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Community Acquired Pneumonia: Diagnosis and Treatment During the COVID-19 Era Live Event: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET P.A.C.E.® & AARC credit available until July 26, 2021 | Florida Laboratory Credit available |
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This PACE and AARC accredited webinar focuses on community acquired
pneumonia (CAP) and two important pathogens that cause pneumonia. S.
pneumonia is the leading cause of CAP. Legionella causes Legionnaires’
Disease, a severe form of pneumonia that has increased 9-fold since year
2000 in the United States. In light of COVID-19 related temporary
shutdowns of businesses and buildings, the risk of for growth and spread
of Legionella is of heightened concern. In the laboratory, urinary antigen testing (UAT) provides an alternate diagnostic path to identify pneumonia etiologies without disrupting respiratory testing workflow during respiratory season. The practical utility of pneumonia diagnosis, the use of UAT and their impact will be discussed. Join this expert discussion to explore the challenges of managing pneumonia during the COVID-19 era, and the value of UAT from an evidence-based and Infectious Diseases Society of America / American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) guidelines-supported expert assessment for clinical and laboratory professionals. This webinar will: • Describe the relationship of COVID-19 and pneumonia and the associated public health risks • Examine experiences and best practices for evaluating and managing COVID-19 patients with pneumonia • Explain the guidance and practical clinical value of UAT, including mortality reduction and antibiotic stewardship • Discuss UAT performance characteristics and potential value related to laboratory workflow in times of strained respiratory testing resources |
Presenter: Antonio Anzueto, MD Professor, Department of Medicine University of Texas San Antonio and Chief, Pulmonary Section, South Texas Veterans Health Care System ![]() Dr. Anzueto is Chief in the pulmonary section of The South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital Division in San Antonio, Texas, where he also serves as Medical Director of the Respiratory Therapy Department and Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory. He is also a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. |
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The Essential Role of Clinical Microbiology in Antimicrobial Stewardship Live Event: Thursday, December 10, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until June 10, 2021 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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The principle problem that exists is not about what Antimicrobial
Stewardship is, but more about what data the microbiology lab to is able
to deliver that will support and enhance the overarching goals of the
program for the institution. A lack of alignment can prevent investment
in new methods, access to new therapeutics and effective management of
the most critically ill patients. The platforms that can be used in the
microbiology laboratory and collaboration between stewardship programs
and the microbiology lab can ensure susceptibility testing data is
leveraged to optimize treatment decisions, reduce length of stay and
adverse effects. This will also improve patient safety and outcomes
particularly in critically ill patients. This webinar will discuss the role the microbiology lab should play to help ensure that antimicrobial stewardship programs are successful, identify core elements of microbiology laboratory testing and reporting that promote stewardship, and illustrate how microbiology lab data can positively influence clinical decisions. This webinar will: • Discuss the role the microbiology lab should play to help ensure that antimicrobial stewardship programs are successful • Identify core elements of microbiology laboratory testing and reporting that promote stewardship • Illustrate how microbiology lab data can positively influence clinical decisions • Describe the antimicrobial therapy challenges for core stewardship stakeholder that critically-ill patients pose |
Presenter: Romney M. Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM), M(ASCP) Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Medical Director of the Microbiology Laboratory Vanderbilt University Medical Center ![]() Dr. Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM), is a nationally recognized expert in antimicrobial susceptibility testing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). With expertise that includes improving the speed and accuracy of identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria infecting patients to investigating novel resistance mechanisms and the evaluation of therapeutics designed to treat these critical infections, she currently serves as Medical Director of the Microbiology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. |
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Using Biomarkers to Inform COVID-19 Treatment Live Event: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until June 8, 2021 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in COVID-19. This infection has
systemic manifestations, including acute lung injury, cardiac damage,
and in rare cases a Kawasaki disease-like illness. With rising cases of
COVID-19 nationally, clinicians benefit from tools to assist decisions
regarding triage, advanced imaging, and treatment decision making. Biomarker testing has emerged as a potentially useful tool to facilitate clinical decision making. Biomarker testing may inform risks in patients with COVID-19, prognosticating poor outcome and as such be helpful to decide on where patients are admitted (e.g. medical floor vs ICU), how they are imaged, and whether to apply more advanced treatments. In this discussion, review of data will focus on use of troponins, natriuretic peptides, and other biomarkers in a clinically-focused synthesis of how biomarkers might be used in COVID-19. This webinar will: • Examine the causes of cardiac injury in COVID-19 • Describe the relationship of the development of a Kawasaki disease-like illness to COVID-19 • Identify biomarkers with potential utility in COVID-19 • Develop a strategy to utilize biomarkers to facilitate clinical care in COVID-19 |
Presenter: James Januzzi, MD Hutter Family Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School ![]() Dr. Januzzi is a member of the Cardiology Division of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Hutter Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is an accomplished clinician and clinical trialist, with a research focus on biomarker testing in cardiovascular disease. He has more than 650 publications and is an editor at two journals from the American College of Cardiology journals. |
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Point of Care Molecular Testing: Streamlining Cancer Care from
the Anatomic Pathologist’s Office Live Event: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until June 2, 2021 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Delays in biomarker test results can have adverse affects on the
outcomes for cancer patients. Often times, the biomarker report is
delivered back to the oncologist long after the patient begins
treatment. It is common for patients to not only miss out on treatment
opportunities, but also to be prescribed the wrong treatment if the
oncologist does not receive the molecular data in time. With the latest
advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS), it is now possible to
get full molecular results as quickly and easy as you get your
immunohistochemistry (IHC) results today. Attend this event to hear first-hand how physicians at William Osler Health System in Brampton, Ontario are leveraging in-house NGS testing to deliver better cancer care to patients and improve the outcomes of their system. By doing so, oncologists receive the genomic testing results faster and are able to ensure they are prescribing the most appropriate treatment for the patient. This webinar will: • Describe the role of ancillary biomarker testing in the treatment of cancer patients • Analyze how delays in test results can adversely affect cancer care • Identify areas within your own lab or network that impede biomarker results • Explore how existing and novel techniques can help support oncology practice within your center |
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Leading Edge SARS-CoV-2 Testing Live Event: Monday, November 30, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until May 30, 2021 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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As many continue to tackle the day to day battle against COVID-19
disease it is critical that we share the latest leading insights for
this virus, collectively ensuring learning for all. This webinar will be
a scientific exchange of insights from a leading expert in his field.
Helping share a detailed overview of the current known information on
the disease and exploring the variety of diagnostics that can be used to
understand prevalence. The discussion will conclude with thoughts on the
upcoming winter season and how the management of Flu and COVID-19 will
be at the forefront of healthcare challenges in the coming months and
how leading edge technology and thinking may be the only route to
success, helping to save lives and protect communities. This webinar will: • Identify what we know to date about COVID-19 & SARS-CoV-2 • Discuss the forecasted impact of the disease • Assess treatment options for COVID-19 • Explain the role of diagnostics and available diagnostic options • Describe Flu vs COVID-19 • Explore insights that help to inform the next 12 months |
Presenter: Jeff Andrews, MD, FRCSC Worldwide Medical Director Molecular Diagnostics & Women’s Health and Cancer, BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions BD Life Sciences ![]() Jeff Andrews, MD, FRCSC is the Worldwide Medical Director for Women’s Health and Cancer, BD Life Sciences. A Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr. Andrews has provided care in community settings in both metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Washington, DC. He has also provided care in academic settings as an Associate Professor at Duke University Medical Center and at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. |
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Taking a Systematic Approach to Drive Behavior Change in
Diabetic Patients Live Event: Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until May 4, 2021 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Diabetes remains a major focus for healthcare providers and chronic
disease management programs. Over 29 million people in the U.S has
diabetes1, with 33–49% of
patients not meeting targets goals for A1C, blood pressure and
cholesterol2. However, a
major barrier to optimal care is a delivery system that is often
fragmented, lacks clinical information capabilities, and is poorly
designed for the coordinated delivery of chronic care. Successful diabetes care requires a systematic approach to supporting patients’ behavior change efforts, including the utilization of multi-disciplinary care teams, personalized provider feedback, continuous real-time monitoring, and decision support tools to target and care for patients at risk for poor outcomes. Ultimately, healthcare institutions are looking for ways to tailor population care to meet individual patient needs, through integrated technologies that help to optimally manage and prevent diabetes in the future. Join Abbott, with Dr. Chad Malone, and learn how to drive clinical practice to standards that provide the best outcome for pre-diabetic, and diabetics populations. 1 https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/39/Supplement_1/S6. Accessed 9/30/2020. 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5536329/. Accessed 9/30/2020. This webinar will: • Create a health care delivery systems that can proactively identify your diabetes populations and provide them with evidence-based patient-centered care • Empower your patients to feel like the most important part of their care team by creating a complete picture of their diabetes in the context of their life, enabling personalized lifestyle and treatment changes • Form a complete picture of your diabetic population, and identify gaps in population management as well as individual outcomes • Enable a continuous model of chronic disease management and efficiently achieve quality measures
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Presenter: Chad Malone, MD Director, Global Medical Information and Clinical Excellence Solutions Abbott ![]() Dr. Chad Malone has 25 years of digital healthcare entrepreneurship within clinical and translational sciences. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Japanese; holds an M.D. from Ross University School of Medicine and performed a residency in Anesthesia at the University of Rochester. |
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Importance of Sample Collection and Transport In the Age of COVID-19:
Virology and Bacteriology Aspects Live Event: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until December 9, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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For diagnostic testing, proper sample
collection and transport play a pivotal role in the accurate and timely
identification of a pathogen. When testing for respiratory virus, the
gold standard for sample collection is a specialized flocked swab used
to collect a sample from the nasopharynx, which is then transported in
viral transport media. At the beginning of 2020, swab specimen collection became a household topic as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) unleashed a global pandemic. Researchers, assay manufacturers, FDA and CDC considered the different types of swabs and transport media which could be used to sample collection and transport for COVID testing. In this webinar, we will take an in-depth look at specimen collection swabs, the quality procedures required for manufacturing, the different types and how they are used to collect samples. We’ll explore guidance from FDA and CDC on the recommended swabs, collection sites and transport media, how these recommendations evolved over the weeks during the pandemic, and role that self-collection will play in the future of respiratory viral testing. This webinar will: • Identify the types of swabs which are commonly used for sample collection for respiratory viruses and describe the differences between each • Describe the types of transport media which are commonly used for sample collection for respiratory viruses and the differences between each • Examine the 4 key factors which make up a good respiratory specimen for viral detection • Discuss the evolution of swabs and transport media for respiratory viruses and the importance of materials, biocompatibility and QC in the downstream |
Presenter: Susan Sharp, PhD., (D)ABMM, (F)AAM, MS, MT(ASCP) Scientific Director Copan Diagnostics, Inc. ![]() Dr. Sharp has been a clinical microbiologist and a very active member of The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for 30 years serving on various boards and committees. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) and a Fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology. She is also an active member of the Board of Scientific Councilors for the Office of Infectious Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a member of the College of Pathologists Microbiology Resource Committee. Dr. Sharp is a Past-President of ASM and a former member of ASM’s Board of Directors. |
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How Culture Media Can Deliver Value to Your Lab Live Event: Monday, March 16, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until September 16, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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While performance standards of prepared culture media are consistent
among various manufacturers, when sourcing items from a new supplier,
laboratory personnel may find that the general attributes of both the
media and microorganisms differ. In this webinar, Nathan Ledeboer, PhD,
will teach participants how to distinguish growth and isolation
characteristics of normal flora and pathogens between two leading
suppliers of prepared media plates: Thermo Scientific™and BD. Additionally, Ledeboer will present the physical differences of enrichment, selective, and differential media available from the two manufacturers through side by side comparisons. He will also address the growing impact of automation on the microbiology laboratory by discussing a case study that highlights new and evolving technologies to improve efficiency and productivity in the processing of clinical samples. This webinar is designed to designed to provide the lab professional with the skill and insight to effectively handle the implementation of Thermo Scientific microbiology prepared media by reviewing several critical aspects to onboarding a new prepared media supplier, including common procedures and policies for adopting new media and impact to workflow, ordering, delivery, and media storage and handling. This webinar will: • Explain differential identification of organisms on plates originating from different manufacturers • Discuss the differences in plate composition and construction using the new plate technology • Examine the differences in morphology in the presentation of organisms on plates • Discuss about advances in clinical microbiology using automation |
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The Impact of Rapid Molecular Panel-based Testing for Urinary
Tract Infections Live Event: Thursday, February 27, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until August 27, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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This webinar will focus on recently published data demonstrating the
clinical impact of molecular tests in Urinary Tract Infections have
traditionally been diagnosed based on culture-based microbiology tests –
which take a long time to result, can lack sensitivity and specificity,
and are prone to contamination. In the last 18 months, the first
commercially available molecular tests for Urinary Tract Infections were
made available to laboratories – providing large amounts of data on the
impact of these tests on UTI testing. In this webinar, we will provide
the latest clinical, economic, and laboratory impact data as a result of
introducing molecular panel-based testing. The webinar will also address problems and limitations of culture-based testing for urinary tract infection (UTI), provide an update on clinical trials and rapid molecular testing for UTIs in practice, and discuss the economic impact of molecular testing for UTIs. This webinar will: • Identify the problems and limitations of culture-based testing for urinary tract infection (UTI) • Describe the current clinical trials and trends rapid molecular testing for UTIs in practice • Examine the economic impact and reimbursement trends in molecular testing for UTIs To access the white paper, "Using Flexible-Content Syndromic Panels to Help Manage Infectious Disease: Update on Laboratory Trends and Health Outcomes" CLICK HERE. |
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The Key to Successful Antimicrobial Stewardship:
Interdisciplinary Teams Live Event: Wednesday, January 22, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET PACE® credit available until July 22, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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New drug development has been in decline and antimicrobial resistance
has been steadily on the rise. This dynamic has resulted in the
development of multi-drug resistant microorganisms (MDRO) and challenges
in managing the resulting complicated infections. Antimicrobial
Stewardship Programs have key objectives to promote the appropriate use
of antimicrobials, improve patient outcomes, reduce microbial resistance
and decrease the spread of infections caused by MDROs. Multi drug resistance is particularly challenging for institutions to manage, particularly if they are transmitted among vulnerable patient populations. Optimal therapeutic options may be few and further limited by toxicity that can further compromise patients. Accurate diagnostic tools that can guide the most appropriate clinical decisions in these life-threatening infections are critical. Microbiology laboratories with access to accurate antimicrobial susceptibility platforms that include drugs of last resort as well as novel drugs can lead to more effective and optimal treatment decisions, reducing cost of stay and improving patient outcomes. This webinar will: • Discuss how current budgeting practices between the microbiology laboratory, the pharmacy, and the hospital has created some bizarre incentives that can impact the practice of antibiotic stewardship. • Explain how creative approaches to the use of older antibiotics might either harm or benefit patients. • Explain how microbiology laboratories with access to accurate antimicrobial susceptibility platforms, including drugs of last resort as well as novel drugs can lead to more effective and optimal treatment decisions, reducing cost of stay and improving patient outcomes. |
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 also a member of the Infectious Disease Clinical Outcome Research Unit (ID-CORE) and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA. He is a nationally-recognized infectious disease specialist with specific research interests related to the clinical management and prevention of healthcare-associated infections. |
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Procalcitonin Aided Antibiotic Stewardship: The New Paradigm Live Event: Thursday, December 5, 2019 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST PACE® credit available until June 5, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Signs and symptoms of bacterial, viral infection and non-infectious
diagnosis overlap lack of specificity in most biomarkers cause many
prescribers to give antibiotics erring in favor of caution or "just to
be sure". Statistically up to 50% of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals
are unnecessary. Overprescribing antibiotics has led to resistant
bacteria which is making it harder to treat. Procalcitonin can aid in severity assessment and evaluation of therapy choices, and attendees will gain an understanding of the role of procalcitonin in antibiotic stewardship as well as the expected clinical and health economic outcomes of procalcitonin guided therapy. This webinar will describe the pathophysiology and kinetics of Procalcitonin during sepsis and infection and discuss the concept of Procalcitonin-aided antibiotic stewardship in sepsis and low respiratory tract infections. It will also compare and contrast the costs and outcomes with PCT-aided antibiotic therapy decisions compared to standard care in specific published patient population studies and summarize the most impactful cost components and value drivers of PCT testing. This webinar will: • Describe the pathophysiology and kinetics of Procalcitonin during sepsis and infection • Discuss the concept of Procalcitonin-aided antibiotic stewardship in sepsis and low respiratory tract infections • Compare and contrast the costs and outcomes with PCT-aided antibiotic therapy decisions compared to standard care in specific published patient population studies • Summarize the most impactful cost components and value drivers of PCT testing
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Presenter: Michael R Broyles, BSPharm, RPh, PharmD Director of Pharmacy and Laboratory Services Five Rivers Medical Center, Pocahontas, Arkansas ![]() Mike Broyles, PharmD, is director of pharmacy and laboratory services at Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas, Arkansas. He received his BSPharm degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his PharmD from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. With more than 25 years of experience as a hospital pharmacy director and laboratory director, Mike enjoys educating patients on current concepts in the clinical use of drugs. |
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Capillary Electrophoresis: Genetic Disease Testing for
Challenging Targets in the Modern Clinical Lab Live Event: Thursday, October 31, 2019 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST PACE® credit available until May 1, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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The fast-paced development of new sequencing technologies offer rapidly
growing options for molecular testing of genetic disorders. This can
make it challenging for clinical labs to offer the best diagnostic
technology or assay for the many diverse diagnostic scenarios they face.
One of the key advantages of capillary electrophoresis versus
next-generation sequencing is its capability to sequence difficult
regions specifically long, repeat expansion DNA sequences and copy
number variants as observed in neurological disorders such as Fragile X
Syndrome and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With rising awareness of genetic diseases and personalized medicine, testing for these disorders is becoming increasingly important for diagnosis and genetic screening in newborns and disease carriers in expecting parents. This trend that will no doubt continue as targeted genetic therapies, like those recently approved for SMA, are developed for other genetic diseases. This webinar will discuss the basics of capillary electrophoresis as a platform for DNA analysis in a modern clinical laboratory. By coupling this platform with novel PCR methods, we will demonstrate how this technology can be used screen and diagnose disorders associated with challenging repetitive DNA and copy number variants. This webinar will: • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of capillary electrophoresis for nucleic acid diagnostics compared to other methods • Describe the importance of genetic disease testing for carrier screening and newborn screening applications • Discuss how the roles of capillary electrophoresis and genetic disease testing have changed over time—and how they might change in the future |
Presenter: John N. Milligan, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, Product Development Asuragen ![]() Dr. Milligan is a Senior Scientist in product development at Asuragen in Austin, TX, where he develops and validates assays for the testing of hereditary and oncological genetic diseases. He earned his doctorate in Molecular Biology at the University of Texas, where his work focused on point of care diagnostics and protein engineering, including engineering a novel polymerase for use with isothermal amplification and strand displacement applications. |
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Mitigating the Risk of Bacterial Contamination of Platelets:
Recent Developments Live Event: Monday, October 21, 2019 | 8:15 - 9:15 AM EST PACE® credit available until April 21, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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If you won't be attending the 2019 American Association of Blood Banks
annual meeting in San Antonio this year, we have you covered! This
webinar will be held in conjunction with a live conference at AABB (thus
the early start). Join us for a session that will cover the latest
developments and the recommendations in the FDA Final Guidance that will
define how blood collection centers and hospital blood banks and
transfusion services will need to operate moving forward. This webinar will identify the extent and nature of the risk for bacterial risk in platelets and review FDA final guidance and the options for addressing this risk and their implications. It will also describe the role of rapid testing in satisfying the FDA guidance and discuss recent advances in rapid testing technology for bacteria in platelets. Learn how you can take advantage of the latest science to most cost-effectively meet the requirements of the new FDA Final Guidance. This webinar will: • Identify the extent and nature of the risk for bacterial risk in platelets • Review FDA Final guidance and the options for addressing this risk and their implications • Describe the role of rapid testing in satisfying the FDA guidance • Discuss recent advances in rapid testing technology for bacteria in platelets
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Presenter: Michael R. Jacobs, MD, PhD Professor Emeritus, Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University; Director Emeritus, Clinical Microbiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ![]() Dr. Jacobs is a world renowned expert on the risks of bacterial contamination in platelet components. He has published landmark research on this topic and has been a leader in improving public health by shaping clinical practices and policy in this area. |
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Antimicrobial Stewardship and the Role of Improved Diagnosis in
the Management of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections Live Event: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST PACE® credit available until March 17, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) are a very common clinical
presentation, and one of the main drivers of antimicrobial prescribing
in adults and children. Many (perhaps the majority) antibiotic
prescriptions are thought to be inappropriate, driving antibiotic
resistance, adverse effects from antibiotics, and care seeking
behaviors. Improved diagnostic accuracy is one major strategy for better targeting the use of antibiotics and antivirals. For ARI there are two main groups of diagnostic tests (above and beyond clinical features, which alone are not reliable): tests to detect pathogens in respiratory samples, and tests that try to assess the body’s response to determine if an infection is from viral or bacterial etiology. In this presentation we will focus on newer tests that have advanced point of care diagnostic tests for common infections namely Group A streptococcal, influenza, and RSV. The majority of tests currently for Group A strep, for example, rely on detecting antigens in throat culture, but these lack sensitivity (and specificity to some extent) and lead to significant number of false negative results. This then leads to the need for back up laboratory verification of point of care antigen tests, which in turn leads to delays in correct prescribing, patient and clinical staff burden. New point of care molecular tests for Group A strep offer very high sensitivity and specificity, and are likely to replace existing rapid antigen tests. Guidelines for Group A strep (as well as other common infections such as influenza) are slowly shifting to acknowledge the superior accuracy of point of care molecular tests. This session will discuss the evidence of testing at the point of care for influenza, RSV and Group A strep. It will also compare the performance of different testing modalities, and discuss how diagnostics can aid healthcare providers with their stewardship efforts. This webinar will: • Discuss antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial prescribing patterns in the US, with a focus on acute respiratory infections • Examine peer reviewed literature on the performance of point of care diagnostic tests for influenza, RSV, and Group A Strep • Review the benefits of decentralized testing for respiratory pathogens • Analyze current guidelines and recommendations for detection of respiratory pathogens
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Presenter: Matthew Thompson, MD, MPH, PhD Professor, Dept Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle ![]() Dr Thompson is the Helen D. Cohen endowed Professor and Vice Chair for Research at the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine. He completed his residency training in family medicine at the University of Cincinnati, a Master’s degree in public health at the University of Washington, and Doctorate at the University of Oxford. Dr Thompson has a particular interest in improving the accuracy of diagnosis of respiratory tract infections in order to guide more appropriate antimicrobial prescribing. This research has included the use of point of care tests for group A strep, influenza, and inflammatory markers. He has also published extensively on the use of clinical prediction rules to identify individuals at higher risk of serious infections. |
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The Importance of Tissue Quality for Molecular Techniques Live Event: Thursday, September 5, 2019 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST PACE® credit available until March 5, 2020 | Florida Laboratory CE Credit available |
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Invalid test results from next generation sequencing (NSG) and other
molecular assays negatively impacts patient care. The histology
laboratory supports molecular pathology through tissue specimen
preparation; and although we have learned over the last decade that
certain pre-analytical factors influence the outcome of
immunohistochemical assays, we are still learning what factors impact
molecular results. In traditional histology we know that downstream methods cannot compensate for a poorly fixed or processed tissue specimen. If a poor quality tissue is processed, you will get a poor quality tissue out again. Histology labs have created SOPs and techniques to help mitigate this, and typically, routine surgical specimens deliver high quality H&E slides and IHC slides. With the advent of molecular methods to detect specific biomarkers, specimen quality definitions are evolving. What we once treasured as a good quality tissue block for routine histopathology and IHC may not necessarily meet quality standards for techniques such as next generation sequencing or proteomics. In this webinar we will consider what the requirements are for a high quality specimen in the context of molecular methods, the technical problems we sometimes encounter as histotechnologists while preparing these specimens, and how we can mitigate these issues. Comparative studies will be discussed, along with quality control methods to test for tissue quality. This webinar will: • Describe the tissue quality requirements for optimal molecular pathology test results • Identify the steps required in the sample preparation workflow for better results • Examine the quality control procedures necessary in the histology lab to help ensure high quality specimen
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Presenter: Jennifer Freeland, MS, HTL(ASCP)cm Global Market Development Manager, Epredia ![]() Jennifer Freedland is a board of registry certified histotechnologist with the American Society of Clinical Pathology. She has over 20 years experience in routine histology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology. She earned her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Science from Western Michigan University and her Masters of Science degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. Jennifer has worked in clinical histology and research labs, as well as research & development, quality, technical consulting, and now serves as a global market development manager for Epredia. |
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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
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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. |
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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 |
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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
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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 |
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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
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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. |
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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 |
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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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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 |
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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
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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. |
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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 |
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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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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 |
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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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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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). |
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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 |
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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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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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. |
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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 |
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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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. |
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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 |
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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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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 |
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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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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 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. |
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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
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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. |
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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 |
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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
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Urogenital infections, 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 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
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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.
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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). |
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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 |
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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.
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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. |
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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 |
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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.
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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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© 2021 | Whitehat Communications, a division of Martek Inc. |