New ASM C. Difficile Infection Guidelines and Rapid Diagnostic
Testing Recommendations
Live Event:
Thursday, August 29, 2019
|
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until February 29, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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In a healthcare environment like a hospital or nursing home, Clostridium
difficile Infection (CDI) can be spread quickly through touching
contaminated surfaces or by person-to-person contact. C. difficile
causes an inflammation of the colon that can lead to serious,
life-threatening conditions, especially in immunocompromised or elderly
patients. The problem is so widespread, C. difficile infection (CDI) is
linked to more than 30,000 deaths a year in the United States — rivaling
the 32,000 killed in traffic accidents.
The demands for C. difficile testing have continued to evolve over the
last several years. While focus had been increasingly on the need for
highly accurate detection of the organism, there has been a renewed
interest in the detection of the toxins that cause the disease.
Colonized C. difficile carriers are 5-10 times more common than patients
with active infections in hospitals. Treating carriers is often
ineffective and increases the risk to the patient of developing C.
difficile diarrhea.
Increases in reported C.difficile infection (CDI) have spotlighted
diagnostic protocols and initiatives to reduce overcalling the disease.
This educational webinar provides expert perspectives on the recent
update to the ASM C.difficile infection guidelines and a review of IDSA
guidelines and other clinical evidence that describe the analytical and
clinical utility of diagnostic tests and protocols for C.difficile.
This webinar will:
•
Review and analyze the latest ASM C.
difficile guidelines
•
Discuss IDSA guidelines and how guidelines fit into
clinical diagnosis
•
Review analytical detection vs. clinical diagnosis.
•
Identify and describe the various C. difficile
diagnostic test methods including EIA, PCR and other molecular methods
This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
James Snyder, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine and Chief of Microbiology, University of Louisville
Hospital
Dr. Snyder serves as the American Society for Microbiology
Representative to the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
Working Group for Response to Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious
Diseases. He is a Member of the American Society for Microbiology
Laboratory Practices Committee, serves as the coordinator of the
Sentinel Level Laboratory Protocols for Biothreat and Emerging
Infectious Diseases and is a Member of the American Society for
Microbiology Expert Panel for the development of Evidenced-Based
Laboratory Guidelines. |
New IDSA Influenza Guidelines and Their Impact on Rapid Testing
Live Event:
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
|
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until February 21, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
This educational webinar provides expert perspectives on rapid influenza
testing, recent IDSA guidelines and the value of rapid molecular
testing. Lateral flow tests for influenza are widely utilized in
assessing patients with suspected influenza for their speed and
relatively inexpensive cost. Results are available in as few as 4 to 16
minutes to help quickly guide treatment decisions and care pathways. New
test standards implemented in 2018 require at least 80% sensitivity for
influenza tests, however, remain less sensitive than molecular tests.
New IDSA influenza guidelines encourage the use of molecular tests,
which help increase detection and guide more appropriate and timely use
of antivirals and antibiotics. Dr. Cameron Wolfe, Associate Professor of
Medicine: Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health at Duke
University Medical Center and co-author on the latest IDSA guidelines,
will present the new flu guidelines and rationale for using tests with
higher sensitivity for improved clinical and patient benefits.
As there are multiple molecular tests for influenza, the decision and
process for selecting a rapid molecular flu test can be a significant
task. Our program will provide an overview of the various rapid flu
tests including the similarities and differences of rapid molecular
technology for both high volume flu testing and decentralized/point of
care applications. Studies showing the value of rapid molecular testing
will also be reviewed.
Lastly, we will spotlight the recent experience of selecting and
implementing rapid molecular influenza testing across an entire
integrated health network; hospital lab, emergency department, urgent
care and physician offices. Dr. Joel Mortensen, Director, Diagnostic
Infectious Diseases Testing Laboratory, Department of Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s, will share his experience
on the evaluation process, decision and the implementation best
practices and key learnings to help guide others that may be embarking
on a similar project.
This webinar will:
•
Identify and describe the latest IDSA
influenza guidelines
•
Discuss of the various influenza test
methods including EIA, PCR and other molecular methods
•
Review evidence supporting the value
of rapid molecular influenza testing
•
Discuss the recent evaluation and
implementation of rapid molecular influenza testing across an integrated
health network
This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenters:
 Dr.
Cameron Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA, CPDM, A.Mus.A,
Associate Professor of Medicine
Duke University Medical Center
Dr. Wolfe is the Chief Medical Director for Duke’s Emerging
Pathogens Unit, which focuses on preparedness in the event of
emerging biothreats, and serves as one of the core Transplant
Infectious Disease faculty. He was appointed to the IDSA
Influenza Guidelines national working group and co-authored the
2018 Influenza guideline update published in Clinical Infectious
Diseases. |
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 Joel
E. Mortensen Ph.D., FAAM, HCLD
Director, Diagnostic Infectious Diseases Testing Laboratory,
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Dr. Mortensen is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine for graduate, residency and fellowship teaching
programs and has collaborated with faculty and fellows on more
than 100 peer-reviewed publications, case studies and text
chapters. He holds numerous positions on national and
professional boards and has been an invited speaker to dozens of
national and regional scientific conferences and other
educational events. |
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Diagnostics for Group B Strep: The Role of the Clinical
Microbiology Lab in Prenatal Screening
Live Event:
Thursday, July 18, 2019 |
12:00 - 1:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until January 18, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and
meningitis. Prenatal screening of pregnant women has decreased the rate
of early-onset GBS disease in the United States. The incidence of
late-onset GBS disease has largely remained unchanged by current
screening practices. Clinical microbiology laboratories can impact the
care of GBS colonized women and GBS infected neonates.
GBS screening recommendations include culture of a vagino-rectal
specimen at 35 – 37 weeks gestation using an enriched culture-based
approach. Molecular assays are associated with higher sensitivity and
specificity, with faster time to results as compared to culture and can
significantly improve patient care.
This webinar will review the current recommendations for GBS detection
in pregnant patients, highlight the various methods available to
clinical microbiology laboratories, and will discuss the role molecular
methods can play in detection of GBS by the clinical microbiology
laboratory.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the current recommendations for GBS screening to detect
colonization of pregnant patients
•
Identify the role of clinical microbiology laboratories in GBS screening
•
Examine the utility of molecular-based testing for detection of GBS
colonization
This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
Gerald A. Capraro, PhD, D(ABMM)
Carolinas Pathology Group, Atrium Health
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dr. Capraro is the medical director of the Clinical Microbiology
laboratory for Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. He earned his PhD in
Microbiology & Immunology from Wake Forest University and completed his
fellowship training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is
Board certified in Medical and Public Health Microbiology. He is
actively involved in the American Society for Microbiology, the
Pan-American Society for Clinical Virology, and CLSI. |
What you’re Missing in your Respiratory Pathogen Detection
Live Event:
Monday, June 24, 2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until December 24, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Influenza and non-Influenza respiratory tract virus related infections
are one of the most common reasons reported for physician visits and
hospitalization globally. The economic burden associated with these
viral infections, within the United States, are upwards of $50 billion
annually. Concomitant or subsequent co-infections of the respiratory
tract by pneumonia causing pathogenic bacteria like Streptococcus
pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and
Staphylococcus aureus are often observed in patients suffering from
these respiratory viral infections and contribute to significant
co-morbidity and mortality.
While the development of new panel-based syndromic molecular solutions
for pathogen detection has provided benefits to laboratories, some
challenges still exist including throughput scalability, reducing the
cost per sample, and flexibility of content. Overcoming these challenges
is necessary in order to cater to the ever-changing needs of those
ordering the tests.
Join us as we discuss the impact that real-time PCR testing can have on
respiratory pathogen detection in laboratories. Hear from presenters at
laboratories that have implemented these solutions, gained greater
insights into respiratory pathogen detection, and scaled the solution to
meet varying throughput requirements.
This webinar will:
•
Identify the limitations in current traditional
testing methods for respiratory infections
•
Describe the importance of simultaneously testing
multiple pathogen types in respiratory infections – including viral,
bacterial, and fungal
•
Examine new technology options to help test
multiple respiratory pathogens simultaneously
•
Discuss the considerations involved in
transitioning to these new technologies
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Presenters:
 Vijay
Singh, Ph.D.
Managing Principal Scientist
Molecular Diagnostics
HealthTrack Rx
Dr. Singh is the Managing Principal Scientist for Molecular
Diagnostics at HealthTrackRx in Denton Texas. He leads molecular
tests for pathogen targets on the qPCR nanofluidics platform. He
completed his PhD in Molecular Biology and his Post-Doctoral
training in Metabolic Engineering at the University of North
Texas. |
|
 David
R. Hillyard, MD
Medical Director, Molecular Infectious Diseases
ARUP Laboratories
Dr. Hillyard is a professor of pathology at the University of
Utah School of Medicine. He received his MD from the Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons. His training was
in anatomic and clinical pathology, with fellowships in medical
microbiology and microbial genetics. |
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Urine Drug Testing and its Impact on the Opioid Crisis
Live Event:
Tuesday, June 18, 2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until December 18, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
There continues to be an opioid epidemic in the US with 2.4 million
Americans estimated to have an opioid disorder and over 42,000 dying
from drug overdose every year. Today clinicians are facing legal risk
regarding the opioid prescriptions that they are writing and if any
testing were done before and during the length of these prescriptions.
To help combat this opioid crisis the CDC, CMS and AACC have developed
testing guidelines for screening and monitoring.
The webinar will discuss the crisis, the current testing guidelines and
how best to screen and monitor patients that are prescribed opioids. We
will go through real life case studies in which testing had a positive
impact on patient care and offer suggestions on best practices for
implementing opioid testing protocols in your own facility.
This webinar will:
•
Differentiate between In-Office Qualitative Testing
& Laboratory Quantitative Testing
•
Discuss the legal risk of not screening and
monitoring for Opioids
•
Discuss methods used to interpret unexpected Urine
Drug Testing results
•
Explain how to incorporate Urine Drug Testing
results into ongoing clinical assessment and decision making
This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
Jeffrey Fudin, B.S., Pharm.D., FCCP, FASHP,
Anesthesiology/Pain Management at Albany Medical Center Hospital
CEO and CMO, Remitigate, LLC, Delmar, NY
Dr. Fudin serves on the New York State Board of Medicine Office of
Professional Conduct. He is a Diplomate to the Academy of Integrative
Pain Management and a Fellow of both the American College of Clinical
Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists. He is
considered a national expert in pharmacogenetics, forensic pharmacy, and
advanced pain therapeutics. |
Urinary Tract Infections: Improving Clinical Management and Outcomes
Live Event:
Wednesday, May 29,
2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until November 29, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
There are
more than 250 million UTIs diagnosed worldwide each year, accounting for
$6 billion in direct healthcare expenditures, a 21% hospital readmission
rate in the US and a 2.3% mortality rate. Because the incidence and cost
to the healthcare system is so significant and urine samples are one of
the highest volume specimen types received in a clinical microbiology
laboratory, proper management of testing is critical to both the
laboratory workflow and to patient diagnosis and treatment. UTIs are not
only the most common human bacterial infection, they are also the most
common reason for prescribing antibiotics. By providing robust
diagnostic test results in a shorter timeframe, the level of unnecessary
administration of empiric antibiotics should be greatly reduced,
facilitating antibiotic stewardship and, ultimately, improving patient
care.
This webinar will provide an overview of these approaches and review
published studies comparing the new technologies to gold-standard
methods. It will also help participants understand the true economic
costs of UTIs and potential strategies to help reduce the work-flow
burden and costs in hospital laboratories.
This webinar will:
•
Review the burden
of
UTIs in dollars, time and health outcomes
•
Discuss available diagnostic technologies to detect
UTIs
•
Describe the correlation between rising antibiotic
resistance and inappropriate antibiotic treatments
•
Identify opportunities to improve clinical
management of UTI to improve patient care and outcomes
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This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
Rangaraj Selvarangan, BVSc, PhD,
D(ABMM), FIDSA, Professor
UMKC School of Medicine
Dr. Rangaraj Selvarangan is the Director of Microbiology and Virology
Laboratory and Director of Laboratory Medicine Research at Children’s
Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. He is a Professor in Department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at University of Missouri-Kansas City
School of Medicine and Professor in Division of Infectious Diseases,
Children’s Mercy Hospital.
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The Etiology of Community-Acquired Pneumonia:
Does Data Support the Guidelines?
Live Event:
Thursday, May 23,
2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until November 23, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Pneumonia is an acute alveolar lung infection that presents with
infiltrates upon chest imaging and is often accompanied by fever, cough,
sputum production, and physical findings of consolidation and elevated
white blood counts.1
Globally, pneumonia causes more deaths than any other infectious disease
and, along with influenza, is the eighth leading cause of death in the
United States.1,2
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can be caused by bacterial, viral,
fungal, and zoonotic organisms and can cause mild to severe illness in
people of all ages. Certain people are more likely to become ill with
pneumonia. This includes adults 65 years of age or older and children
less than 5 years of age.2 Pneumonia can often be prevented with
vaccines and can usually be treated with antibiotics or antiviral drugs.
The diagnosis of CAP by clinical presentation along with the presence of
diagnostic chest x-ray findings can help guide empiric treatment with
the most narrow spectrum and safest drug possible. In this webinar,
we’ll review organisms currently thought to cause CAP, describe the
possible role of normal respiratory flora as an etiologic agent of CAP,
and relate guidelines for empiric therapy to the etiologic agents.
References:
1Woolfrey KG. Pneumonia in adults: the practical emergency
department perspective. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2012; 30(2):249-70.
2http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs331/en/index.html
3https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_05.pdf
This webinar will:
•
Recognize organisms currently thought to cause
community-acquired pneumonia
•
Describe the possible role of normal respiratory
flora as an etiologic agent of CAP
•
Examine the relationship between guidelines for
empiric therapy and the etiologic agents
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This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
Daniel M. Musher, M.D.
Professor of Medicine-Infectious Disease
Baylor College of Medicine
Listed as one of the best doctors in the nation in the field of
infectious disease, Daniel M. Musher, M.D., Infectious Disease Section
chief at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) and
professor of Medicine-Infectious Disease at Baylor College of Medicine,
is the recipient of the 2007 Infectious Diseases Society of America
Clinical Teacher Award from the Infectious Disease Society of America. A
national expert in respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, he is a
frequent author of review articles for prestigious medical journals such
as the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Musher holds a VA Merit
Review grant for study of immunization to protect veterans against
pneumococcal pneumonia. |
Next Generation Sequencing Implementation in a
Clinical Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory
Live Event:
Wednesday, May 1,
2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until November 1, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has quickly emerged as a useful tool to
study multiple genes and mutation types in a single assay, thus
preserving tissue and reducing time to results. Sentara Healthcare is a
regional hospital system spanning 12 hospitals and more than 200
physicians’ offices across Virginia and North Carolina. The molecular
diagnostics lab, located at its flagship hospital, serves as the
reference lab for the entire system. Through test menu optimization,
provider outreach, capital acquisitions and method validations, the
molecular diagnostics reference lab has been able to successfully
insource and implement NGS testing within the Sentara Healthcare
network.
Insourcing NGS has affected aspects of the lab such as tissue
conservation, turnaround times and costs. NGS implementation to
streamline genetic and molecular testing will be discussed throughout
this presentation. The webinar will describe how next generation
sequencing has emerged as a useful tool to study multiple genes and
mutation types in a single assay and illustrate how a molecular
diagnostics reference lab has successfully implemented NGS testing
within the Sentara Healthcare Network.
This webinar will:
•
Describe how next generation sequencing has emerged as a useful tool to
study multiple genes and mutation types in a single assay
•
Illustrate how a molecular diagnostics reference lab has
successfully implemented NGS testing within the Sentara Healthcare
Network
•
Discuss the ways in which this implementation has affected tissue
conservation, turnaround times and costs
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Presenter:
Tabetha Sundin, PhD, HCLD (ABB), MB (ASCP)CM,
Scientific Director Molecular Diagnostics and Serology
Sentara Healthcare, Norfolk, VA
Tabetha Sundin, PhD, HCLD (ABB), MB (ASCP)CM, has over 10 years of
laboratory experience in cancer biology and clinical molecular
diagnostics. She is an active member of the Association of Molecular
Pathology (AMP) and involved with numerous efforts to support the
molecular diagnostics field with American Medical Technologists (AMT)
and Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). |
Challenging Bacterial Infections:
The Clinical Impact of
Critical Microbiology Results
Live Event:
Tuesday, April 23, 2019 |
3:00 - 4:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until October 23, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Clinicians expect the microbiology laboratory to provide accurate
antimicrobial susceptibility testing results to guide their treatment
decisions. Reliable susceptibility results are never more important than
when addressing today’s most serious bacterial infections including
carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter.
By attending this webinar, microbiologists will learn how they can help
steer antibiotic treatment choices that are critical to patient care,
including reliable detection of existing and emerging resistance to new
drugs, as well as antimicrobials of last resort. Clinicians will have an
opportunity to gain insight into the results from microbiology
laboratories that can potentially impact patient care.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss a challenging case from a clinical and laboratory perspective
•
Evaluate testing options for rapid identification of resistant
infections
•
Discuss changing epidemiology of Candida infections
•
Discuss the need for ongoing breakpoint updates
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This session is sponsored by: |
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Presenter:
James A. McKinnell, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
James A. McKinnell, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the
David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los
Angeles. He is a nationally-recognized infectious disease specialist
with specific research interests related to the clinical management and
prevention of healthcare-associated infections. He has published over 40
papers, many with emphasis on optimal use of antibiotics and
antimicrobial resistance within the community. |
Biotin May Interfere with Lab Tests: The Impact is Coast to
Coast
Live Event:
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until August 5, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Market Research data shows that Biotin supplements continue to grow
based on their use for health and beauty. Retail stores continue to show
high levels of sales growth of Biotin doses of 10,000 mcg, not to
mention that Biotin currently is the #1 selling supplement on Amazon.
Biotin has been in the news due to the interference it can cause for
certain technologies that exists in the market place for laboratory
testing. With the high concentration of biotin that people are taking,
it is important to know the facts and options available when treating
patients. Our presenter will share firsthand stories illustrating the
science behind what causes the interference, how Biotin interference has
impacted the nation and how he has mitigated risk of potential
interference at his facility.
This webinar will:
•
Describe the magnitude of Biotin consumption in the U.S.
•
Illustrate the science behind how Biotin supplementation can potentially
impact lab test results through firsthand stories from an experienced
lab director
•
Examine methods to eliminate the risk of biotin interference in the
laboratory
|
Presenter:
Spencer Waitman, MLS, (ASCP)
Laboratory Director
Medical Park Family Care
Spencer Waitman MLS (ASCP) cm is currently the Laboratory Director at
Medical Family Care Inc. in Anchorage, Alaska. Spencer has over 15 years
of experience with Clinical Lab Medicine and continues to be a thought
leader when providing clinical decision support to his patients. |
H. pylori Diagnosis: Considerations for Selecting the
Appropriate
Testing Methodology
Live Event:
Wednesday, December 5, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until June 5, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
In the United States, 20% of the population under 30 and 50% of the
population over 60 are infected with H. pylori. H. pylori
infections may be asymptomatic, but can lead to dyspepsia or serious
complications such as duodenal and gastric ulcers, an increased risk of
gastric cancer and higher rates of mucosal associated lymphoid-type
lymphoma.
Several invasive and non-invasive methodologies are currently available
for determining current infection, before and after eradication therapy.
Each testing methodology for H. pylori poses advantages and
disadvantages to the laboratory, patient, and institution. In this
webinar, we explore how to select the appropriate testing methodology by
balancing performance, economics, workflow, and patient care.
This webinar will:
•
Evaluate the appropriate testing methodology
by balancing performance, economics, and workflow
•
Discuss the best patient care by providing
accurate results for appropriate care within a test-treat-test
framework, while also taking into account economic and convenience
considerations for the patient
•
Examine the process of protecting the economic health and reputation of
the institution while providng the best patient care
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Presenter:
David Lyerly, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
TECHLAB
David Lyerly, Ph.D. has published >120 peer-reviewed publications on
intestinal disease. He is a frequent invited speaker at regional,
national, and international meetings and an invited reviewer for
numerous journals and committees. |
Implementing Next-Generation Sequencing for Precision Oncology
Testing
Live Event:
Thursday, November 29, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until May 29, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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According to a recent study by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug
Development, the majority of cancer treatments in the pipeline have an
associated genomic biomarker and this trend is expected to increase in
the coming years. With this evolution in the clinical oncology
landscape, academic medical centers and hospital systems alike have
adopted diagnostic precision medicine tools like next-generation
sequencing (NGS). NGS enables labs to rapidly and simultaneously test
many genomic biomarkers from just a few nanograms of precious
formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) clinical specimens. As the
number of clinically actionable biomarkers continues to expand, these
approaches will continue to play a critical diagnostic role in the
clinical laboratory setting.
In this webinar, our expert speaker will highlight the clinical and
economic considerations for implementing an NGS-based personalized
medicine program and discuss case studies that demonstrate the benefits
of broad genomic profiling across a wide variety of cancer types.
This webinar will:
•
Describe the decision making process in deciding whether to
implement next-generation sequencing in a clinical pathology lab setting
•
Identify the variety of testing strategies and chemistries
available
•
Review example case studies where NGS is uniquely suited to
provide novel clinical insights
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Presenter:
Brian D. Piening, PhD
Associate Director, Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH), Molecular
Genomics Laboratory
Dr. Piening is currently the Associate Director of the Providence St.
Joseph Health (PSJH) Molecular Genomics Laboratory and Assistant Member
and head of the Tumor Immunogenomics Laboratory at the Earle A. Chiles
Research Institute and Providence Cancer Center in Portland, OR. |
The Status of Microsatellite Instability Testing and its Role in
Colorectal Cancer
Live Event:
Monday, November 19, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until May 19, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Microsatellite Instability (MSI) is a hyper-mutation phenotype resulting
from mutations in one or more mismatch repair (MMR) proteins. MSI
testing has been a rapidly evolving field, both in terms of clinical
applications for MSI testing as well as methodologies available to
perform MSI testing. In the first portion of his talk, Dr. Mackinnon
will provide an update on the current state of MSI testing.
As requests for MSI evaluation increase, it will be important for labs
to be able to perform MSI testing in a timely and accurate manner.
Traditional molecular testing techniques for MSI are often challenging
to perform. They require high levels of operator expertise as well as
analysis of a normal tissue components, since the traditional biomarkers
are not tumor specific.
Dr. Mackinnon has evaluated a novel set of MSI biomarkers that are
analyzed by fully automated testing platform, making MSI testing
accessible to virtually any lab. He will present the performance data
from a cross-platform comparison of IHC and two different molecular MSI
evaluation methods and share results for 50 colorectal cancer samples
tested by all three methods.
This webinar will:
• Describe the two main testing
strategies for MSI testing
•
Identify the reasons/clinical applications
for performing MSI testing and what MSI-High vs. Microsatellite Stable
(MSS) results means
•
Analyze the performance of three MSI testing technologies, i.e., IHC + 2
molecular testing methods
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Presenter:
Alexander Craig Mackinnon, MD PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology
Director, Clinical and Translational Research Core Lab
Dr. Mackinnon is an Associate Professor of Pathology and the current
Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Core Laboratory at
Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI. He received his
bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado and his
master’s degree in neuroscience from Northwestern University where he
spent time researching Alzheimer’s Disease. He went on to receive both
his MD and PhD in Cell and Structural Biology from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
The Impact of Flexible Panel-Based Solutions for Pathogen
Detection
Live Event:
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until May 7, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
The development of molecular testing methods for pathogen detection has
led to improved sensitivity, specificity and turnaround time compared
with traditional culture-based methods of analysis. However, current
commercially available molecular tests can be limited by the number of
set pathogenic markers. This means that if a result is not conclusive,
additional testing may be required – leading to increased time to
answer, and additional cost.
Panel-based, syndromic approaches to pathogen detection can present
numerous benefits to the clinical laboratory – including simplification
in ordering, testing of multiple pathogens above and beyond the “usual
suspects”, ease of use, rapid turnaround time, and reduced need to
send-out samples to other laboratories.
This webinar will provide you with the knowledge to understand the
economic and laboratory operational impact of using syndromic panels in
pathogen detection, and how this type of testing can be implemented in
the laboratory. Dr Schutzbank will lead a panel discussion of
laboratories from around the world that have implemented flexible
content syndromic testing for pathogen detection testing. To help
illustrate specific case studies in this area, Dr Sandeep Mukherjee will
then discuss the application of this in bacterial vaginitis
investigations, and Dr Li will discuss how this can impact respiratory
pathogen detection.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the impact of flexible
content syndromic panels from a laboratory operational perspective
•
Describe how flexible content
syndromic panels affects the number of reflex tests the laboratory due
to test consolidation
•
Analyze the effects of flexible
content syndromic panels on laboratory costs
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Presenters: |
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Ted E. Schutzbank PhD
Laboratory Dir., Quantigen Genomic Services |
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Kelly Li Ph.D.
Sr. Applications Scientist
Life Sciences Solutions
Thermo Fisher Scientific |
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Sandeep Mukherjee Ph.D.
Scientific Director
Women’s Health & Infectious Diseases
PathGroup |
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100 Years Since the Spanish Flu: Current Standards for Flu
Pandemic Preparedness
Live Event:
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until April 16, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Last year’s influenza season was a challenging one with a recorded
higher prevalence of infection caused by what had been considered a less
virulent strain of the virus. This was compounded by a vaccine that did
not appear to be as effective against that particular strain along with
higher infant mortality and hospital admittance rates than had been
predicted. As a result of the higher prevalence of illness, there was a
shortage in the availability of rapid influenza tests which many clinics
and physicians experienced.
In this P.A.C.E.®-accredited Fisher Healthcare webinar, Dr.Sally Hojvat
will discuss the FDA's reclassification of rapid flu tests in detail.
She will also discuss how our understanding of the flu has advanced over
the past 100 years, and how we've been able to improve vaccination
strategies, surveillance, and our preparedness for future pandemics.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the importance of having reliable, high performing diagnostic
tests, especially for higher risk patients
•
Describe how the FDA monitors compliance with the recently updated
performance standards for rapid flu tests
•
Explain how to determine whether a test meets FDA-required sensitivity
and specificity
•
Identify the most suitable tests for different testing scenarios
•
Review the pros and cons of molecular and
serological tests, plus manual and automated platforms
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This session is sponsored by: |
 |
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Presenter:
Sally Hojvat, PhD
Senior Consultant, Partners in Diagnostics
Dr. Sally Hojvat holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Loyola University,
before spending nearly two decades in the Diagnostic Division of Abbott
Laboratories. She then worked 12 years for the FDA as the Director of
the Division of Microbiology Devices and currently consults for the
World Health Organization (WHO) and other non-profit and commercial IVD
companies. |
Learn Lean: Simple Ways to Improve Lab Efficiency and Accuracy
Live Event:
Thursday, October 4, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until April 4, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Reimbursement for many tests is being reduced year by year, and the CMS
has stated that this will continue through 2020. Laboratories must
become more efficient. One way is to apply the proven Lean principles in
designing the way the work and the laboratory is structured.
Lean Manufacturing is based on principles that differ from the way
histology has been organized and practiced over the years. It is based
on small batches and limited inventory. The basics and the tools are
easy to learn, with a slight adjustment in the way we think about
organizing our work. By applying the thought process and some of the
tools, many laboratories have made significant advances in their
efficiency. It is quite possible to make a start with just the basic
training and some clear thinking.
This webinar is designed to provide that training. It will review and
redefine workflow in ways that will identify improvements, and identify
and implement ways of making workflow more efficient.
This webinar will:
•
Describe the basic principles underlying
Lean workflow planning
•
Identify and discuss the tools of Lean
Manufacturing
•
Apply these
principles to the laboratory to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and
reduce the risk of errors
|
Presenter:
Peter Kilner
Global Market Development Manager
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Peter Kilner is a Global Market Development Manager with Thermo Fisher
Scientific. He has previously held the posts of Marketing Manager in the
USA and in Europe, as well as Product Manager for tissue processing and
staining equipment. |
Liquid Based Microbiology:
Simplify Sample Collection and
Transport to Improve Patient Care
Live Event:
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until February 28, 2019 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
There are many challenges facing the clinical
microbiology laboratory today and tremendous pressure to perform quality
testing efficiently while limiting additional cost to the medical
institution. Many laboratories are being asked to streamline sample
collection
products due to consolidation. In doing so, laboratories must
strategically evaluate each sample to determine the best type of
collection and transport system.
SWABS
Traditionally, swab samples are collected using dacron or rayon swabs
which consist of yards of fiber wrapped around an applicator stick.
Using these swabs much of the patient sample becomes trapped in the
matrix of fiber. The result is that up to 90% of the sample stays with
the swab and is unavailable for testing. Fiber wrapped swabs are also
challenging to use on automated specimen processors without manual
intervention.
FECES
Currently, after collecting the fecal sample, a quantity (typically 1-2
grams) of feces is placed into a transport media tube. This process can
be unpleasant and messy. Traditional fecal containers are large and
bulky and not ideal for streamlined collection, transport or automation.
SPUTUM
Sputum is a challenging sample in the microbiology laboratory as it can
be very viscous and difficult to manage. To liquefy for easier manual or
automated specimen processing, liquefying solutions are often used.
These reagents are mixed in large batches which may go to waste if not
used within 48 hours.
URINE
Urine containers come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The
vacuum style containers require the additional step of placing the
sample into a more automation friendly container/tube.
This webinar will give an overview of these approaches and review
published studies comparing the new technologies to gold-standard
methods.
This webinar will:
•
Identify the resources available to
validate, convert and train users on Liquid Based Microbiology (LBM)
products
•
Analyze clinical studies and impact of LBM
products on microbiology laboratories across the world
•
Discuss LBM
products and understand how they impact automation in clinical
microbiology
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Presenter:
Susan Sharp, PhD., (D)ABMM, (F)AAM, MS, MT(ASCP)
Director of Scientific Affairs
Copan Diagnostics, Inc.
Dr. Sharp received her B.S. in Medical Technology and her M.S. in
Medical Microbiology & Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska
Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She received her Ph.D. in Veterinary
Microbiology and Parasitology from the Veterinary School of Medicine,
Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She then did a 2-year
post-doctorate fellowship in Clinical Microbiology in the Department of
Pathology, Division of Microbiology, at Hartford Hospital in Hartford,
Connecticut.
|
Considerations in UTI Detection and its Potential Impact on
Antibiotic Stewardship
Live Event:
Tuesday, July 24, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until January 23, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a leading cause of health care
visits. Consequently, urine specimens are one of the most frequent
specimen types submitted to laboratories, yet the majority of specimens
prove to be negative for UTI after evaluation by standard methods.
Plate-based culturing remains the gold standard for UTI detection,
requiring 24-48 hours before results are available. Urinalysis (UA) is
an automated approach that provides more rapid results than standard
culturing, but this method can suffer from poor sensitivity and
specificity, resulting in the improper management of patient care.
There are newer technologies available today that improve our ability to
detect UTI faster with higher specificity. These include mass
spectrometry and a newly approved technology that uses laser light
scatter to detect low density bacterial infection. By providing robust
results in a shorter timeframe, the level of unnecessary administration
of empiric antibiotics should be greatly reduced, facilitating
antibiotic stewardship and, ultimately, improving patient care. This
webinar will give an overview of these approaches and review published
studies comparing the new technologies to gold-standard methods.
This webinar will:
•
Describe the traditional and advanced diagnostic methods for UTI and
their impact on patient diagnosis.
•
Examine the role urinary tract infections play in inappropriate
antibiotic use and increasing antibiotic resistance.
•
Discuss the healthcare burden of UTIs in terms of dollars, time, and
health outcomes |
Presenter:
Erin H. Graf, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Director Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Laboratory
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Graf is the Director of the Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Laboratory at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also an
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at The
University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Graf completed her Ph.D. in Cell and
Molecular Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at The University
of Pennsylvania studying HIV latency. Dr. Graf is board certified in
medical microbiology. Her research interests include sequence-based
diagnostics in clinical microbiology, including the applications of next
generation sequencing and metagenomics, as well as emerging technologies
for rapid diagnostics. |
Influenza Testing and the FDA Reclassification: Where do We Go
from Here?
Live Event:
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until December 5, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
FDA Influenza Reclassification went into full effect in January 2018.
This change placed additional requirements on influenza lateral flow
assay manufactures. As a result,, some assays were removed from the
market.
This change in influenza assay availability challenged some testing
facilities to adjust their assay use, or to purchase excess inventory
for the 2017/2018 influenza season. Now that the 2017/2018 influenza
season has passed, testing facilities that did not implement an
FDA-approved test will need determine their influenza testing plans for
the 2018/2019 influenza season and beyond.
This educational webinar will review flu testing challenges faced during
the 2017/2018 influenza season, including discussion on the management
and mitigation of highly seasonal testing and a review of testing
options for the 2018/2019 season. The session will also analyze the pros
and cons of each type of influenza testing.
This webinar will:
•
Review FDA Influenza Reclassification Requirements to provide
understanding of changes following the January 2018 enforcement date
•
Identify the different types of influenza tests available, following FDA
Influenza Reclassification
•
Analyze the pros and cons of each type of influenza testing
•
Discuss the 2017/2018 influenza season and lessons learned to prepare
for future season |
Presenter:
Gregory J. Berry, Ph.D., D(ABMM)
Director, Molecular Diagnostics
Assistant Director, Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Northwell Health Laboratories
Dr. 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. |
Reducing Time to Result for Urinary Tract Pathogen Detection
Utilizing Real-Time PCR Technology
Live Event:
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until November 29, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Although widely used, culture-based methods for the detection of
pathogens involved in Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) can lack
sensitivity resulting in the possibility of pathogens not being
detected. They can also be subjective leading to misinterpretation of
results, take a long time resulting in reduced lab efficiency, and they
have been shown to miss a significant percentage of positive cases. In
fact, some studies show that almost 30% of positive cases are missed
using culture-based methods
A molecular alternative to culture-based methods, real-time PCR
technology, increases specificity and sensitivity, with over 25%
increased accuracy in urinary tract pathogen detection when compared to
culture methods in under 5 hours. Real-time PCR in pathogen detection
can identify slow-growing, difficult-to-cultivate microorganisms, and
can be used when culture-based techniques are inadequate, ambiguous,
time-consuming, difficult, and/or too costly. Clinical validation data
demonstrated that when compared with urine specimen culture, real-time
PCR detected 97% of samples where urinary tract pathogens were present,
vs culture which detected only 71% of cases where pathogens were
present.1
This webinar will compare molecular testing for urinary tract pathogen
detection to traditional culture-based testing methods, examine the
sensitivity, specificity and turnaround time of molecular testing
techniques for UTI pathogen detection, and discuss the current impact of
UTI’s in the US and globally, including health economic impacts and how
new testing methods can potentially impact laboratory efficiency.
1For research use only.
Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
This webinar will:
•
Compare molecular testing for urinary tract pathogen detection to
traditional culture-based testing methods
•
Examine the sensitivity, specificity and
turnaround time of molecular testing techniques for UTI pathogen
detection
•
Discuss the current impact of UTI’s in the
US and globally, including health economic impacts and how new testing
methods can potentially impact laboratory efficiency |
Presenter:
David Baunoch, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer Pathnostics
 :
With over 25 years of laboratory experience,
Dr. Baunoch has extensive experience in all areas of Lab Services. Dr.
Baunoch received his PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from
Wayne State University and completed a NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in
Breast Cancer Research at the Michigan Cancer Foundation. He is widely
published, with over 25 peer-reviewed publications.
|
Clostridium difficile Infection Guideline Update:
Understanding the Data Behind the Recommendations
Live Event:
Tuesday, May 8, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until November 7, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
In a healthcare environment like a hospital or nursing home,
Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) can be spread quickly through
touching contaminated surfaces or by person-to-person contact. C.
difficile causes an inflammation of the colon that can lead to
serious, life-threatening conditions, especially in immunocompromised or
elderly patients. The problem is so widespread, C. difficile
infection (CDI) is linked to more than 30,000 deaths a year in the
United States — rivaling the 32,000 killed in traffic accidents.
The demands for C. difficile testing have continued to evolve
over the last several years. While the focus had been increasingly on
the need for highly accurate detection of the organism, there has been a
renewed interest in the detection of the toxins that cause the disease.
Colonized C. difficile carriers are 5-10 times more common than
patients with active infections in hospitals. Treating carriers is often
ineffective and increases the risk to the patient of developing C.
difficile diarrhea.
C. difficile infections pose a serious threat and require rapid
clinical decisions. This webinar will review the 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI
guideline update treatment recommendations, describe how the 2017
IDSA/SHEA CDI guideline update recommendations on C. difficile
diagnostics will apply to a patient population, and identify how the
microbiology laboratory can assist in C. difficile infection
prevention.
This webinar will:
•
Review the 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI guideline
update treatment recommendations
•
Describe how the 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI
guideline update recommendations on C. difficile diagnostics
will apply to a patient population
•
Identify how
the microbiology laboratory can assist in C. difficile
infection prevention
|
Presenter:
Erik Dubberke, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Dr. Dubberke is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he has been a faculty
member in the Division of Infectious Diseases since 2005. His main
research interests are in the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). He is the
lead author of the CDI component of the SHEA compendium to prevent
healthcare associated infections, and is a panel member on the update of
the SHEA/IDSA CDI clinical guidelines. |
Anti-Heparin Platelet Factor 4 Antibodies: Risking a Potentially
Catastrophic Occurrence
Live Event:
Thursday, April 5, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
PACE®
credit available until October 4, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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As many as 5% of patients treated with heparin have an immune complex
that is formed between Heparin and Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). These
patients may develop Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT),
characterized by a low platelet count that can result in excessive
bleeding or clotting. Of those diagnosed with HIT, 30% are at risk for
death and 20% are at risk for limb amputation.
Current testing for HIT can take several hours to several days for the
results. During this time, patients requiring surgery must wait for the
test results to determine if heparin can be administered, or they are
given expensive direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI’s) as a precautionary
measure.
This webinar will describe the mechanism of interaction between heparin
and platelet factor 4, review the chemistry of heparin, and identify the
consequences of antibodies to Heparin Platelet Factor 4. It will also
examine the testing methodology for the anti-Platelet Factor 4 Heparin
antibody.
This
webinar will:
•
Describe the mechanism of interaction between Heparin and
Platelet Factor 4
•
Review the chemistry of Heparin
•
Identify the consequences of antibodies to the Heparin Platelet
Factor 4
•
Examine the testing methodology for the anti-Platelet Factor 4
Heparin anti-body
|
This webinar is sponsored by |
 |
|
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Presenter:
Michael Warhol, MD
Past President , Pennsylvania Association of Pathologists
Fellow of the American College of Pathology
Dr. Warhol received his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and
his M.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He continued his
residency training in pathology at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital,
Boston, MA. He served as Chairman and Director of Laboratories at
Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and New York Hospital Queens. |
Empowering STAT DNA Testing for Molecular Oncology Applications using a
Fully Automated Platform
Live Event:
Thursday, March 15, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until September 14, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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Turnaround time remains a major issue in molecular biomarker testing.
Current technologies are complex, require a lot of hands-on time and are
often difficult to implement in the local laboratory. These factors
significantly extend the time until the result report becomes available.
This webinar will provide firsthand perspectives about how new
technologies can help improve turnaround times in virtually any lab. Dr.
Tsongalis will discuss his experiences with fully -automated molecular
biomarker analysis by presenting results from a recent performance
study. He will also share his views on validation requirements for such
a platform.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the reasons for the need for improvement
in TAT when it comes to testing Oncology biomarkers.
•
Compare the performance of a fully-automated
qPCR-based system to that of a Next-Generation Sequencing based system
•
Identify validation strategies for implementing
fully automated biomarker-testing systems in a CLIA setting.
|
Presenter:
Gregory J. Tsongalis, PhD, HCLD, CC
Professor of Pathology
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH
Dr. Tsongalis' research interests are in
the pathogenesis of solid tumors, disease association of SNP genotyping
and personalized medicine. He has authored/edited 11 textbooks in the
field of molecular pathology, published more than 200 peer reviewed
manuscripts, and has been an invited speaker at both national and
international meetings.
|
Understanding Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Treatment Options
Live Event:
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE®
credit available until July 8, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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For patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the current
standard of practice is to start initial empiric antimicrobial therapy
using broad-spectrum antibiotics with the goal to cover the most likely
etiologies. Since the initial standard microbiological work-up fails to
identify a definitive etiology in the majority of patients, most
patients are continued on broad-spectrum antibiotics for the full
duration of therapy. This empiric current antimicrobial approach exposes
patients to more antimicrobials than necessary, eradicates a significant
proportion of organisms belonging to the normal host flora (collateral
damage), and selects for antimicrobial resistant pathogens.
However, with advances of diagnostic tests (including
immunochromatographic-based urinary antigen and molecular assays) which
can identify respiratory pathogens of CAP earlier in the course of
management and with the potential for identifying specific pathogens in
a greater proportion of patients, it is now possible to provide early
treatment with a narrower, focused antimicrobial regimen that targets
the identified pathogens. In those who have been begun on broader
coverage, antibiotics can be reduced or “de-escalated.” This
pathogen-directed therapy will ultimately lead to a new paradigm of
“targeted antimicrobial” treatment that will permit selection of agents
against a specific pathogen and substantially reduce exposure of
individuals and hospitals to antimicrobial agents with decreased
selection of antimicrobial resistance, cost, and adverse events.
This webinar will:
•
List the differences between empirical and
pathogen-directed therapy for community-acquired pneumonia
•
Review pathogens responsible for
community-acquired pneumonia
•
Analyze the diagnostics and treatment
options available for community-acquired pneumonia
•
Identify advantages of rapid diagnostic methods for community-acquired
pneumonia
|
Presenter:
Thomas M. File, Jr., MD MSc. MACP FIDSA FCCP
Chief of the Infectious Disease Service
Summa Health System, Akron, Ohio
Thomas M. File Jr., MD is Chief of the Infectious Disease Service and
Director of HIV Research at Summa Health System in Akron. Ohio, and
Professor of Internal Medicine and Master Teacher at the Northeastern
Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio. |
Using Modern Technology to Surveil, Monitor, and Diagnose
Infectious Disease
Live Event:
Monday, December 18, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until June 18, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
There is a growing need for accurate and timely information about the
status of infectious disease in a community, county or state. Such
information will alert physicians, hospital administrators, medical and
laboratory directors, and public health agencies, and can enable
preventive measures and/or improved patient care and management. Modern
surveillance technology shows great promise in fulfilling this need by
sending results in near real-time for influenza, RSV, and Strep A tests
to the CDC, state departments of health, and healthcare organizations
nation-wide.
This webinar will discuss recent technological advances that have
afforded certain FDA-cleared rapid point of care instruments that aid in
the diagnosis of infectious disease the capability to wirelessly convey
near real-time results and transmit to public health agencies and
organizations for use in de-identified surveillance and laboratory
management. The utility for laboratory management, featuring quality
control, training, resource management, and operator performance will be
discussed, as will the impact of valid real-time data on the management
of patients and the timely and appropriate use of antivirals and
antibiotics. Promising new applications of data in developing enhanced
disease forecasting and the benefits this promises for public health,
healthcare systems, pharmacies and others will be also be considered.
This webinar will:
•
Identify technology that allows certain FDA-cleared, rapid-POC testing
instruments to wirelessly transmit to public authorities
•
Describe how labs can use the technology for quality control, training
and resource management
•
Analyze the impact of valid real-time data on patient care management,
including the use of antivirals and antibiotics
•
Discuss promising new applications of data to enhance disease
forecasting and its benefits for various stakeholders
|
Presenter:
John Tamerius, PhD
Sr. Vice President, Strategic and External Affairs, Quidel Corp.
Dr. John Tamerius graduated from the Univ. of Washington (Seattle,
Washington) with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology. He performed
graduate and postdoctoral research in tumor immunology at the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Center (Seattle) before joining the Scripps Clinic and
Research Foundation (San Diego, California) as a Research Associate in
the Dept. of Molecular Immunology. |
Meeting the Standards:
Mandatory FDA Reclassification Of Rapid Influenza Detection Tests
Live Event:
Monday, November 6, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until May 6, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
FDA Tightens Standards, Reclassifies RIDTs
There have historically been some challenges with rapid immunoassay
detection test (RIDTs) for influenza and their variability in
performance. While they tend to show good specificity, they can deliver
less-than-optimal sensitivity in respiratory specimens compared to
RT-PCR or viral culture.
In some cases (for example, the H1N1 flu strain in 2009) RIDTs may be
unable to detect the virus at all. For this reason, negative RIDT test
results should be interpreted with caution given the potential for false
negative results - especially during peak flu season in a community.
Based on these concerns, the FDA began work to reclassify antigen-based
RIDTs as Class II devices in order to improve the overall quality of
testing for influenza. The FDA has provided certain performance criteria
that manufacturers will have to meet in order to market their influenza
assays.
What Does the FDA Reclassification Mean for RIDT Manufacturers?
Manufacturers must obtain a new 510(k) clearance and demonstrate
compliance with the special controls included in the new clinical
performance standards before marketing antigen-based RIDTs.
What Does the FDA Reclass Mean for Physicians and Labs?
Facilities testing for flu can still continue to purchase their current
product up until January 12, 2018 and utilize them until the kit’s
expiration date. This provides facilities enough time to assess the
performance data against the FDA criteria and engage clinicians and
management on the next course of action for flu testing.
This webinar will:
•
Describe the FDA reclassification of rapid
immunoassay detection tests (RIDT’s) for 2018
•
Discuss the reason for FDA’s implementation
of the new reclassification and how that impacts not only manufacturers
but also the physician, the laboratory, and the patient
•
Identify the information RIDT users must have from manufacturers to
determine whether or not their current testing meets the
reclassification |
Presenter:
Sally Hojvat, PhD
Sally Hojvat holds an MSc in Microbiology/ Food Science from the
University of Alberta and a PhD in Biochemistry from Loyola University.
She has completed post-doctorate work in clinical chemistry and
pharmacology, worked for the FDA, and has extensive experience working
for a major international IVD manufacturer.
|
Get the Most Out Of Barcoding In Your Pathology Laboratory
Live Event:
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until April 25, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Barcoding is used everywhere in our culture today to prevent errors. In
laboratories, barcoding has become an evidence based “best practice” for
reducing errors and improving productivity where up to 70% of all errors
occur in the pre- and post-analytic phases. Besides improving
productivity, barcoding opens up many new opportunities to utilize the
embedded data downstream through multiple stages up to and including
long-term storage and archiving.
This webinar will offer a practical approach to implementing a barcoding
solution to meet the needs of your individual laboratory for protecting
the integrity of patients’ specimens. With US Healthcare moving from a
Fee-for-Service model to a Value-Based system, laboratories must
implement ways of improving quality outcomes. The additional benefit
barcoding delivers is an improvement in productivity and reduction, to
the point of elimination of non-value added tasks. Barcoding utilized
along with lean processes has also been proven to reduce labeling errors
to near zero in pathology laboratories.
This webinar will:
•
Describe how reimbursement impacts technology utilization in
the laboratory
•
Differentiate between linear and 2D barcodes and how each
captures patient data
•
Review techniques labs employ to adapt barcoding to their
varying sizes and budgets
•
Illustrate the ways in which barcoding affects a pathology
laboratory's workflow and productivity
|
Presenter:
Loretta Sayles
Sayles Lab Consulting
Loretta Sayles has spent the past 30 plus years working in the anatomic
pathology laboratory arena in several different aspects of our business.
She currently is the Managing Director of Sayles Lab Consulting which
focuses on helping labs improve their quality while understanding the
challenging healthcare market. Loretta is very active in Histotechnology
on both the national and state level and has been recognized for her
dedication to the field. |
The Journey to Realizing the Promise of Precision Medicine
Live Event:
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until April 17, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Currently, clinical labs are doing
sequential, single-analyte testing in oncology which exhausts precious
patient samples and extends the turnaround time to results. Clinicians
can wait for as long as two to three weeks to get a result. And, if the
sample is insufficient for molecular testing, patients can be subject to
expensive and painful rebiopsies. Pathologists and other clinicians need
a better, faster way to consolidate their molecular testing into a
single assay and get results within a week.
This webinar will show how Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is helping
labs save precious samples and provide rapid results. It will review the
updates on the NCI-MATCH clinical trial for adult cancers and the
development of a gene panel specific to pediatric cancers, and it will
discuss a laboratory's implementation of next-generation sequencing for
cancer clinical research.
This webinar will:
•
Review the updates on the NCI-MATCH clinical
trial for adult cancers and the development of a gene panel specific to
pediatric cancers
•
Analyze the effects of next-generation
sequencing on the speed of results from the clinical/pathology lab to
oncologists to minimize the need for a painful and expensive rebiopsy
•
Discuss a laboratory's implementation of
next-generation sequencing for cancer clinical research
|
| Presenters: |
 Timothy
Triche, MD, PhD, Pathologist; Co-Director, Center for
Personalized Medicine Program (CPM) Professor of Pathology and
Pediatrics, USC Keck School of Medicine |
|
 Mickey
Williams, PhD
Director, Molecular Characterization Laboratory, National Cancer
Institute |
|
 Barbara
A. Conley, MD Special Volunteer / Contractor, National
Cancer Institute |
|
HIV Trends, Guideline Recommendations, & the Evolution of Rapid HIV
Screening Tests
Live Event:
Thursday, September 28, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until March 28, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
estimates that 14 percent of people infected with HIV in the United
States - more than 168,000 people1 - are unaware of their
infection. Of the estimated 50,000 new
HIV infections each year, thousands are transmitted by people who do not
know that they are HIV-positive.2,3
With the successful introduction of antiviral drugs, HIV screening and
testing has become a cornerstone for prevention and treatment. For those
who test positive, it opens the door to life-saving treatment and
reduces the transmission of HIV to others. And for those who test
negative, they can take preventative measures to ensure they remain
negative.
Through the years, HIV screening tests have improved in performance and
ease of use but not all HIV tests are equal. The CDC in 2014 updated
their recommendations on HIV testing to include screening with a 4th
generation lab test. This webinar will review the evolution of HIV
screening tests, identify differences in HIV testing methodologies,
review current CDC and HRSA guidelines for HIV testing, screening, and
analysis, and develop strategies within one’s own institution to
increase screening for HIV.
1
CDC. Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by
using HIV surveillance data - United States and 6 U.S. dependent areas -
2012. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2014;19(No. 3). Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports. Published November 2014.
(Accessed November 25, 2014).
2 CDC. Estimated HIV incidence among adults and adolescents
in the United States, 2007-2010. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report
2012;17(No. 4). Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/ttsupplemental.
Published December 2012.
3 Hall HI, Holtgrave DR, and Maulsby C. HIV transmission
rates from persons living with HIV who are aware and unaware of their
infection. AIDS 2012;26(7):893-96.
This webinar will:
•
Review current CDC and HRSA guidelines for HIV
testing/screening/analysis and importance of early detection
•
Determine the patient population that can benefit from
rapid point-of-care testing for HIV antigen/antibody
•
Develop strategies within one’s own institution to
increase screening for HIV
•
Apply current guidelines and best practices to improve
the care of patients who are HIV positive and HIV negative |
Presenter:
Neil W. Anderson, MD
Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine, and
Asst Medical Dir, Clinical Microbiology,
Barnes Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri
Neil Anderson completed his training in anatomic and clinical pathology
at the Medical College of Wisconsin, followed by a fellowship in
clinical microbiology at Mayo Clinic. He currently is an assistant
professor at Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine and
is the assistant medical director of clinical microbiology at Barnes
Jewish Hospital. His areas of academic pursuit include the serologic and
molecular testing for infectious diseases, with a particular focus on
HIV testing. |
Advances in Biomarker Testing for Sepsis and Bacterial
Infections
Live Event:
Wednesday, September 13, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until March 13, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
|
Systemic bacterial Infections are often difficult to differentiate
from other infections. This can lead to a delay in appropriate treatment
and sometimes overtreatment with antibiotics Both the clinical
presentation and diagnostic tests are required to manage therapy.
Timely, informed decisions can be made with the assistance of
biomarkers. With the recently FDA approved claim extensions of
Procalcitonin (PCT) clinicians now have an additional tool to help
direct antibiotic therapy. This can result in reduced antibiotic usage,
reduced time in ICU reducing the costs incurred by both patients and
healthcare systems while improving clinical outcomes.
This webinar will provide a thorough understanding on how biomarkers are
used in systemic bacterial infections and Lower Respiratory Tract
Infections (LRTI) and the laboratory’s role in helping direct patient
therapy. It will analyze PCT as an infection biomarker with a review of
the recently approved FDA claims and discuss the clinical application of
the biomarker using case studies for LRTI and Sepsis.
This webinar will::
•
Identify the various biomarkers used to assess
systemic infections
•
Discuss PCT as an infection biomarker with a
review of the recently approved FDA claims
•
Define the role of PCT in the context of
antibiotic stewardship
•
Describe the clinical application of the
biomarker using case studies for LRTI and Sepsis
|
Presenter:
Eric Gluck MD, FCCP JD
Director, Critical Care Services
Swedish Covenant Hospital
Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Gluck is a Professor of Medicine at Finch University of Health
Sciences/The Chicago Medical School in North Chicago. He has previously
held positions as an Assistant Professor at both Rush-Presbyterian St.
Luke’s Medical Center and the University of Connecticut. Dr. Gluck is
Board Certified in Internal Medicine with subspecialties in Pulmonary
and Critical Care Medicine. |
Genital Zoster Infections: An Unexpected Finding Using a Molecular Assay
Live Event:
Thursday, July 27, 2017 |
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until January 27, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are common
causes of cutaneous and mucocutaneous infections and typically
distinguished based upon appearance and anatomic location. But atypical
presentations of zoster can occur in unusual anatomical sites. Improved
testing methods for the differentiation of HSV 1+2 and VZV from
cutaneous and mucocutaneous specimens allow for correct detection and
diagnosis leading to better treatment and patient counseling.
Incorrect diagnosis of suspected HSV has psychosocial impacts that
affect patient well being. Traditional culture methods for HSV and VZV
can take between 24 hours and 2 weeks for results which can delay
therapy and leave patients in the dark.
Molecular testing methods to diagnose and differentiate Herpes from
Varicella Zoster can change treatment and patient counseling by
providing definitive results in a timely manner to allow for more
accurate treatment.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the importance of differentiating HSV
from VZV specifically in genital lesions
•
Examine the ways in which a fast TAT for VZV can
impact clinical care
•
Analyze the psychosocial impact of an incorrect
diagnosis for HSV/VZV
•
Identify the treatment differences and positivity
rates for VZV in patients suspected to have HSV
|
This webinar is sponsored by |
 |
and |
 |
|
Presenter:
Paul A. Granato, Ph.D., DABMM, FAAM
Professor Emeritus of Pathology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Dr. Granato earned his Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular biology from
Syracuse University after graduating from Le Moyne College majoring in
biology and chemistry. Dr. Granato directed several clinical
microbiology laboratories over his professional career while serving as
a faculty member in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology &
Immunology at SUNY Upstate Medical University for over 35 years where he
is now Professor Emeritus in Pathology.
|
Differentiating Gluten-Related Disorders Through Diagnostic
Methods
Live Event:
Monday, June 19, 2017 |
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until December 19, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Celiac Disease is an immune-mediated systemic disorder elicited by
gluten and related prolamines in genetically susceptible individuals.
Approximately 90% of CD patients are not yet diagnosed. 36% of CD
patients are incorrectly diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. The
incidence of CD has increased from 5.2 per 100,000 persons in 1990 to
19.1 in 2010. Differentiation is critical since a gluten restricted diet
is a burden for the patient and family.
Wheat is a grass, and one of the most common causes of food allergen
sensitization in children. Some grass sensitized children can be
misdiagnosed as wheat allergic who are recommended a wheat-free diet as
whole wheat extract tests often show sensitization due to
cross-reactivity between wheat and grass components e.g. profilin and
CCD. Wheat is an ingredient in processed foods other than bakery
products, for instance in beer which may elicit symptoms in allergen
sensitized patients.
This session will present an update of our current understanding of the
three main forms of reactions to wheat and its byproducts including
gluten: allergic (wheat allergy), autoimmune (celiac disease) and
intolerance (gluten sensitivity). The speakers cover testing cascades to
differentiate patients efficiently, as well as the laboratory efficiency
gains by processing these tests on a single automated platform.
This webinar will:
•
Discuss the prevalence, symptoms, and characteristics of
three "gluten"- related disorders
•
Examine the reasons why "Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)" is
still a vague umbrella term encompassing distinct populations of
patients
•
Identify the patients who would benefit from testing
•
Assess specific testing cascades to assist the clinician in the
differentiation between "gluten"- related disorders |
Presenters:
 Stefano Guandalini, MD, is an internationally recognized expert on
celiac disease. He is also known for
his expertise in the research and treatment of other diarrheal diseases
in children. Dr. Guandalini is the president of the North American
Society for the Study of Celiac Disease, and has been ranked among
America’s "Best Doctors" since 2008. |
|
 Dr.
Alessio Fasano is chief of pediatric gastroenterology
and nutrition at Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC). He
is a world-renowned pediatric gastro-enterologist, research
scientist and entrepreneur. Dr. Fasano directs the Center for
Celiac Research, specializing in the treatment of patients of
all ages with gluten-related disorders, including celiac
disease, wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity. |
|
Vaginal Microbiota Investigations: Increasing Insight, Reducing Cost
Live Event: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 |
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until November 16, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
|
Urogenital infections,
including bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections, and vaginitis,
afflict over a billion women each year. In spite of the significant size
of the affected population, there is a lack of awareness among CLIA labs
for a multi-pathogen solution for screening vaginal microbiota. Current
culture based methods for vaginal and urogenital microbiota lack
sensitivity and specificity, and are subjective as well as inaccurate.
Current molecular methods for bacterial vaginitis can have a high cost
per sample, lack of flexibility in content and pathogenic targets, and
are not amenable to centralized testing. Tests that are neither flexible
in content, low cost per sample, nor sensitive enough to detect vaginal
and urogenital microbiota can lead to further testing in order to get a
finite answer for bacterial vaginitis investigations.
This webinar will discuss the increased
sensitivity and specificity required for vaginal microbiota and pathogen
investigations. It will also review the role of both pathogenic and commensal
microbiota involved in urogenital infections, and identify the methods
to detect a broad range of vaginal microbiota from a single sample
quickly, and
efficiently.
This webinar will:
•
Review the role of both pathogenic and commensal microbiota
involved in urogenital infections
•
Identify the methods to detect a broad range of vaginal
microbiota from a single sample quickly, and cost effectively
•
Discuss the practical application of the detection of a
broad range of vaginal microbiota from a single sample
|
Presenters:
 |
Don Stalons, PhD
Director, Clinical Laboratory, Diatherix |
 |
Doug Rains
CSO of Quantigen Laboratory in Fishers, IN |
 |
Jeffrey Shaman, PhD
Director of Business Dev.
Coriell Life Sciences |
|
Case Studies in Vaginitis
Live Event: Friday, March 31, 2017 |
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until September 31, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
 |
Vaginitis is one of the most common gynecologic disorders seen in
primary care It is a disorder that accounts for 10 million office visits
and up to 7 percent of visits made to gynecologists. Although generally
not regarded as a serious condition, it nevertheless has significant
consequences in terms of pain and discomfort, days loss from work and
school, sexual functioning, and altered self-esteem. In addition, over
one billion dollars a year are spent on OTC medications and physician
visits for this diagnosis.
This webinar will provide clinicians with a practical diagnostic
approach to the patient presenting to the office with a vaginal
discharge. In addition to helping the clinicians differentiate normal
from abnormal, the webinar will also illustrate how integration of clues
from the history and physical findings with skillful use of the office
laboratory is essential for making an accurate diagnosis. This webinar
will also address current challenges in diagnosing trichomonas and
candida infections and review the effective management of common vaginal
infections.
This webinar will:
•
Describe a differential diagnosis of the patient presenting with
a vaginal discharge.
•
Analyze the role of the office laboratory in diagnosing
vaginitis.
•
Identify the three most common causes of vaginitis and discuss
the effective management of each.
|
Presenter:
Martin Quan, MD
Professor of Clinical Family Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Dr. Quan is Professor of Clinical Family
Medicine and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Department of Family
Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is also Director,
Office of Continuing Medical Education. He also serves as Senior
Advisor to the President of the American Board of Family Medicine. He is
a member of the Education Advisory Board and consultant to the Committee
on Continued Professional Development of the California Academy of
Family Physicians and a member of the Kidney Learning System Advisory
Board of the National Kidney Foundation. |
Tissue Archiving: Reality, Recommendations and Best Practices
Live Event: Thursday, January 26, 2017
| 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until January 26, 2018 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
In today’s busy Pathology laboratories, more is being expected with
fewer resources. Yet, archiving tissue paraffin blocks, retrieving them
when necessary and then re-archiving them back into their original filed
positions utilizes manpower resources. An estimated 3000 manual work
hours are spent annually for a laboratory that processes 100,000 tissue
blocks per year.1
More importantly, the traceability and accountability of tissue blocks
are critical components to patient management. The risk of delay of
diagnosis when tissue blocks go missing can lead to anxiety for the
patient and the laboratory staff. In addition, lost tissue blocks can
result in even more serious issues including risk of litigation and
harmed reputation. As serious as lost patient diagnostic pathology
slides can be, lost paraffin blocks are even more significant since any
hope of retrieving a viable patient sample is lost forever.2
The purpose of this webinar is to review tissue block archiving
guidelines in the US and other countries throughout Europe. It will
review the past and current practice for archiving tissue blocks at Dr.
Costes-Martineau’s laboratory at Montpellier University Teaching
Hospital. And lastly, it will offer recommendations on best practices
towards achieving overall improvement in tissue block archiving
practices.
1Montpellier
University Teaching Hospital, Montpellier, France
2Testing Biopsy & Cytology Specimens for Cancer,
www.Cancer.org
This webinar will:
•
Review tissue block archiving guidelines in the US and discuss
how these regulations compare to those in other countries throughout
Europe.
•
Examine how one laboratory achieved time-savings while improving
compliance with their tissue block archiving system.
•
Identify best practices towards improving your laboratory’s
efficiency in tissue block archiving.
|
Presenter:
Pr. Valérie Costes-Martineau, MD
Montpellier University Teaching Hospital, Montpellier, France
Dr. Costes-Martineau is Professor of Medicine at University Montpellier.
She is the head of both the Department of Biopathology and of the
Department of Biobanking at Montpellier University Teaching Hospital in
France. Professor Costes-Martineau's main focus is Head and Neck (HN)
Pathology. She is a member of the Scientific Board of the network for
rare HN cancers which is granted by INCA, and in charge of HN Pathology
Teaching organized by the Pathology French Society. She is also the
president of the French HN Pathology society. Professor Costes-Martineau
is the author of over 100 articles in peer reviewed scientific journals. |
Molecular In Minutes: The Value
of Molecular Testing for Infectious Disease
Live Event:
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
| 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until June 14, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Overuse of antibiotics is a significant global crisis. While physicians
often prescribe treatment empirically rather than wait for diagnostic
results, hospitals are faced with a financial burden for antibiotic
resistant infections and C. difficile rates. As laboratories
increasingly have the ability to deliver faster results, they can now
also have more impact on the treatment patients receive. By helping to
ensure that patients are placed on the most appropriate therapy,
complications like C. difficile infection and the resulting increased
length of stay can be better managed.
This webinar will:
•
Define the need for changing antibiotic prescribing habits at
point-of-care
•
Discuss newer technologies that amplify nucleic acid
•
Explain how these technologies can apply to specific disease
states
|
This webinar is sponsored by |
 |
|
Presenter:
Norman Moore, PhD
Director of Scientific Affairs for Infectious Disease, Alere
Dr. Moore received his bachelor’s degree in
biology and philosophy from Dartmouth College and his Ph.D. in
microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. He developed the
first ever rapid tests for Legionella and S. pneumoniae, both of which
are now recommended by the Infectious Disease Society of America for use
in severe pneumonia cases, among other assays. Dr. Moore currently has
six patents and numerous publications and presentations.
|
Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis: Avoiding CCP False Positives
Live Event: Monday, October 24, 2016 | 11:00
AM - 12:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until April 24, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the second most
common autoimmune disease, just behind autoimmune thyroid diseases, and
more common than RA disease, antiphospholipid syndrome and autoimmune
liver diseases. RA is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder
affecting approximately 1.3 to 2.6 million (0.5 - 1%) adults, and
294,000 children in the US1. In nearby Canada, researchers
found an incidence of 2 and 5 cases per 1000 residents, with prevalence
in women over 45 close
to 1%2.
The cause of RA is unknown and there is no cure, however early treatment
can help prevent irreversible joint damage, premature death, disability,
and raise the patient’s quality of life3. In many geographic
regions access to specialty care is limited. The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) considers access to rheumatologists, and particularly,
pediatric rheumatologists as one of their top 8 concerns.
Expanded management of patients is challenging in that the diagnosis is
formed using established medical guidance criteria including the
combination of physical exam, serologic testing and imaging.
Understanding serologic test selection and interpretation can improve
qualified referrals to help meet demand for specialty care. This webinar
will address evidence-based approaches described in the American college
of Rheumatology Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
This webinar will:
•
Review evidence-based approaches described in the American
college of Rheumatology Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of
Rheumatoid Arthritis
•
Discuss the importance of specificity in test selection, and
optimal usage of two recommended serologic markers for RA, Anti-CCP and
Rheumatoid Factor IgM
•
Analyze how test efficacy and disease prevalence impact result
accuracy, and timely consultation or referral to a rheumatologist for
patients in whom there is a high index of suspicion of RA
1
Helmick CG, Felson DT, Lawrence RC, et al. Estimates of the prevalence
of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States. Part
I. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Jan;58(1):15-25. doi: 10.1002/art.23177.
2 Broten L, Aviña-Zubieta JA, Lacaille D, et. Al. Systemic
autoimmune rheumatic disease prevalence in Canada: updated analyses
across 7 provinces.JRheumatol. 2014 Apr;41(4):673-9.
doi:10.3899/jrheum.130667.Epub 2014 Mar 1.
3 Herold M. Rheumatoid Arthritis. In: Shoenfeld Y and Meroni
PL, ed. The General Practice Guide To Autoimmune Diseases. Lengerich,
Germany: Pabst Science Publishers; 2012:63-71.
|
Presenter:
Teresa Tarrant, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine Durham, North Carolina
Dr. Tarrant is a clinical immunologist, board certified in allergy,
immunology and rheumatology. She specializes in diseases of and related
to rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögrens syndrome, inflammatory eye disease,
CVID, and immunodeficiency in aging. In addition to her active medical
practice, over the last 10 years, Dr. Tarrant has held two other major
roles in her daily work; first as a medical liaison, where she assists
in the evaluation and selection of immunoassays, including authoring or
co-authoring peer-reviewed scientific articles of their evaluations, and
secondly as an associate professor of medicine. |
Comparing Biomarkers used in Infection, Sepsis, and Septic
Shock:
What is the Role of Procalcitonin?
Live Event: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 | 2:00 -
3:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until March 13, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Sepsis is the 6th most common principal diagnosis affecting 1 in 23
inpatients. The in-hospital mortality rate due to sepsis is 16%, which
is nearly 8 times higher than the average inpatient mortality rate, and
adversely impacts clinical outcomes for hospitals.
Septicemia is the second highest 30-day Medicare readmission diagnoses,
resulting in 92,900 readmissions. Sepsis is the most expensive inpatient
diagnosis with over $23B in aggregate hospital costs, accounting for
5.2% of all costs, but only 2.8% of discharges.
This webinar will help participants assess whether their current
biomarker choices provide their clinicians with optimal clinical
effectiveness. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker of the host's response
to a systemic bacterial infection. The webinar will illustrate how PCT
provides rapid insight on the severity of bacterial infection, the risk
of progression to sepsis, and the risk of mortality.
This webinar will also review currently available biomarkers used for
infectious disease diagnosis, sepsis, and septic shock.
This webinar will:
• Review currently available biomarkers used for infectious disease
diagnosis, sepsis and septic shock
• Compare and contrast common biomarkers to determine which marker or
group of markers can provide clinicians with effective clinical
information
• Discuss the role of Procalcitonin (PCT) in sepsis management
|
Presenter:
Mike Broyles, BSPharm, PharmD,
Dir. Pharmacy and Laboratory Services
Five Rivers Medical Center, AR
Dr. Broyles is a Doctorate Prepared Pharmacist with 25 years of
experience as a Hospital Pharmacy Director providing patients with
current concepts in the clinical use of drugs. As the pharmacy advisory
chairman for a large IDN, Dr. Broyles helps to develop and implement
clinical initiatives. He consults for several IDN’s, Alaris, Cardinal
Health, Carefusion, bioMerieux, ICNet, independently serving both small
and large hospitals. |
The
Impact of Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Testing on Patient Blood Management
Live Event: Monday, August 22, 2016 | 2:00 -
3:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until February 22, 2017 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Patient Blood Management (PBM) is an emerging clinical concept designed
to reduce unnecessary, excessive and avoidable blood transfusions.
Interest in PBM has grown rapidly throughout the world as new evidence
demonstrates a strong association between transfusion and a variety of
healthcare care complications (infections, pulmonary injury, and
mortality). Reducing transfusion exposure in hospitals has the dual
benefit of significantly reducing costs while improving safety and
outcomes.
PBM programs often utilize a variety of resources and technologies to
optimize blood management, including point-of-care testing.
Point-of-care Hemoglobin testing has been widely used in hospitals and
published in the literature as an evidence based strategy to support
transfusion management. This webinar will focus on practical
applications of POCT Hgb to improve the recognition and management of
anemia, support the paradigm shift of RBC transfusion as single units
with reassessment, and optimize transfusion decision making in the
anemic or bleeding patient.
This webinar will:
• Describe how optimal transfusion practice and patient blood
management can result in reduced health care costs and improved patient
outcomes
• Define how point-of-care Hemoglobin testing can improve
recognition/management of anemia and transfusion decision making in the
bleeding patient
• Examine the paradigm shift of RBC transfusion as single units with
reassessment
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's solutions for Patient
Blood Management. |
Presenter:
Joseph Thomas, BSN, RN
Regional Director, Blood Management - Accumen
Joseph Thomas is a registered nurse and currently serves as Regional
Director of Patient Blood Management (PBM) for Accumen. Over the past 14
years Mr. Thomas has worked with over 125 hospitals to improve blood
management and patient outcomes. Over this time he has educated and
mentored thousands of physicians and nurses on transfusion and blood
management related topics. Mr. Thomas is also a nationally recognized
speaker and a published author in the field of blood management and
transfusion safety. |
Epidemiology,
Diagnosis, and Prevention of Clostridium difficile
Infection
Live Event: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 | 2:00 -
3:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until November 18, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
The incidence and severity
of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased
dramatically since 2000. In 2011, there were 453,000 CDI cases in the US
associated with over 29,000 deaths. The clinical microbiology laboratory
plays a critical role in identifying patients who have CDI, and
therefore also the initiation of preventive measures. At the end of the
webinar, the participant will understand how CDI impacts patients, how
to optimize CDI diagnosis, and how to prevent CDI.
This webinar will:
• Analyze the importance of C. difficile infection on patient
outcomes
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of C. difficile
diagnostic assays
• Describe the role of the microbiology laboratory in the prevention of
C. difficile infection
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's solutions for Clostridium difficile testing.
|
This webinar is sponsored by |
|
|
Presenter:
Erik R. Dubberke, MD, MSPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of
Medicine
Dr. Dubberke is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he has been a faculty
member in the Division of Infectious Diseases since 2005. His main
research interests are in the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
|
Cryptosporidium and Giardia
Testing
Live Event: Tuesday, May 3, 2016
| 2:00 - 3:00 PM
PACE® credit available
until November 3, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
In the United
States, CDC estimates approximately 2 million annual cases of Giardia
and Cryptosporidium combined. These numbers are likely underestimates of
true infections due to the challenges of traditional diagnostic methods.
The current gold standard for Giardia and Cryptosporidium detection is
conventional microscopy, which is time consuming, requires expert
technical skills, and is relatively insensitive. Additionally,
Cryptosporidium diagnosis requires special staining methods that may or
may not be considered by the ordering physician, potentially leading to
missed diagnoses of cryptosporidiosis.
Manufacturers are continually improving upon diagnostic assays to
enhance identification and detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium,
resulting in a more accurate number of cases reported, better diagnosis
of true infections, and improved patient care.
This webinar will:
• Discuss giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis disease and epidemiology
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of gold standard methods
• Describe current diagnostic methods for detecting Giardia and
Cryptosporidium in clinical specimens
• Review the impact these advanced methodologies have on improving
diagnosis
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's Cryptosporidium and
Giardia Testing solutions.
| This webinar is sponsored by |
 |
|
Presenter:
Shelley Miller, PhD, D (ABMM)
Clinical Instructor, UCLA
Dr. Shelley Miller completed a medical microbiology and public health
postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA and became board certified by the
American Board for Medical Microbiology. She is currently a
Clinical Instructor at the UCLA Clinical Microbiology Lab where she has
clinical teaching responsibilities and also helps oversee clinical trial
studies being conducted in the lab. |
Minutes vs. Days:
Rapid Diagnosis of Group A Strep
Live Event: March 30, 2016 | 3:00
- 4:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until September 30, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Medical
providers now have a number of new technologies available for the rapid
diagnosis of strep pharyngitis. Dr. Schuman will present an overview of
strep pharyngitis, signs, symptoms and complications with an emphasis on
expediting diagnosis in the medical office. The role of the strep score
with be reviewed and discussed regarding its clinical utility.
Recommendations will be made for improving your current diagnostic
technology.
This webinar will:
• Discuss clinical features of strep pharyngitis
• Analyze the utility of the modified strep score in diagnosing strep
pharyngitis
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of current "high tech" point
of care rapid strep tests
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's Strep A solutions.
| This webinar is sponsored by |
|
|
Presenter:
Dr. Andrew J. Schuman
Geisel School of Medicine
Andrew J. Schuman is Clinical Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He has been writing
about office technology and medical practice in Contemporary Pediatrics
for 28 years, and he is now on the Editorial Advisory Board of the
publication. |
A Healthy Response to
Unhealthy Food: Diagnostic Testing for Wheat-Related Disorders
Live Event: Monday, November 9, 2015
| 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
PACE® credit available
until May 9, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
  |
Researchers have found that there is a
spectrum of gluten-related disorders, which includes diseases and
conditions that result from the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in
wheat, barley and rye. This session will summarize our current knowledge
about the three main forms of reactions to wheat and its byproducts
including gluten: allergic (wheat allergy), autoimmune (celiac disease)
and intolerance (gluten sensitivity), and outline pathogenic, clinical
and epidemiological differences.
This webinar will:
• Distinguish between wheat allergy, celiac disease and non-celiac
gluten sensitivity
• Analyze and define testing requirements to aid in the diagnosis of
wheat allergy and gluten related disorders
• Advocate for accurate and timely diagnosis to improve patients quality
of life
• Review literature to better understand the presentation of symptom,
challenges of diagnosis and treatment options
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's solutions for Celiac
Disease testing |
Presenter:
Stefano Guandalini, MD
University of Chicago Celiac Disease Ctr
Stefano Guandalini, MD, is an internationally recognized expert on
celiac disease, a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and
interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. He is also known for
his expertise in the research and treatment of other diarrheal diseases
in children. Dr. Guandalini is the president of the North American
Society for the Study of Celiac Disease, and has been ranked among
America’s "Best Doctors" since 2008. |
The Unseen Threat: Diabetes
and the Cardiorenal Syndrome
Live Event: Wednesday, Oct 21, 2015 | 2:00 -
3:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until April 21, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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The statistics are staggering. Nearly 29.1 million children and adults
are living with diabetes in the U.S., and nearly 8.1 million (27.8%)
Americans remain undiagnosed.1 Additionally, approximately 26 million
Americans have kidney disease and are unaware of their condition.2
Diabetes poses a significant clinical burden to patients. Left
untreated, serious complications can occur including heart disease,
stroke, kidney failure, blindness, lower-limb amputation and pregnancy
complications. According to the International Journal of Nephrology
(IJN)3, Cardiorenal Syndrome (CRS) is the umbrella term used to describe
clinical conditions in which cardiac and renal dysfunctions coexist
whereby “acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may induce acute or
chronic dysfunction of the other.” A number of laboratory tests such as
HbA1c, BNP, NT-proBNP, Albumin and Creatinine can assist clinicians in
the management of this syndrome.
Given the continued rise of diabetes in the U.S., healthcare
professionals need to be well-informed about Cardiorenal Syndrome, its
pathophysiology, its connection with diabetes and understand the latest
recommended guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.
This webinar will:
• Discuss the nature of Cardiorenal Syndrome and its pathophysiology
connection with diabetes
• Review the prevalence of diabetes and kidney diseases in the U.S.
• Examine the latest guidelines from leading research groups on this
topic
• Apply learnings to Cardiorenal Syndrome case studies
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's Diabetes Testing solutions.
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Presenter:
Nancy Haley PhD
Dr. Haley has published over 150 articles in peer reviewed journals and
has written over 15 chapters in educational texts. She has lectured at
several international meetings on cardiology and cancer risk and has
appeared on Good Morning America, the Late Show with David Letterman,
and the ABC World News with Peter Jennings. |
Shiga Toxin: A
Public Health Threat
Live Event: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 | 2:00 -
3:00 PM EDT
PACE® credit available
until January 13, 2016 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit
available |
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Each year,
there are roughly 211-375 million diarrhea cases in the United States
leading to 73 million physician consultations, 3100 deaths, and $25
billion in healthcare costs. While the CDC estimates that 265,000 cases
occur each year due to Shiga Toxin producing E. coli (STEC), it is still
significantly underdiagnosed because appropriate diagnostic tests are
often not performed. STEC can not only cause bloody diarrhea, but has
complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children and
thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults.
When a patient presents with symptoms of STEC, rapid diagnosis is key to
both improving the likelihood of a positive outcome and to helping
contain any further contamination. The test must also be accurate
because the wrong antibiotic treatment can actually exacerbate the
toxin.
This webinar will:
• Discuss the clinical significance of Shiga Toxin producing E. coli
(STEC) and its effect on public health
• Demonstrate how STEC can be transmitted and what foods are at highest
risk.
• Review the ways in which STEC causes significant illness, especially
in younger children
• Analyze the need for and how to test and treat for STEC.
Click here to learn more about Fisher HealthCare's Antimicrobial Stewardship solutions.
| This webinar is sponsored by |
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Presenter:
Norman Moore, PhD
Alere
Dr. Moore received dual degrees in Biology and Philosophy from Dartmouth
College and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire.
While at Digene Diagnostics, he developed tests for HPV, the etiological
agent for cervical cancer. While at Gene Trak Systems, Dr. Moore
developed diagnostics for food pathogens. Dr. Moore later joined Binax
where he developed the first ever rapid tests for Legionnaires ’
disease, S. pneumoniae in urine, and many other tests. Dr. Moore is
responsible for Scientific Affairs for infectious diseases at Alere.
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Fisher Healthcare is approved as a provider of continuing education
programs in the
clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. |
| More
Educational Resources |
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Fisher Healthcare's commitment to
education extends to our sponsorship of many Point of Care
Group webinars. These webinars are produced by Whitehat Communications and free
to the point of care and laboratory community. You can register for
upcoming webinars and view the recorded sessions for 2018 here:
Click here to register
for any of the 2019 Point of Care group webinars
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© 2019 | Whitehat
Communications, a division of Martek Inc. |
