamination Rates Below 1%

Live Event: Tuesday, February 25, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until August 25, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Blood Culture Contamination is an enormous problem in healthcare delivery systems everywhere, costing facilities on average over $1 million every year1. The current industry average of 3 percent2 is neither acceptable nor sustainable in today's climate without serious consequences to patients treated unnecessarily, a healthcare facility's financial wellbeing, and contribution to the global threat of antibiotic resistance.

This presentation will include discussions on the most commonly committed errors in the collection of blood cultures that lead to contamination and false positives, the impact of contaminated cultures on the patient and the facility, and sustainable strategies to reduce blood culture contamination to one percent or less. Strategies will not only include effectively correcting human error, but effective tracking, staff commitment, and emerging technologies.


1 Albert, R. K., & Zwang, O. (2017, May 29). Improving Cost Effectiveness of Blood Cultures. Retrieved from https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed/article/126938/improving-cost-effectiveness-blood-cultures.
2 Ford, A. (2017, October 4). With diversion, lower blood culture contamination rates. Retrieved from
http://www.captodayonline.com/diversion-lower-blood-culture-contamination-rates/



This webinar will:
  • Define the impact of blood culture contamination on patients and the facility
  • List the most common human errors that contaminate blood cultures
  • Discuss a new technique that significantly, immediately and sustainably reduces contamination rates 

Presenter:
Dennis J. Ernst MT (ASCP), NCPT(NCCT)
Director, Center for Phlebotomy Education, Inc.
Dennis Ernst photo
Dennis J. Ernst is the Director of the Center for Phlebotomy Education, Inc. in Cheboygan, Michigan, which creates standards-based educational materials on diagnostic blood collection. Besides being a highly recruited international lecturer, he has authored of over 50 articles on phlebotomy, two textbooks and three desk references. He is a member of the CLSI Board of Directors and has chaired multiple committees that write and revise industry standards for specimen collection. He has served as the editor of Phlebotomy Today since its founding in 2001, which is read monthly by over 14,000 healthcare professionals worldwide.
Reimbursement & Policy Outlook for Labs in 2020
Live Event: Thursday, January 29, 2020  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until July 29, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
Fast changing developments in how clinical laboratories are reimbursed by government and commercial payers and shifts in the rules under which labs and their personnel operate requires everyone working in the industry to understand the emerging policy challenges affecting the financial viability and competitive dynamics of lab companies and organizations.

This webinar will present an overview of the latest changes affecting payment for clinical laboratory services including a third round of Medicare cuts up to 10 percent for many lab tests under a market-based fee schedule required by the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) along with current legal and legislative measures to modify PAMA. Meantime, a series of federal regulatory initiatives affecting the way labs and their personnel operate will be detailed including: proposed Stark and anti-kickback regulations; CLIA policy revisions; guidance status for Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA); FDA actions affecting pharmacogenetics testing; and lab data breeches and HIPAA requirements.

This webinar will:
  • Examine how the third round of Medicare cuts under PAMA is altering the financial and competitive dynamics of the laboratory industry
  • Anticipate how pending legal and legislative measures will impact PAMA policy in 2020 and beyond
  • Assess how laboratory operations would be affected by proposed changes under Stark and federal anti-kickback regulations; CLIA revisions; guidance surrounding ERKA; FDA actions affecting pharmacogenetics testing; and lab data breeches and HIPAA requirements


Presenter:
Dennis Weissman
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC
Dennis Weissman photo
A nationally known, independent analyst, consultant and thought leader for the clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology sectors for over three decades, Dennis is President of Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC, Falls Church, VA, a consultancy, which provides market intelligence, M&A advisory services, business leadership and public policy advice to diagnostic and life science companies and organizations. Mr. Weissman has expertise in Medicare and health care reform policies and trends; clinical laboratory and pathology payment & compliance policies as well as business trends affecting the diagnostic sector.
2019 CAP Accreditation Checklist Updates: Changes That Matter
Live Event: Thursday, December 12, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until June 12, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) checklists explain the accreditation requirements of the program and are updated yearly to reflect current practices and technologies. The main purpose of the checklist is to be utilized as a guide for the laboratory to ensure quality and patient safety. On September 17 the 2019 checklist edition was published and is currently in the field for CAP laboratory inspections.

This webinar will provide insight into the key changes of the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program checklist requirements and use CAP resources to identify checklist updates. Finally, as an attendee you will learn about best practices and tools that your laboratory can use to implement the necessary changes.


This webinar will:
  • Describe key changes and the rationale for the changes in the 2019 version of the CAP Accreditation Program requirements
  • Examine and leverage CAP resources to identify changes
  • Identify any necessary changes to help ensure compliance with new accreditation requirements
Presenters:
Harris Goodman photo Dr. Harris Goodman is  the Co-Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratory at Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA and owner of Paragon Pathology. Dr. Goodman is currently the commissioner for central California and the chair of the CAP Checklists Committee. 
Blue Line 
Bill West photo  Dr. William West is a pathologist at CHI Health/Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the former Chair and current advisor of the College of American Pathologists Checklists Committee.
What’s in a Name? Nomenclature Changes and the Impact on Microbiology
Live Event: Wednesday, November 20, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until May 20, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
This presentation will be of interest to laboratory professionals regarding the name and technology changes, and the impact that they have on diagnostics and patient treatment.

The Age of Automation and Molecular Diagnostics in the microbiology laboratory is changing the nature of diagnostics and the microorganisms. This presentation will discuss the extensive changes in taxonomic classification across the bacteria, fungi and parasites as a result of molecular diagnostics. The nomenclature changes will likely affect patient treatment and outcomes. In order to effectively identify organisms, laboratories must consider balancing traditional microbiology with automation and molecular techniques to fit not only the patient population and workflow but also available expertise and budget. There is no one size fits all in a microbiology lab, and just because you can, does not mean you should, but “what’s in a name”, is more than meets the eye.


This webinar will:
  • Describe the nomenclature changes that are evident in bacteriology, parasitology and mycology
  • Discuss the impact that nomenclature changes may have on diagnostic testing and patient treatment
  • Explain the impact that technology has had not only on the evolution of the taxonomic system in microbiology but also on how that influences the use of testing platforms in the laboratory


For further information on microbiology nomenclature, visit the following:


Presenter:
Patricia Tille Ph.D. MLS(ASCP) FACSc
Graduate Program Director, University of Cincinnati
Author, Bailey and Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology Textbook and Chair, Microbiology Advisory Committee for the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science
Pat Tille Pic
Dr. Tille is the well-known author of the textbook Bailey and Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology and has published a variety of articles in numerous scholarly journals related to education, research and clinical practice. She has been recognized for her professional achievements in Microbiology twice (2005 and 2019), and Molecular Diagnostics (2011) by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and Cardinal Health as a three-time nominee for the UR Essential Recognition as one of the top laboratory professionals in the U.S.
Implementing a Successful Patient Blood Management Program
Live Event: Wednesday, October 30, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until April 30, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Patient blood management (PBM) is an evidence-based approach to optimizing the care of patients who might need transfusion. A focus on improved patient care and economic and operational pressures are leading key industry thinkers to examine appropriate blood usage. PBM programs can achieve these goals by reducing variation in transfusion practice.1

In this webinar, you will learn key factors that lead to success in shifting a public academic medical center culture and practice surrounding red blood cell transfusions. Our team’s change management strategy included executive alignment and organizational transformation based on a centralized vision. Despite barriers, our improvement in utilization has continued for more than two years reflecting remarkable sustainability.

1Advancing Transfusion and Cellular Therapies Worldwide: http://www.aabb.org/pbm/Pages/definitionsconcepts.aspx 




This webinar will:
  • Describe the factors that lead to a successful model of PBM
  • Identify the diverse needs of a PBM program
  • Discuss potential barriers to a successful PBM program and strategies to overcome them



Presenter:
Sarah E Barnhard, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor and Medical Director of Transfusion Services
University of California-Davis Health
Sarah Barnhard Photo
Dr. Sarah Barnhard is currently the Medical Director of Transfusion Services for UC-Davis Health and chair of the hospital’s Transfusing Wisely blood utilization committee. She completed her medical school training at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York followed by anatomic and clinical pathology residency with a blood banking/transfusion medicine fellowship at UC-Davis.
Pros and Cons of Selling the Laboratory
Live Event: Wednesday, September 25, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until March 28, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Outsourcing laboratory services can produce short-term cost savings with long-term consequences. This presentation will describe current market challenges including, economic, regulatory and technological considerations that often drive outsourcing arrangements. We will explore potential partnership structures including acquisition, joint venture, lab management and consultative services and the pros and cons of each strategy. We will then examine the financial contribution that hospital laboratories bring to their health systems. By the conclusion of this presentation, laboratorians will be able to articulate the value of the laboratory to administrators and executives.



This webinar will:
  • Identify key factors that influence outsourcing arrangements
  • Describe the economic and operational risks of these arrangements
  • Describe ways to articulate laboratory value to key stakeholders

Presenter:
Andrew Fletcher, MD, CPE
ARUP Medical Director, Consultative Services
Dr. Andrew Fletcher Picture
Dr. Fletcher is a board-certified anatomic/clinical pathologist and certified physician executive with significant experience in leading quality across an organization and reducing clinical variation to effectively drive safety and value. He has a doctor of medicine degree from the Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia and is currently pursuing his MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Dr. Fletcher has received numerous awards for quality and utilization, including research grants for blood utilization.
Quality in the Coagulation Laboratory
Live Event: Wednesday, August 28, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until February 28, 2020  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Coagulation is a complex discipline that includes many variables. Different reagent composition including the type of phospholipids and activating agents, instability of samples as well as pre-analytical variables all contribute to outcomes. It is important to understand how these variables impact the quality of results reported out by the coagulation laboratory. Quality in the laboratory is not a given and can result in the misdiagnosis of a bleeding or thrombotic event.

This webinar will look at common practices in the coagulation laboratory and how these variables can impact quality. This session will also provide laboratories with practices that can help improve coagulation results and patient outcomes.



This webinar will:
  • Define quality in the coagulation laboratory
  • Identify quality issues in the coagulation laboratory and provide solutions for improvement
  • Enhance problem solving skills using a case study approach



Presenter:
Donna D. Castellone, MS, MASCP MT(ASCP) SH QA Manager, Specialty Testing
Supervisor, Special Coagulation and Hematology
New York Presbyterian- Columbia Medical Center
Donna Castellone Photo
Donna is the Quality Assurance (QA) Manager for Specialty Testing and Supervisor of Special Coagulation and Special Hematology at New York Presbyterian Hospital- Columbia in New York City. She has 36 years of clinical laboratory experience and 6 years of industry clinical trial experience, including PhD work on Standardization of Laboratory Testing (all but dissertation).
The Role of the Hospital Laboratory in Antibiotic Stewardship
Live Event: Wednesday, June 19, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until December 19, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
In today’s evolving healthcare environment, clinicians are dealing with a global challenge of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and adverse drug events while trying to reduce health care costs and improve patient care. According to the CDC, antibiotic-resistant infections affect at least 2 million people in the U.S. annually and result in more than 23,000 deaths.1 As a way to combat this growing concern, antimicrobial stewardship programs have been designed to optimize the management of infectious diseases. However, this cannot be done without the collaboration among several teams within a healthcare system.

This program will provide an overview of the essential role the hospital laboratory plays in the conduct of institutional antibiotic stewardship programs. The program will focus on issues currently impacting the hospital laboratories, including rapid diagnostic testing, antimicrobial susceptibility reporting, and the use of select biomarkers in the management of infectious diseases.


This webinar will:
  • List common strategies utilized by antibiotic stewardship programs in optimizing infectious diseases management.
  • Define essential functions of the microbiology laboratory that support antibiotic stewardship programs.
  • Identify issues relevant to the reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility testing results that significantly impact antibiotic use.


1The Importance of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Federal Practitioner; September 2015;32(9):20-24, Roula Baroudi, MD Marquetta Flaugher, PhD, ARNP Eddie Grace, PharmD Danny Zakria
Presenter:
Richard H. Drew, PharmD, MS, FCCP, FIDP
Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Scholarship-Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Duke University School of Medicine
Richard Drew Photo
Richard Drew, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice, received the CUCPHS Dean’s Award for Research Excellence in 2008 and Campbell Univeristy’s D.P. Russ, Jr. and Walter S. Jones, Sr. Alumni Award for Research Excellence in 2012. Drew has distinguished himself over a 40-year career as a pharmacy practitioner, scholar and educator publishing over 110 peer-reviewed journal articles, 8 book chapters, 21 handbooks and multimedia articles, and over 100 meeting abstracts.
One Lab’s Journey up the Laboratory Value Pyramid
Live Event: Wednesday, May 22, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until November 22, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
As healthcare continues to transform, the journey from a volume-based laboratory to one focused on high value patient outcomes is growing in importance. This shift requires the use of technology and data analytics, collaborating with key stakeholders and integration across the enterprise. To help make the transition from volume to value successful, this presentation will cover the laboratory value pyramid providing laboratories with a strategic roadmap.

This presentation will also enumerate the advantages of leveraging technology and usable data in terms that directly address the priorities of the laboratory, senior leadership and the patient. This presentation will discuss how automation technologies, process modification and data lead to improved patient outcomes, as well as explain the direct impact of laboratory results on organizational performance. Specific laboratory initiatives will be presented to demonstrate the impact that ascending the laboratory value pyramid has on increasing value-added measures for high value patient outcomes, including population selection, cost, cost effectiveness, turnaround time, and technology selection for enhanced quality of patient care.

This webinar will:
  • Discuss how leveraging technology and usable data can improve quality and achieve high value patient outcomes
  • Evaluate the direct impact of laboratory test results on organizational performance
  • Examine the value of laboratory information
  • Describe how the laboratory can contribute to performance driven healthcare

Presenter:
Denise L. Uettwiller-Geiger, Ph.D., DLM(ASCP)
Clinical Chemist and Director Clinical Trials
Mather Hospital Northwell Health
Port Jefferson, New York
Denise Geiger photo
Denise L. Uettwiller-Geiger, PhD, is a Clinical Chemist and Director of Clinical Trials for Mather Hospital Northwell Health, Port Jefferson, New York. Dr. Uettwiller-Geiger assists with new technology and menu expansion and serves as a liaison to clinicians providing expert education, guidance, and consultation to clinicians.
Laboratory Outreach: A Continued Opportunity
Live Event: Wednesday, April 24, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until October 24, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides   
Hospital laboratory outreach programs have existed for many years and are designed to turn unused analytical capacity into additional revenue, leverage the hospital’s community brand and provide continuity of care for patients and providers. Successful outreach programs demonstrate well-coordinated logistics, customer service, revenue cycle processes and robust information technology platforms. Organizational awareness and executive level support are critical to ensure the success of an outreach program.

In an unprecedented era of declining reimbursement, hospital laboratory outreach programs can still be profitable, deliver value and play a vital role in the health care continuum. This presentation will review the key elements of infrastructure necessary to compete in today’s outreach market. Opportunities to maximize the contribution margin of laboratory services and reduce operating costs will be discussed. Finally, tactics to navigate the numerous challenges facing outreach laboratories today will be explored.



This webinar will:
  • Identify the key infrastructure components of a laboratory outreach program
  • Explore opportunities to enhance revenue and reduce costs
  • Learn Discuss strategies to overcome challenges associated with operating a laboratory outreach program in a complex health care environment 
Presenter:
Steve Finch MHA, RN
VP Operations UNC Hospitals
Regional Director of Clinical Laboratory Services for UNC Health Care System
Steve Finch photo
Steve Finch has over 23 years of healthcare experience. He currently serves as Vice President of Operations for the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to his role at UNCH, Steve also serves as Regional Director of Clinical Laboratory Services for UNC Health Care System. He has an extensive knowledge of health care operations in a variety of clinical settings and a passion for perfecting the patient experience while delivering cost effective care.
Proficiency Testing - Turning Pitfalls into Positive Outcomes
Live Event: Wednesday, March 27, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until September 27, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Proficiency Testing (PT) is an external inter-laboratory quality control that simulates real patient samples and the testing of those samples. The performance of each participating laboratory is compared with the collective performance of all participating laboratories. Participation in an approved PT program is part of the laboratory’s Quality Assurance requirement under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA 88). Reports from PT are sent to laboratory oversight bodies and regulatory agencies. Routine review of PT results will alert your laboratory director of areas that are not performing as well as expected. PT testing is an important tool for ensuring your testing is accurate and reliable. All PT results scoring less than 80% will require troubleshooting and corrective action.

A survey of inspectors for CLIA, COLA and CAP has identified PT as one of the top 3 areas for deficiencies and citations in the clinical laboratory. Many laboratories, whether unknowing or understaffed fail to treat PT samples the same way they treat patient samples. Unsigned attestation and failure to perform corrective action are other common areas of concern. Following the information provided in this webinar, you will be able to identify the pitfalls in your PT program and turn them into positive outcomes.


This webinar will:
  • Identify when PT is required
  • Document PT as a staff competency assessment tool
  • Identify common causes of unsuccessful performance
  • Review troubleshooting unsuccessful performance
  • Outline steps to resume testing after required “cease testing”
Presenter:
Margaret Blaetz, CLC, MLT(AMT), CCCP(AAPOL), MLT, MCM(ASCP)
Owner/Clinical Consultant, East Coast Clinical Consultants, LLC
Margaret Blaetz Photo
Margaret Blaetz began her career as a Medical Laboratory Technician specializing in Microbiology and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree at Glassboro State College (Rowan University). Her 30+ year career in laboratory science includes clinical laboratory management, sales and customer service for a national laboratory, and research and development of diagnostic test kits.
Payor Audits – Preparing your Laboratory
Live Event: Wednesday, February 27, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until August 27, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Labs are under increasing scrutiny from government and commercial payors, and audit and recoupment actions are on the rise. Labs are charged with taking reasonable steps to ensure they are submitting claims for services that are reasonable and necessary and not for those that are not covered. When it is not possible to support medical justification for testing or provide appropriate documentation of claims, labs are vulnerable to recoupment actions. Furthermore, a laboratory subject to an audit is considered to be in possession of credible information of an overpayment and must initiate a review as required by the Reverse False Claims Rule (also referred to as the 60-Day Rule).

This presentation will help participants better understand the payor audit process and prepare the organization to respond. From recognizing the significance of initial correspondence to responding effectively to initial and subsequent rounds of review, the presentation will take participants through the payor audit process from a government perspective and compare and contrast typical government audits with typical commercial audits. This presentation will also provide labs with information on the Reverse False Claims Rule/60 Day Rule. Finally, the presentation will identify some best practices that labs can implement now to prepare for payor audits.

This webinar will:
  • Describe the government audit process from initial correspondence through the various stages of appeal and share speakers’ experience with respect to commercial payor audits, i.e., what is similar and what is different from government audits and explore recent case law regarding lab audits
  • Discuss the lab’s responsibilities with respect to the medical necessity of testing for which it is submitting claims
  • Examine the lab’s duties with respect to the Reverse False Claims/60 Day Rule following an audit request
  • Identify steps labs can take to prepare for audits prior to an audit being initiated
Disclaimer: The information in this presentation is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. It is intended to highlight laws you are likely to encounter, but is not a comprehensive review. If you have questions or concerns about a particular instance or whether a law applies, you should consider contacting your attorney.
Presenters:
Liz Sullivan photo  Elizabeth Sullivan, Member McDonald Hopkins LLC 
Liz is a co-chair of the National Healthcare Practice at McDonald Hopkins, LLC.
She has assisted clinical laboratories, hospitals, pathology groups and many other healthcare providers on regulatory, licensing, compliance, reimbursement, contractual, and corporate matters.
Blue line
Courtney Tito photo  Courtney Tito, Attorney McDonald Hopkins LLC
Courtney is a member of the Health Law group at McDonald Hopkins, LLC in its West Palm Beach office.  
She counsels and represents clients in a variety of health law areas, including, federal and private payor audits and disputes, reimbursement, contract, corporate, enrollment revocations, payment suspensions, and many others.
Reimbursement & Policy Outlook for Labs in 2019
Live Event: Wednesday, January 30, 2019  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until July 30, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 
Recording Slides
For the clinical laboratory industry, look for 2019 to be another challenging year on the reimbursement front as a second round of Medicare cuts of up to 10 percent for many lab tests take effect under a market-based fee schedule required by the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). Even as the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) appeals a federal court decision upholding PAMA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) moved to require most hospital labs to start reporting private payor data during the next scheduled reporting period: Jan 1 to June 20, 2019. At the same time, industry interests are supporting a legislative strategy to get Congress to mitigate future PAMA cuts.

Meanwhile, federal oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs) remains in limbo with the Food & Drug Administration signaling that Congress should take the lead, leaving it to key legislators to formulate a consensus bill. In addition, CMS is weighing industry feedback to announcements seeking public comment on whether to revise certain regulatory requirements under CLIA and the Stark self-referral law. Finally, the Trump Administration is moving ahead with administrative changes to dilute consumer protections under the Affordable Care Act despite a newly divided Congress starting in 2019. Find out how these policy shifts and other key national trends are affecting the way labs conduct business.


This webinar will:
  • Assess the current reimbursement environment for clinical laboratories in light of the ongoing cuts being made by Medicare and their impact on commercial insurers
  • Understand the differing industry legal and legislative strategies involving PAMA plus the congressional outlook for modifying the law
  • Examine what recent steps FDA has taken affecting laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and the outlook for LDT action on Capitol Hill
  • Discuss changes in CLIA and Stark self-referral requirements being considered by CMS and the timetable for further action
Presenter:
Dennis Weissman
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC
Dennis Weissman Photo
A nationally known, independent analyst, consultant and thought leader for the clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology sectors for over three decades, Dennis is President of Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC, Falls Church, VA, a consultancy which provides market intelligence, M&A advisory services, business leadership and public policy advice to diagnostic and life science companies and organizations. Mr. Weissman has expertise in Medicare and health care reform policies and trends; clinical laboratory and pathology payment & compliance policies as well as business trends affecting the diagnostic sector.
Laboratory Stewardship Essentials
Live Event: Tuesday, December 11, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until June 11, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 
Recording Slides
As the healthcare industry transitions from fee for service to value based reimbursement, hospital systems are challenged to improve quality while reducing costs. While laboratory spending only accounts for 2-3% of overall healthcare costs, the laboratory drives 70-80% of downstream medical decisions1,2. For this reason, proper laboratory stewardship is a critical in today’s healthcare industry.

This webinar will explore essential steps to establish an effective lab stewardship program including governance and structure of stewardship committees. Dr. Fletcher will also outline strategies for implementing successful laboratory stewardship interventions. These strategies include consolidation of reference testing for cost reduction and improved turn-around time, reference test formulary development to limit inappropriate inpatient tests - and appropriate utilization of in-house testing including discussion on the impact of order-sets, recurring daily lab tests and duplicate lab tests. Each of these strategies will drive downstream savings and improve the quality of patient care in healthcare systems. 

1Donaldson K, Young D. An evidentiary rules-based approach to reducing unnecessary lab testing. Am J Clin Pathol. 2010;134:503
2Forsman RW. Why is the laboratory an afterthought for managed care organizations? Clin Chem 1996;42:813–6.



This webinar will:
  • Describe ways to establish a Laboratory Stewardship program with appropriate governance and engage ordering physicians
  • Develop and implement a reference laboratory test formulary
  • Identify opportunities and strategies to reduce duplicate and daily in-house tests
  • Formulate strategies to minimize downstream costs through appropriate testing

Presenter: 
Andrew Fletcher, MD, CPE
Medical Director, Consultative Services
Andrew Fletcher Photo
Dr. Fletcher is a board-certified anatomic/clinical pathologist and certified physician executive with significant experience in leading quality across an organization and reducing clinical variation to effectively drive safety and value. He has a doctor of medicine degree from the Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia and is currently pursuing his MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Dr. Fletcher has received numerous awards for quality and utilization, including research grants for blood utilization.
Be Inspection Ready with the 2018 CAP Accreditation Checklists
Live Event: Thursday, November 15, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until May 15, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program checklists are updated regularly to keep laboratories on the forefront of the latest regulatory requirements and technological advances to ensure accurate and reliable laboratory processes. The most recent checklist edition, published August 2018, is now in the field for CAP laboratory inspections. This checklist includes nearly 3,000 requirements organized into 21 checklists which are used as a guide to assess the laboratory’s overall management and operation.

Join this webinar for insight into the latest revisions to the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program checklist requirements and use CAP resources to identify checklist updates. You will learn how these updates will impact the inspection process, discover the rationale behind the changes and receive helpful guidance for implementation in your own laboratory.



This webinar will:
  • Describe key changes to the 2018 CAP Accreditation Checklist edition
  • Interpret the rationale for the changes made to the checklist
  • Use CAP resources to identify and understand key changes
  • Recognize and implement necessary changes to ensure compliance with new accreditation requirements



William West Photo  William W. West, MD, FCAP
Chair, College of American Pathologists Checklists Committee


Dr. West is a pathologist at CHI Health/Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He is currently Chair of the College of American Pathologists Checklists Committee and member of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation.
Blue Line 
Harris Goodman Photo  Harris Goodman, MD, FCAP, Vice-Chair, College of American Pathologists Checklists Committee

Dr. Goodman attended University of California at San Francisco for medical school and residency in pathology and laboratory medicine and is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and cytopathology.
   
Discovering the Optimal Approach to Diagnosing Clostridium difficile Infection
Live Event: Wednesday, October 24, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until April 24, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 500,000 cases and more than 29,000 deaths were caused by C. difficile. To combat this growing health problem, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) updated their clinical practice guideline for CDI. This guideline serves as an important resource for the medical, infection prevention and public health communities1

This webinar will discuss the clinical background of CDI and the role of molecular testing that is used by more than 70% of hospital laboratories. Molecular testing can not only help rule out CDI but also help reduce CDI transmission by detecting CDI in patients2. We will discuss the incidence, role, and clinical impact of C. difficile as a human pathogen. Also discussed will be the impact of the modified CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) guidelines on public reporting of C. difficile cases in the United States. We will also review testing options including molecular diagnostics, recommended treatments, and prevention measures in the hospital setting.

1Updated C difficile Infection Clinical Guidance From IDSA/SHEA, Infectious Disease Advisor, February 2018

2New Clostridium difficile Guidelines, The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, 2018




This webinar will:
  • Review the clinical background of C. difficile and its role as a pathogen in human health
  • Identify various ways in which C. difficile can be accurately diagnosed
  • Discuss the revised treatment recommendations for C. difficile
  • Evaluate the role of the 2018 modifications to the NHSN reporting criteria for healthcare-associated C. difficile
Presenter:
Nathan A. Ledeboer, PhD, D(ABMM)
Professor and Vice Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Nathan Ledeboer Photo
Dr. Ledeboer is a Professor and Vice Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Medical Director of Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics for Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories and Froedtert Health. His research endeavors, particularly in the area developing diagnostic tools for infectious diseases, have led to more than 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals and more than 100 funded research projects. Dr. Ledeboer is also a senior editor for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Overview of Lean Principles in Histology: Patient Safety, Efficiency, and Workflow
Live Event: Thursday, September 27, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until March 27, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Lean six sigma principles have made their way into the anatomic pathology laboratory and applying lean tools and methods can have a positive impact on any size histology laboratory operation. When applied into everyday practice, lean can play a key role in a histology laboratory’s operational efficiency. Lean concepts can support continuous improvement initiatives that focus on patient safety, error proofing and reduction of waste. A histology laboratory can benefit from lean principles as they transition away from traditional specimen handling and processing methods moving towards implementation of small batch handling and continuous processing.

This presentation will serve as a basic introduction of lean principles as it is applied to histology practice. An overview of operational challenges of histology highlighting common practices that are lean improvement opportunities will be discussed. Participants will learn to evaluate histology processes from the lean perspective. Examples of lean applications to improve patient safety, specimen tracking, and case integrity will be shared.

After this presentation, participants will have a better understanding of best practice and basic lean concepts applied in the histology laboratory, and recognize common practices that are considered to be potential patient safety risks.

This webinar will:
  • Evaluate histology laboratory operational challenges
  • Define waste and discuss the ways of identifying it in histology
  • Identify common practice risks in the histology laboratory process
  • Describe basic lean fundamentals that support patient safety, efficiency, and workflow in histology

Presenter:
Christa Cappellano, BS, HT(ASCP)QIHC, LSSBB
CEO & Founder of coLABration Consulting, LLC
Christa Cappellano Photo
With 27 years of experience in pathology as a laboratory director, manager, and histotechnologist, she is a published textbook author in the field of Histotechnology and a workshop instructor/teacher at national conferences on subject matters of lean, laboratory performance metrics and histology technical practices. Christa served as a committee member of national organizations and regulatory agencies (ASCP, CAP, NSH).
The Patient-Centered Laboratory: A Renewed Focus
Live Event: Thursday, August 23, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until February 23, 2019  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Laboratory testing is absolutely necessary for patient care, and the role of high-value diagnostics continues to increase in importance across the continuum of care. High quality, cost-effective and appropriately-utilized laboratory tests are essential in achieving healthcare’s Triple Aim. Triple Aim is a framework developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as an approach to optimizing health system performance. This framework encompasses three dimensions that must be pursued in order to have Triple Aim success1. This presentation will focus on the first dimension: improving the patient experience of care.

Today, the physician-centric model of “Doctor Knows Best” is no longer the only consideration. Have we ever asked the patient, “What will an abnormal result mean to you?” With the patient experience becoming the center, healthcare delivery systems must leave the status quo behind and develop processes that are intentionally focused on what is important to the patient. This focus will drive improvements in patient transactions, access and efficiency while managing costs; and when managed properly will create increased loyalty and help improve outcomes.

1IHI Triple Aim Initiative, Institute for Healthcare Improvement




This webinar will: 
  • Describe the difference between physician-centric and patient-centric laboratory testing
  • Identify the role that the laboratory has in achieving healthcare’s Triple Aim
  • Evaluate existing laboratory service delivery across the care continuum
  • Develop a plan to upgrade your laboratory to providing patient-centric services
Presenter:
Jane Hermansen, MBA, MT(ASCP)
Manager, Outreach and Network Development
Mayo Medical Laboratories
Jane Hermansen Photo
Jane Hermansen has over 30 years of clinical laboratory experience, within community hospital and academic medical center settings. At Mayo Clinic since 1988, she currently directs the outreach consulting and health plan contracting network activities for hospital laboratories across the country. Jane holds a B.A. in Medical Technology from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the New York Institute of Technology.
Creating Laboratory Value for a Competitive Advantage
Live Event: Wednesday, June 20, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until December 20, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
In today’s evolving health care environment, clinical laboratories must make the transition from a fee-for-service model to fee-for-value models and patient’s centered models. With this shift, a new clinical and business model, known as Clinical Lab 2.0, is emerging for medical laboratories. Clinical Lab 2.0 takes a broader view of the value of laboratory medicine by encouraging laboratories to expand their services to provide integrated care across a health system1.

This session will present an illustrative case study on how FirstPath Laboratory, a South Florida lab providing state of the art diagnostic Anatomic Pathology services for the physicians and patients, has applied Clinical Lab 2.0 to address a pressing issue being faced today: what can be done to keep patients out of the hospital? By partnering with telemedicine services, FirstPath has been able to provide mobile bedside laboratory testing by licensed laboratory professionals. This service extends laboratory quality testing to the patients’ bedside resulting in significant cost savings, improved on-site patient care and ultimately reducing emergency room visits.

1Helping Medical Laboratories Add Value to Health Systems, Providers, and Payers by Moving from Clinical Lab 1.0 to Clinical Lab 2.0, Dark Daily


This webinar will: 
  • Illustrate how clinical laboratories can use Clinical Lab 2.0 as a path to adding value
  • Describe the need for clinical laboratories to expand services outside of usual practice
  • Identify opportunities in their institutions where integrated care can be applied
  • List the ways in which a lab can apply Clinical Lab 2.0 philosophy to yield cost savings and improved patient care
Presenter:
Leo Serrano, FACHE, DLM (ASCP) CM,
Clinical and Operational Consultant, FirstPath LLC
Leo Serrano photo
Leo Serrano, is the Clinical and Operational Consultant for FirstPath LLC located in Pompano Beach, Florida and a recognized thought leader and international speaker on Clinical Laboratory Medicine. He has over 50 years of laboratory management experience with an expertise in a number of clinical specialties. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Leo directed the first U.S. hospital laboratory to achieve ISO-14189 accreditation, which re-accredited for a second cycle.
Laboratory Stewardship: The Power of Appropriate Test Utilization
Live Event: Wednesday, May 23, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until November 23, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides

Laboratory Stewardship has proven to be one of the most successful strategies used by hospitals and laboratories to:

1. Improve the quality of patient care
2. Optimize resources
3. Reduce waste




This session will focus on these three key areas and present interesting case studies that highlight how some organizations are leveraging laboratory stewardship in ways that benefit hospitals, providers, and patients including:
  • Improving the quality of care and extending length of life by decreasing mortality rates
  •  Aligning laboratory testing with drug therapy to measure patient response and decrease pharmacy spend
  •  Reducing over-utilization and driving cost savings by working with physicians to identify and implement charge savings opportunities







Participants will leave this session with a broadened knowledge of laboratory stewardship that supports implementation and measurement of successful interventions. Moreover, participants will understand that ‘utilization management’ is just one component of laboratory stewardship.

This webinar will: 
  • Describe the difference between utilization management and laboratory stewardship
  • Identify critical factors for success in implementing laboratory stewardship interventions
  • Differentiate low impact versus high impact interventions
  • Cite ways in which laboratory stewardship moves the dial on patient care and outcomes
Presenter:
Suzanne Carasso, MBA, MT (ASCP), Director, Business Solutions Consulting
ARUP Laboratories
Suzanne Carasso photo
Suzanne Carasso, a medical technologist, has leveraged extensive technical and managerial experience in the clinical lab to transition into healthcare consulting. She is currently employed by ARUP Laboratories. Specific areas of expertise include strategic business planning for integration and consolidation of laboratory services, evaluation of laboratory operational models, laboratory stewardship, and outreach development. Suzanne also speaks at regional and national laboratory meetings and is a published author in a variety of healthcare journals.
The Laboratorian as a Clinical Consultant: Identifying Needs
and Building New Roles
Live Event: Wednesday, April 25, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until October 25, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The clinical laboratory’s essential role in healthcare is growing in importance as the bridge between advances in the basic sciences and clinical practice. Bringing our knowledge to the individual patient care encounter by serving as clinical consultants is an important goal. The principal aim is to improve patient care while demonstrating the value of clinical laboratorians in expanded roles. As expectations in healthcare put increasing emphasis on quality and cost-effectiveness, there are real opportunities for clinical laboratorians to expand your sphere of influence within your organizations, but these can be a challenge to achieve. What strategies are available, and how does one build and expand a consultant role within a health care organization?

This webinar will highlight the need for increasing your role as consultants in the clinical care process, as leaders in laboratory resource utilization, and as leaders in hospital quality initiatives.

This webinar will: 
  • Describe the need for clinical laboratorians to expand their sphere of influence outside the walls of the clinical laboratory
  • Identify opportunities in institutions for expanding the professional role of clinical laboratorians
  • Identify key clinical and administrative partners for a successful program that fully utilizes the skill set of the laboratorian
  • Discuss the key areas in which laboratorians can partner with care teams to improve patient care
Presenter:
Anthony A. Killeen, MD, PhD
Ellis S. Benson Professor and Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs
Dept. of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota
Tony Killeen Photo
Dr. Killeen is the Ellis Benson Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Vice-Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the National University of Ireland at Galway.
Diagnosing Group A Strep pharyngitis: Which Technique is Best for You?
Live Event: Tuesday, March 27, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until September 27, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
Acute pharyngitis is responsible for 15 million sick visits per year in the United States, with Group A strep accounting for 20-30% of pediatric and 5-15% of adult cases1. If not accurately diagnosed and treated, it can also lead to more serious complications, especially in the pediatric population.

This presentation will cover the various ways in which a diagnosis of Group A Strep can be achieved. Traditional microbiology laboratory workup will be covered, as well as molecular techniques for diagnosis along with Point-of-Care (POC) testing techniques. Included within this presentation will also be the recommendations by the Infectious Disease Society of America related to lab workup and treatment for Group A Strep. The webinar will also discuss testing cost and how it relates to decisions on which testing methodologies to utilize within your laboratory.

1Shulman et al., Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Group A Streptococcal pharyngitis: 2012 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2012;55(10):e86–102


This webinar will: 
  • Review the clinical background on Group A Strep and its role as a pathogen in human health
  • Identify various ways in which Group A Strep pharyngitis can be accurately diagnosed
  • Discuss testing recommendations for Group A Strep pharyngitis
  • Examine aspects that influence which test(s) are the best fit for a clinic/health system
Presenter:
Gregory J. Berry, Ph.D., D(ABMM),
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Gregory J. Berry is a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology and an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is also the Director of Molecular Diagnostics and an Assistant Director of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at Northwell Health Laboratories in New York.
Closing the Gap in Pre-analytical Specimen Quality
Live Event: Tuesday, February 27, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until August 27, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Assessment of laboratory quality is broken down into 4 phases; general, pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical. While the laboratory has control over the general (safety, policies, proficiency testing) and analytical portions, pre-analytical and post-analytical quality are often outside of their hands. Post-analytical quality refers to the processes that occur after the lab testing is completed including patient reports, communication and complaints. Pre-analytical specimen integrity is just as critical to the result reported by the laboratory. The laboratory must have processes in place to educate the customer on specimen collection, specimen storage and specimen transport. The laboratory must also have processes in place to identify when to reject specimens based on improper collection, storage and/or transport, and to communicate back to the customer in a manner which will provide education for improved specimen quality.

This webinar will: 
  • Explain the importance of proper collection, transport, and storage of specimens
  • Identify collection, transport and storage concerns in their own laboratory
  • Outline improvements needed to improve pre-analytical quality in their own laboratory
  • Assess and evaluate the impact of these improvements






Presenter:
Margaret Blaetz, CLC(AMT), CCCP(AAPOL)
CEO, East Coast Clinical Consultants
Margaret Blaetz Photo
Margaret Blaetz began her career as a Medical Laboratory Technician specializing in Microbiology and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree at Glassboro State College (Rowan University). Her 30+ year career in laboratory science includes clinical laboratory management, sales and customer service for a national laboratory, and research and development of diagnostic test kits.
2018 Outlook for the Clinical Laboratory Industry
Live Event: Wednesday, January 31, 2018  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until July 31, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides  
Following a year of sending mixed policy signals to the healthcare industry, including the clinical laboratory sector, Washington policymakers will be grappling with a host of healthcare issues in 2018. These issues will range from key decisions impacting the Affordable Care Act to potential budget cuts affecting the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

This presentation will examine the latest national policy developments and trends affecting clinical labs. This includes the outlook for a new Medicare market-based national fee schedule that would make major payment cuts for many lab tests, how Medicaid and commercial insurer reimbursement to labs will be influenced by the changeover to Medicare market-based rates, the status of laboratory developed test oversight by Congress and the Food and Drug Administration, and lastly, the leading Washington policy challenges for the lab industry in the year ahead.


This webinar will: 
  • Analyze the latest policy initiatives affecting the Affordable Care Act for the short and longer term.
  • Discuss the outlook for federal budget cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and the impact they would have on both beneficiaries and providers, including labs.
  • Review the status of a new Medicare market-based payment system for lab testing and how payment rates will change starting in 2018.
  • Identify top federal policy challenges for labs over the next year.
Presenter:
Dennis Weissman
President, Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC
Dennis Weissman Photo
A nationally known, independent analyst, consultant and thought leader for the clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology sectors for over three decades, Dennis is President of Dennis Weissman & Associates, LLC, Falls Church, VA, a consultancy which provides market intelligence, M&A advisory services, business leadership and public policy advice to diagnostic and life science companies and organizations. Mr. Weissman has expertise in Medicare and health care reform policies and trends; clinical laboratory and pathology payment & compliance policies as well as business trends affecting the diagnostic sector.
The First Cut isn't the Deepest: Proposed Clinical Lab Fee Schedule
under PAMA
Live Event: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until June 13, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
On June 23, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule implementing Section 216(a) of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA). This legislation creates a single, national fee schedule which is based upon private payor rates. Applicable laboratories performing clinical diagnostic laboratory tests had to report the amounts paid by private insurers for laboratory tests. Medicare then used the weighted median of private insurer rates to calculate Medicare payment rates for laboratory tests paid under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) beginning January 1, 2018.

CMS initially estimated that using a market-based system stipulated under PAMA would save $390 million in the first year of 2018, and $3.93 billion over a decade1. In September 2017, CMS released the proposed new rates and the rate cuts are more significant than originally anticipated. The proposed rate structure would result in reductions of $670 million in Part B program payments for clinical lab fee schedule (CLFS) tests in 20182. The preliminary rate schedule introduces dramatic cuts. 58% of tests will have reductions phased in over multiple years as the preliminary rates exceed the maximum per year reduction3.

This new rate structure represents a dramatic shift in the way laboratory tests are reimbursed. This webinar will provide clinical laboratories with an update on the implementation of the new Clinical Lab Fee Schedule and the financial impact to clinical labs.

1PAMA Regulations, CMS, September 19, 2016
2CMS 2018 PAMA Pricing Cut for Lab Tests Deeper Than Prior Estimate; Advanced Dx Lab Tests Fare Well, GenomeWeb
3CY2018 – Preliminary Private Payor Rate-Based CLFS Payment Rates and Analytics, available at
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/ClinicalLabFeeSched/PAMA-Regulations.html


This webinar will: 
  • Discuss the changes to payment rates for tests paid on the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule.
  • Identify the 2018 payment rates for CPT codes including which codes are increasing/decreasing.
  • Recognize which CPT codes will have phased in rate reductions due to per annum caps.
  • Identify the payment changes to panel based tests, molecular diagnostic tests, etc.
  • Illustrate the impact to your clinical laboratory based upon the 2018 rates.
Presenters:
Chandra Branham Photo Chandra Branham, J.D., VP
AdvaMed


Chandra Branham, J.D., joined the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) as Vice President, Payment and Health Care Delivery Policy, in 2011.

Julie Khani Photo Julie Khani, President
ACLA  

Julie Khani became president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), the largest organization representing the public policy interests of laboratories, in 2017.
   




Data Hidden in Plain Sight: Using Unexpected Analytics for Quality and
Process Improvement in the Clinical Laboratory
Live Event: Thursday, November 16, 2017 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until May 16, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Clinical laboratories are swimming in data. However, many opportunities for improvement in the laboratory may go unrecognized. Studies are performed and actions are taken on common metrics like turn-around time and test volume while other, potentially more revealing metrics receive little focus. Workflows and activities such as specimen flow, testing protocols and pre-authorizations linked to the EHR, and blood utilization tactics are examples of where opportunities exist to uncover operational efficiencies and cost savings.

The ability of the clinical laboratory to effectively utilize available data will become increasingly important as the laboratory faces challenges on staffing and reimbursement. Opportunities also exist for laboratorians to utilize the data generated in their laboratories to educate providers, care teams, and patients which positively impacts patient care. This webinar will describe three different projects that utilized unexpected data points to affect change to the laboratory workflow and clinical care.

This webinar will: 
  • Discuss sources of unexpected data in the laboratory and how they can be used for improvement efforts.
  • Identify the need for data to support improvement efforts or implementing change.
  • Describe a process whereby current data sources can be tweaked for use in specific improvement activities.
  • Define financial and operational benefits associated with utilizing unexpected sources of lab data.
Presenter:
Jordan Olson MD FCAP
Medical Director Clinical Pathology Informatics
Geisinger Medical Center
Jordan Olson Photo
Jordan Olson is the medical director for clinical pathology informatics in the Geisinger Medical Laboratory, the medical director of pre-analytics and phlebotomy, and the medical director for the Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital laboratory. Dr. Olson completed his undergraduate and medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
Survival of the Fittest: Transforming Your Lab from Cost to Value Center
Live Event: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until April 18, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The new era of healthcare reform is here. Not only is there no going back, but maintaining status quo in healthcare organizations that operate inefficiently is a costly and unsustainable business model. Now is the time to adopt a new way of thinking and behaving around cost containment. Healthcare systems that get it will survive. Those that don’t likely won't.

Laboratory testing plays a central role in healthcare delivery that impacts both costs and outcomes. Unfortunately in some organizations, the laboratory is viewed as little more than a cost center that runs tests and reports results. In order to change this perception, labs must demonstrate quantifiable value well beyond the delivery of test results. When labs actively engage with clinicians to educate, inform, and support optimal test utilization, the transition from cost to value center has begun.

Utilization management has come to the forefront as an effective way to optimize laboratory testing in ways that benefit patients first and foremost, while driving down the overall cost of care. This presentation will discuss the components of an effective utilization management program. The speaker will present a roadmap for improving utilization management, provide specific examples of successful approaches, and highlight opportunities for improvement.


This webinar will: 
  • Identify industry trends driving the transition from volume to value-based healthcare.
  • Discuss key metrics associated with inappropriate test utilization.
  • Describe five components of the utilization management roadmap.
  • Cite successful strategies, beyond laboratory formulary, to optimize test utilization.
  • Define ways in which laboratories operate as value centers.

Presenter:
Suzanne Carasso, MBA, MT(ASCP), Director, Business Solutions Consulting with ARUP Laboratories
Suzanne Carasso
Suzanne is currently Director, Business Solutions Consulting with ARUP Laboratories. ARUP is a leading national reference laboratory owned by the University of Utah. As spokesperson for ARUP Laboratories Consulting Division, Suzanne works with a variety of organizations across the United States including large academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, multi-hospital health systems, community hospitals, children’s hospitals, independent laboratories and group purchasing organizations.
FDA’s New Reclassification of Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests: Are you Prepared?
Live Event: Wednesday, September 27, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until March 27, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule that reclassifies antigen-based Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests (RIDTs) from Class I to Class II and requires that these diagnostic devices meet increased sensitivity, specificity and annual strain testing quality controls. This reclassification becomes effective on January 12, 2018, which will have implications for laboratories during this upcoming influenza season (2017/2018).

This device reclassification was driven by concerns from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about test sensitivity of RIDTs during the 2009 pandemic flu season. The goal of the reclassification is to improve the overall performance of RIDTs by requiring additional regulatory controls. These new measures should reduce the incidence of false-negative results, improving antibiotic stewardship across the continuum of care.

This webinar will review the FDA reclassification of RIDTs, discuss the new sensitivity and specificity requirements for RIDTs, and provide an overview of the products on the market that meet the new requirements. Also covered in the webinar will be information on how long products not meeting the new requirements can be sold by distributors and manufacturers, as well the date up until which laboratories may use such diagnostic devices. This webinar is intended to help enable laboratories to prepare for the changes and minimize any impacts to established influenza protocols.

This webinar will:
  • Review FDA influenza reclassification requirements and assess impact to currently utilized RIDTs
  • Identify the different types of influenza tests available and if they are compliant with the new FDA guidelines
  • Understand the pros and cons of each type of influenza testing based on the needs of your laboratory
  • Explain the dates until which products not meeting the new guidelines can by sold, as well as how long they can be used for patient testing









Click here to learn more about Cardinal Health’s influenza testing platforms that ensure FDA compliance.

Click here to download questions and answers from this webinar.
Presenter:
Gregory J. Berry, Ph.D., D(ABMM)
Assist. Prof., Pathology and Lab. Medicine
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine
Greg Berry photo
Gregory J. Berry Ph.D., D(ABMM) is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and an Assistant Director of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at Northwell Health Laboratories in New York. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology.
   
Six Trends that will Change Health Care over the Next 5 Years
Live Event: Wednesday, August 30, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until February 30, 2018  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides  
The dynamics of the healthcare are that the industry will continue to be fluid, with evolution and change continuing for the next several years. Beyond healthcare policy, change will be driven by multiple factors. These factors range from value-based care to technology and data to the demographics of the people accessing care. The macro trends identified will impact the industry as whole, but have downstream implications and opportunities for the clinical laboratory. The role of the laboratory is evolving relative to patient care as well as how it supports the goals and initiatives of its hospital or healthcare system. This shifting role requires laboratories to think differently and quickly respond to the changes in their environment. Considerations for the laboratory include how to better utilize the data they generate, the expanding role of precision medicine, and addressing how millennials want to consume healthcare and diagnostic testing.

This webinar will outline the six trends that will change healthcare in the next 5 years. These trends were identified as a result of a multi-faceted study conducted by Huron Consulting Group and have several downstream implications to the clinical laboratory. By recognizing the opportunities that exist for the laboratory in response to these trends, the laboratory will be well positioned to create value within their system.

This webinar will:
  • Discuss the major trends impacting healthcare over the next 5 years and the impacts to the laboratory
  • Identify how the laboratory can adapt to these changes and create value for its stakeholders
  • Determine how risk and value-based care models impact the laboratory
  • Recognize the shifting requirements of patient populations 
Presenters:
 Ted Schwab photo Ted Schwab, Managing Director, Huron Healthcare Practice
Huron Consulting Group Inc
 

Ted is an industry leader in innovation through his work with clinicians, executives, and governing bodies around the country, helping them design the next generation of healthcare organizations.

K.R. Prabha photo  K. R. Prabha, Senior Director, Healthcare Strategy
Huron Healthcare Practice
Huron Consulting Group Inc  

Prabha brings over 15 years’ consulting experience focused on care delivery strategy, innovation, and measurable improvements in access, quality, cost, and patient experience.
   
What's Your Cost of Poor Quality? Calculating an ROI for Your Lab's Quality Program
Live Event: Wednesday, June 21, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until December 21, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Within the clinical laboratory, quality has multiple components. The most thought of component of quality relates to CAP (College of American Pathologists) inspections, accreditations, and standard regulatory compliance activities. Clinical laboratories often struggle to justify the resources to adequately support quality management and regulatory compliance programs. Many times this is due to lab quality efforts being viewed as a costly and necessary evil to achieving regulatory compliance. What often goes unrecognized are how quality management programs can be utilized to drive expense out of laboratory operations. For example, robust quality management programs can help reduce expenses associated with lost specimens, repeat testing and reagent management.

This session covers the concept of Cost of Quality, but focuses on the cost of poor quality (CoPQ). Methods for labs to calculate and capture CoPQ will be discussed. Armed with actual CoPQ data, laboratories can begin to speak the language of the "C Suite" by demonstrating improvement in financial performance. Labs can begin to portray their quality programs as mechanisms to achieve cost savings and cost avoidance, in addition to the quality, regulatory and patient safety benefits that are already well recognized.



This webinar will: 
  • Discuss the concept of Cost of Quality and its components.
  • Differentiate between hard and soft costs associated with quality management.
  • Review methodologies to capture and track Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ).
  • Analyze how labs can use CoPQ data to demonstrate a return on investment for their quality efforts.
Presenter:
Jennifer Dawson, MHA, LSSBB, CPHQ, DLM(ASCP)SLS, QLC, QIHC
Jennifer Dawson photo
Jennifer Dawson is Senior Director, Quality for Human Longevity, Inc in San Diego, CA where she is responsible for building a best practice Quality Management System as well as for CLIA compliance and obtaining CAP and CAP 15189 accreditation. She formerly served as Vice-President Quality for Sonic Healthcare USA and was responsible for developing their quality management system.
Using Lab Information to Reduce Downstream Healthcare Costs: Case Studies
Live Event: Wednesday, May 17, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until November 17, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Laboratory testing provides more than just a snapshot of a patient’s medical condition at any point in time. Leveraging the power of the information provided by the laboratory can have significant impact on other downstream costs within the health care ecosystem and beyond to community health.

This webinar will provide case studies on how laboratory information is being used at a large integrated health care delivery system to lower cost and improve patient outcomes. Case studies will discuss how the data generated by the laboratory can help educate patient care teams, streamline/optimize test ordering, and provide visibility to patient adherence.



This webinar will: 
  • Analyze the “real” value of laboratory information
  • Identify sources of concrete examples of where laboratory information provides downstream value
  • Evaluate new financial models for laboratory reimbursement and/or cost containment
  • Discuss the most effective ways to become an advocate for laboratory testing
Presenter:
Ran Whitehead, CEO, PeaceHealth Laboratories
Ran Whitehead photo
Ran Whitehead is the Chief Executive Officer at PeaceHealth Laboratories. He has enhanced the company’s reputation for technical and clinical excellence, collaborative partnerships, and innovative programs. Ran has led initiatives such as a distance learning program that was later adopted by laboratories across the country.
Actions You Can Take to Have Your Lab Viewed as a Profit Center
Live Event: Wednesday, April 18, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until October 18, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
 Recording Slides
As clinical management and lab operators, your day may be consumed with daily operational or service issues. Some days, it’s about all you can do to get through one more day. It is hard to set aside time to think strategically or understand what your laboratory management executive is thinking. This webinar will reveal the 5 steps you can take to create value and change the perception of your laboratory and outreach programs by hospital and health system executives.


This webinar will: 
  • Demonstrate an understanding of today’s market and business trends and how they can be used to provide strategic and financial value to your clinical laboratory
  • Identify actions you can take that can help various medical and laboratory executive stakeholders think differently about your laboratory operations
  • Apply relevant strategies to position yourself and your lab proactively for change and growth based on changing healthcare dynamics.









Click here to download the article referenced by Dr. Murphy, Good News and Bad News in PAMA Final Rule for Repricing Lab Tests, shared with permission from Laboratory Economics.
Presenter:
Kathleen A. Murphy, PhD, Senior Growth Advisor Chi Solutions, Inc.

Kathleen Murphy photo
Kathleen A. Murphy, PhD, Senior Growth Advisor for Chi Solutions, Inc., an Accumen company, is a noted laboratory expert, speaker, and author. Over her 35 years in laboratory management and consulting, including her former role as the CEO of Chi, Dr. Murphy has gained broad industry experience in laboratory strategy, turnarounds, and outreach. She is the author of The Profit Machine in the Hospital Basement: Turning Your Lab into an Economic Engine (Ellsworth Press, 2016).
How Effective Test Utilization Can Support Patient Safety
Live Event: Wednesday, March 29, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE® Credit available until September 29, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides 
Utilization of laboratory services is of constant concern because of the cost to our health care system, the drain on laboratory resources, and the waste of valuable time in diagnosing, treating and managing patients. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that there are also patient safety issues that must be considered.

This webinar will report on the progress of the CDC project known as the Clinical Laboratory Integration into Healthcare Collaborative (CLIHC). This project has been examining how physicians order laboratory tests, what they need to be able to order appropriately and what gaps need to be filled by laboratory professionals. These projects give us a better understanding on what clinicians know about laboratory science and medicine. This presentation will also examine several different approaches to controlling utilization and discuss how to implement utilization programs. The “how” is very dependent on many factors, several of which will be described, that exist in every healthcare setting.

This webinar will: 
  • Describe the Clinical Laboratory Integration into Healthcare Collaborative (CLIHC) project.
  • Discuss instances of miscommunication, poor utilization of laboratory services and patient consequences.
  • Analyze barriers and solutions currently being discussed in various institutions.
  • Evaluate implementation processes that might be useful in your setting.









Presenter:
Elissa Passiment, MT(ASCP), EDM
Senior Partner, EP Clinical Laboratory Consulting
Elissa Passiment photo
Elissa Passiment is a clinical laboratory scientist with over twenty years’ experience in clinical laboratories as staff, educator and manager and another twenty years in health care consulting, association management and health policy.
Ms. Passiment has served on the congressionally mandated Negotiated Rulemaking Committee convened to standardize and simplify reimbursement for laboratory services under Medicare Part B; presented testimony to Institute of Medicine studies, and represents ASCLS at meetings with the FDA, CMS, and CDC.
Laboratory Test Utilization: Improving Outcomes and Reducing Costs
Live Event: Tuesday, February 28, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until August 28, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
The nation’s healthcare system has been steadily shifting from fee-for-service to fee-for-value models and patient’s centered models. This transition has created opportunities for clinical diagnostic laboratories to partner within their healthcare systems on initiatives, such as improved patient outcomes, lowering readmission rates, and reducing the cost of patient care. This approach not only provides benefit to patients and the healthcare system but also enables laboratories to play a more integrated role in the care of patients.

With the rapid advancement of molecular diagnostic testing, there is an increasing need for the laboratory to provide education and decision algorithms to help mitigate unnecessary testing. Creating guidelines to help clinicians navigate the increasingly complex landscape of molecular diagnostics is another opportunity for the laboratory to support the transition to value based care.

Optimal utilization of laboratory testing and the implementation of clinician decision support tools have enabled numerous healthcare systems to lower their laboratory testing expenditures and improve patient care associated with high-risk infections and conditions. The mechanisms for achieving, and the benefits associated with, proper laboratory test utilization can be achieved in a variety of ways. Critical to the success of laboratory test utilization programs is partnering with providers in the development of test plans and protocols. Utilizing a collaborative approach across the organization will help ensure adoption and adherence to new protocols.

This presentation will provide information on the how clinical laboratories can utilize testing protocols to help their healthcare systems to reduce costs and achieve goals associated with CMS’ Core Measures and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. The benefits of enhanced utilization of laboratory testing and the utilization of decision support tools to enable improved patient outcomes will be discussed. Considerations and best practices for effective implementation and adoption of laboratory test utilization programs will be reviewed.

This webinar will: 
  • Identify how the laboratory can partner with stakeholders across the healthcare system to reduce healthcare costs by properly utilizing laboratory tests.
  • Define how laboratory test utilization and decision support tools can enable clinicians to improve patient outcomes.
  • Demonstrate how the laboratory can be utilized to address the transition from fee-for-service to fee-for-value
To download the Quality Chasm Series: Health Care Quality Report, click here.
Presenter:
Eugenio Zabaleta, Ph.D.
Clinical Chemist, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital
Eugenio Zabeleta pic
Eugenio H. Zabaleta, PhD, is a Clinical Chemist at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. He is also Part-time Lecturer at Cleveland State University Graduate Clinical Chemistry Program in Cleveland, OH. He graduated from the Catholic University of Cordoba (Argentina) with a degree in Biochemistry and received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Akron. His training in Clinical Pathology was at the Hospital Provincial San Roque in Cordoba. In his native country he was the Laboratory Medical Director at the Clinica Del Sol, a clinic devoted to mother-and-child care with neonatology intensive care services. Dr. Zabaleta performed a fellowship at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital Laboratory.
Compliance Considerations for Clinical Laboratories
Live Event: Wednesday, January 25, 2017  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until July 25, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides
Clinical laboratories provide valuable testing services to their institutions, patients and communities but are operating in increasingly complex and competitive environments. Healthcare reform continues to evolve and with this comes a responsibility by both the laboratories and clinicians to understand the compliance requirements associated with providing testing services. Violation of the laws can put both the laboratory and clinician at risk for criminal and civil penalties. Understanding the state and federal statutes associated with marketing testing services to new and existing clients will enable clinical laboratories to identify risks associated with kick-backs and fraud and abuse. To ensure proper use of funds, Medicare and private payors are increasing the frequency and depth of the audits to clinical laboratories. These audits are being performed to ensure medical necessity, proper utilization of specific test codes and types, as well as proper collection of co-pays and co-insurance. By understanding the laws and guidelines, clinical laboratories can develop robust compliance programs to reduce risks and provide transparency to their healthcare system, clients and payor network.

This presentation will provide an overview to the key laws and statutes as well as address a variety of compliance requirements that clinical laboratories must adhere to mitigate legal and financial risks. Compliance requirements and common issues related to laboratory billing will be identified. Examples of non-compliance will be reviewed. Also addressed within the presentation will be the risks clinical testing laboratories commonly have associated with payor audits.


This webinar will: 

  • Interpret how the Stark Law framework, anti-kickback statute, and exception to limitations applies to laboratory testing
  • Discuss the developments in compliance requirements for client account billing for laboratory testing
  • Identify risks and issues commonly associated with payor audits
Presenter:
Elizabeth Sullivan, Esq.
McDonald Hopkins LLC
Liz Sullivan Photo
Elizabeth Sullivan is a member of the firm’s National Healthcare Practice. She began her legal career as an associate in the Healthcare Practice group and recently returned to McDonald Hopkins. For the past four years, Liz served as associate counsel for The Cleveland Clinic Foundation where she provided regulatory advice and transactional guidance to various service lines, including the clinical laboratory, professional pathology, imaging, transplant, and remote and distance health teams. During her career, Liz has assisted clinical laboratories, hospitals, physician specialty groups, telehealth providers, transplant centers, surgery centers, healthcare associations, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers on regulatory, licensing, compliance, reimbursement, contractual, and corporate matters.
Clinical Lab Payment Reform under PAMA: Reimbursement, Reporting and your New Responsibilities
Live Event: Wednesday, November 16, 2016  1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® Credit available until May 16, 2017  |  Florida Lab Credit available
Recording Slides

On June 23, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Final Rule implementing Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA), requiring laboratories performing clinical diagnostic laboratory tests to report the amounts paid by private insurers for laboratory tests. Medicare will use these private insurer rates to calculate Medicare payment rates for laboratory tests paid under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) beginning January 1, 2018.*

The Final Rule not only reforms reimbursement for clinical laboratory testing but also has numerous requirements and components that laboratories need to understand and comply with. Noncompliance with these new requirements can have financial impacts on the laboratory/institution. Defined within the legislation are elements such as:

  • Definition of applicable laboratories required to report to CMS
  • Reporting periods, applicable information to be reported, and designated reporting authorities
  • Definition of advanced diagnostic laboratory tests (ADLTs) and how they differ in reporting and rate setting

This presentation will address important provisions of the law, including the new data reporting responsibilities for applicable laboratories, details about and timeframes for reporting private payer information, and information on the annual rate reductions allowed under the legislation. The presentation will also help laboratories translate the Final Rule to identify required actions and potential impacts for their laboratories.

*PAMA Regulations, CMS, September 19, 2016

  

This webinar will: 

  • Interpret the provisions of the Final Rule of Section 216 of PAMA which reforms payment to laboratory tests paid under the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule.
  • Identify and apply the new reporting responsibilities for their laboratory and understand the reporting timeframes and the impact it will have on their laboratory.
  • Recognize the methodology and opportunities to engage with CMS on the proposed payment rates before they become final.
Presenters:
Chandra Branham, J.D., VP
Advanced Medical Technology Association
Chandra Branham Photo
Ms. Branham leads the AdvaMed’s policy work in a number of areas, including diagnostics payment, coverage issues, and comparative effectiveness. Ms. Branham has spent most of her career focusing on healthcare regulatory and legislative issues involving Medicare coverage, coding, reimbursement and quality for providers and suppliers of Medicare items and services, including serving as a senior legislative analyst in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Legislation.

Julie Khani, Executive VP
American Clinical Laboratory Association
Julie Khani photo
Julie Khani joined the American Clinical Laboratory Association, ACLA, in 2013 as Senior Vice President, and was named Executive Vice President in 2016. In her current role Ms. Khani oversees the advocacy, policy and communications functions at ACLA and leads association efforts on implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) provisions of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act.

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clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.
® Program.


Cardinal Health is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the
clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.
® Program.

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