ASCLS Today Volume 33, Number 7

ASCLSToday Masthead 680

Volume 33, Number 7

Patient Safety Corner: Can You Hear Me Now?

PATIENT SAFETY AND HAND-OFF COMMUNICATION

Courtney Shrader, MLS(ASCP)CM

From 1995-2004 the Joint Commission estimated about 65 percent of 2,966 adverse events were due to communication issues. In 2005, that percentage grew to 70, and half of the events occurred during patient handoffs.2

Due to these startling statistics, in 2006 the Joint Commission created a national patient safety goal to standardize hand-off communication.2 To this day, the Joint Commission still has a national patient safety goal of improving communication due to a 2012 statistic: “80 percent of errors in healthcare can be credited to miscommunication occurring during the transfer of care.”

A hand-off is defined as “transfer of professional responsibility and accountability for some or all aspects of care for a patient, or groups of patients, to another person or professional group, on a temporary or permanent basis.” Poor communication during hand-offs can lead to a breach in patient safety.1,2 Patient safety is compromised due to incomplete, inaccurate, or omitted data during the hand-off exchange.2,4

“80 percent of errors in healthcare can be credited to miscommunication occurring during the transfer of care.”

Standardized Hand-off Tools
The Joint Commission calls upon hospitals to implement standardized hand-off protocols but does not provide any specific standardized approach.1 There are multiple standardized hand-off tools available, including:

  • SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation)
  • I-PASS (Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness, and contingency planning Synthesis by receiver)
  • ISBAR (Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation)
  • NUTS (Name, Unexpected outcomes, Tubes, Safety scan)
  • REED (Record, Evidence, Enquire, and Discuss)
  • Organizational-created checklists3,5,6,7

No matter which type of standardized tool is used, handoff communication is enhanced with a standardized tool by decreasing information overload, increasing the quality of information communicated, decreasing patient safety risks, and improving patient outcomes.3,6 Generally a standardized handoff tool should identify: “the specific hand-off situations to which it applies, who should be involved in the communication, and what information should be communicated.”1 Formal training on how to utilize the standardized hand-off process is key to ensure proper usage.

Hand-offs should be performed in an environment without distractions and interruptions to ensure all information is properly communicated and received, and allow for the opportunity to ask questions.1,2,6,9 Hand-offs are most effective when face-to-face and paired with written documentation of the hand-off.1,2,5,6,9

Gaps in Communication
The perception of the quality of the hand-off varies between the sender and receiver. One study showed that 60 percent of the time the sender perceived they addressed all the pertinent information, but the receiver did not perceive they were given all the pertinent information. The effectiveness of the hand-off by the sender was overestimated.10

One of the biggest gaps in communication starts with the sender not connecting with the receiver.6 The lack of connection stems from the human factor of egocentric thought processes and overestimating the receiver’s understanding.6,10 Utilizing a structured hand-off process that provides a framework of what should be included in a hand-off helps bridge this gap.6 Utilizing the communication skill of feedback loop or reading back the information and having an open dialogue that allows questions to occur ensures that the receiver understands the sender’s message.1,2 A culture of safety must be in place where individuals feel comfortable to ask questions and speak up to ensure information is fully understood.11

A standardized hand-off tool is effective in improving communication during hand-offs, but a single tool is not “one size fits all.” This allows specific departments to create a tool that works for them and include the information they deem important to hand-off to the next shift. It is important to address differences in perception of the effectiveness of the hand-off by providing structure in the hand-off process. Effective hand-offs improve patient safety and create a teamfriendly and patient-centered work environment.

Resources:

  1. Garrett, M. (2010). Patient Hand-Offs: What’s the Big Deal? Delaware Medical Journal, 141-142.
  2. Groah, L. (2006). Hand Offs-A Link to Improving Patient Safety. AORN Journal, 227-230.
  3. Galatzan, B., & Carrington, J. (2018). Exploring the State of the Science of the Nursing Hand-off Communication. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 484-493.
  4. Lee, S.-H., Phan, P. H., Dorman, T., Weaver, S. J., & Pronovost, P. J. (2016). Handoffs, Safety Culture, and Practices: Evidence from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. BMC Health Services Research, 1-8.
  5. Foster-Hunt, T., Parush, A., Ellis, J., Thomas, M., & Rashotte, J. (2015). Information Structure and Organization in Change of Shift Reports: An Observational Study of Nursing Hand-offs in Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 155-164.
  6. Using Frontline Staff to Improve Hand-offs. (2011). Hospital Peer Review, 17-18.
  7. Powell, S. M., & Hohenhaus, S. M. (2006). Multidisciplinary Team Trainng and the Art of Communication. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 238-240.
  8. Farnan, J. M., Paro, J. A., Rodriguez, R. M., Reddy, S. T., Horwitz, L. I., Johnson, J. K., & Arora, V. M. (2009). Hand-off Education and Evaluation: Piloting the Observed Simulated Hand-off Experience (OSHE). Journal of General Internal Medicine, 129-134.
  9. Gregory, B. A. (2006). Standardizing Hand-Off Processes. AORN Journal, 1059-1061.
  10. Chang, V. Y., Arora, V. M., Lev-Ari, S., D’Arcy, M., & Keysar, B. (2010). Interns Overestimate the Effectiveness of Their Hand-off Communication. Pediatrics, 491-496.
  11. Yu, M., Yuol Lee, H., Sherwood, G., & Kim, E. (2017). Nurses’ Handoff and Patient Safety Culture in Perinatal Care Units. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 1442-1450.

Courtney Shrader is regulatory and quality systems program manager-transplant at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin.

For more resources on Patient Safety, visit Patient Safety Matters.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Maddie Josephs, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS President-Elect

ASCLS, our grassroots professional organization, relies on the collective action of our members—and most importantly our member volunteers—to make our voices heard and to make a positive impact in healthcare. Indeed, the strength of our Society lies in our volunteers. Whether you can make a long-term or short-term commitment, ASCLS needs you and your expertise to carry out its mission.

Our membership-driven organization relies on volunteers, in any capacity, to participate on national committees where you can have a voice in the process and affect change to help our Society grow. With busy lives, it can sometimes be hard to find the time to volunteer, but studies show that the benefits of volunteering can be enormous.

Benefits of Volunteering

  • Gain confidence. Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.
  • Make a difference. Volunteering can have a real and valuable positive affect on people, communities, and society in general.
  • Meet people. Volunteering can help you meet different kinds of people and make new friends.
  • Be part of a community. Volunteering can help you feel part of something outside your friends and family.
  • Learn new skills. Volunteering can help you learn new skills, gain experience, and sometimes even qualifications.
  • Take on a challenge. Through volunteering, you can challenge yourself to try something different, achieve personal goals, practice using your skills, and discover hidden talents.
  • Have fun! Most volunteers have a great time, regardless of why they do it.

Your Opportunity to Participate in ASCLS
There are numerous volunteer opportunities available for the 2020-21 Society year, and they will be posted on December 1. ASCLS utilizes an online system that matches volunteers to positions. You can add your name to the volunteer pool today.

  1. Simply login to the ASCLS Connect Community and fill out your profile.
  2. Click on Volunteer and Opt in to the Volunteer Pool.
  3. Review all of the open volunteer opportunities.
  4. Apply for the opportunities where you think you can make the biggest contribution.

For more information about these steps, visit www.ascls.org/participate/how-to-volunteer.

The key is to find a volunteer position that you might enjoy and that matches the organization’s needs. If you want to know a little bit more about the activities of committees in which you are interested, you can read the descriptions. You will find position descriptions and committee charges here.

Once you’ve opted into the volunteer pool, you will be notified to submit your committee interest in the near future. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to indicate your preference for committee leadership or membership. You can also serve as a representative to an affiliate organization. The deadline for applications is January 15.

Please keep in mind that, if asked to serve, your term on any of these committees would start in July 2020. A member of the Appointments Committee will contact you once we get all of the volunteer information organized. Please specify first choice and second choice of interest and the Appointments Committee will make every effort to place all interested members.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss a volunteer opportunity, you can contact me. The other members of the Appointments Committee are Janelle Chiasera, Region III director; Eykka Gundlach, developing

professional director; Elizabeth LeFors, ascending professional director; Roslyn McQueen, ASCLS past president; and Claude Rector, Region VII director.

A commitment to serve in one of these roles typically requires attendance on a regularly scheduled conference call, with some assignments or duties completed between the calls. Some terms are only for one year while others are a three-year commitment.

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”
- Elizabeth Andrew

These conference calls, led by the committee chair, are held at no cost to the individual. Continued involvement is required to ensure goals and strategies are accomplished. Get involved with ASCLS today!

Maddie Josephs is professor/department chair of the Allied Health Department at the Community College of Rhode Island in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AT THE 2021 TRISTATE MEETING

Karrie Hovis, MHS, MLS(ASCP)CM, CMP, CQIA

The 2021 Tri-State Meeting will be held April 5-8 in New Orleans and will host ASCLS-Mississippi, the Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, and the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science. Photo credit: Eric Gross https://www.flickr.com/photos/hozho/15975312841

 The ASCLS-Mississippi and Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (LSCLS) constituent societies have been cohosting their annual meeting for several years. The societies alternate which state hosts the meeting each year with the host society assuming the meeting planning responsibilities when it is their turn. The relationship has become very communal—we share knowledge, labor, attendees, profits, student bowls, volunteers, and more.

In 2021, the bi-state meeting will be hosted by LSCLS. Since James Gardner will serve as LSCLS president during that time, he will be the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of this meeting. If you know James, you know that he is a team player. You also know that he is very passionate about our profession and ASCLS.

Also in 2021, the ASCLS Annual Meeting will be held in Addison, Texas. The Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science (TACLS) members will be called upon to help as host liaison for this meeting. James saw this development as an opportunity for our bi-state meeting, and our Mississippi neighbors agreed. To lend a helping hand to our Texan friends, our 2021 meeting has officially transitioned from being a bistate meeting to a tri-state meeting. Welcome, TACLS!

The First Tri-State Meeting
We are very excited to announce that the 2021 Tri-State Meeting will be held April 5-8 in New Orleans at the JW Marriott located at 611 Common Street. This location is ideal for enjoying everything that New Orleans has to offer. It is across the street from the upriver boundary of the French Quarter. The infamous Palace Café is within a few steps from the hotel. You can also hop on a streetcar in front of the hotel and travel throughout the city.

The planning for this event will be different than previous years. Our steering committee is composed of the presidents and president-elects from each state. We have agreed on equal representation for all committees to ensure we are meeting the needs of attendees from each state. If you are a TACLS, LSCLS, or ASCLS-MS member and are interested in serving on a committee, please reach out to a member of the steering committee. By sharing the duties of meeting planning, it will be manageable for all.

With a bigger meeting comes bigger responsibilities. We anticipate that our exhibit hall will be bigger than ever with vendors being able to reach customers from three states at one place. Our MLS and MLT student bowl competition is guaranteed to be fierce. Between LSCLS and ASCLS-MS, this competition has the tradition of being cutthroat. With the addition of the TACLS students, the level of rivalry will be unmatched to previous years.

Southern Hospitality, Good Food, Fun Times, and Great Education
We are only in the beginning phase of planning the tri-state meeting, but we are looking forward to the journey. For LSCLS, our neighbors to the east and west are committed, and we have a common goal—to produce an annual meeting like no other! We hope that our meeting will attract our ASCLS friends from other states as well. One thing that can be expected is southern hospitality, good food, fun times, and great education! In fact, our opening keynote speaker will be Sten Westgard from Westgard QC. Thank you to our friends at Audit MicroControls, Inc., for this generous sponsorship.

“We anticipate that our exhibit hall will be bigger than ever with vendors being able to reach customers from three states at one place.”

As for the future of the tri-state meeting, we are only looking at 2021 right now. The LSCLS, ASCLS-MS, and TACLS members have pledged their support to make this meeting a success. We are looking at innovative ideas for sharing knowledge, engaging attendees, and networking. Stay tuned for more information on sponsorships, exhibitors, registration, and socials.

Go ahead and mark your calendars now—April 5-8, 2021! Celebrate science with us in the Big Easy. Laissez les bons temps rouler, a.k.a., let the good times roll!

Karrie Hovis is lab education coordinator at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans.

INTRODUCING THE NEW ASCLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Suzanne Butch, MA, MLS(ASCP)CMSBBCMCLMCM

The 2019-20 ASCLS Leadership Academy class met for two days before the ASCLS-AGT Joint Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, last June. The group got to know each other while enthusiastically performing group activities, listening to presentations, and participating in active discussions.

This year’s class of 11 participants represents nine states and one U.S. territory, spanning from Alaska to Puerto Rico. They have varying levels of experience in the profession, professional organizations, and ASCLS, but all are enthusiastic and ready to prepare themselves to step into leadership positions in the profession. Meet the new class of the ASCLS Leadership Academy!

Dr. Elinette M. Albino - Puerto Rico
Elinette was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and grew up in a town at the center of the island. From primary to high school she has participated in scientific activities including state and international scientific fairs. In high school and college, she became seriously interested in science and spent her summers doing research. Elinette has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus, and later completed a certificate in medical technology.

She has a master’s degree in clinical biochemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus. Her daily experience observing health tendencies in the Puerto Rican population and her interest in producing clinical research solutions led her to enroll in the PhD program in biomedical sciences at the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her passion in genetics led her to execute two post-doctoral involvements and several publications in cardiovascular genetics, cancer, and oxidative stress.

Elinette is currently an assistant professor in the Medical Technology Program of the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. She also works as a consultant for genomic services and advanced diagnostics in the areas of
oncology, neurology, and women’s health for Puerto Rico and the southeastern U.S. region of Quest Diagnostics. She has participated in different national and international scientific forums, addressing various topics of interest and impact on public health. Elinette is passionate about scientific research and community service. But her family role is the most important. She is married to José, and both have been blessed with three girls and one boy: Camila, Amaia, Eliana and Josú.

Hosanna Anyatonwu - Texas
Hosanna graduated in August of 2018 from Texas Tech University Health Science Center where she received a post baccalaureate degree in clinical laboratory science (CLS). She joined ASCLS in January of 2019 as an ascending professional with the desire to become an active member of the CLS community. As a certified medical technologist at the Heart Hospital of Austin, she truly loves her job, patients, and coworkers.

Crystal Austin - Indiana
Crystal has lived in Indianapolis her entire life. She attended Indiana University (IU) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She obtained her medical technology degree in 1998 from IU School of Medicine.

Her first position was as a generalist working for Mid America Clinical Laboratories. She has worked for several laboratories in the Indianapolis area primarily as a generalist. Her first leadership position was with Wishard Memorial Hospital working as night shift supervisor and soon after was promoted to core lab technical supervisor. She went on to work for Indiana University as technical supervisor of operations where she oversaw 23 outpatient laboratories.

She attended Indiana Wesleyan and obtained her master’s degree in business administration. Currently she serves as laboratory manager at Veterans Hospital in Indianapolis. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. In her free time, sheenjoys spending time with family and friends.

Sophia Chandrasekar - North Carolina
Sophia is a native North Carolinian and currently lives in Durham with her husband. She graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2014 with degrees in biology and anthropology, and in 2016 she obtained a degree in clinical laboratory science.

She began her career at UNC Health Care’s McLendon Labs-Core Laboratory as a student employee and was hired as a full-time employee in 2016. She was promoted to lead technologist over gas chromatography in January 2019 and has just begun her new role where she is also the weekend supervisor on days.

She is starting her term of past president of the North Carolina Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (NCSCLS) and is also currently illustrating the second NCSCLS adult coloring book. She encouraged colleagues to attend the Region III Triennial Meeting in Pensacola Beach, Florida, in September, as she was part of the planning committee. She has also served on state meeting planning committees and is the webmaster and social media handle for NCSCLS. When she is able to find spare time, she spends it playing and designing video games with her husband, and doodling and crafting anything she can think of.

Cliff Cypriot - Virginia
Cliff was born and raised in Queens, New York, and currently lives with his wife in Northern Virginia. Cliff is the current MLS program director at George Washington University (GW) in the Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Department. Prior to his arrival at GW, Cliff worked as a medical laboratory scientist at a medium-sized 200-bed hospital in upstate New York and taught as an adjunct instructor for the State University of New York at Orange.

In addition to his program director duties, Cliff teaches a range of courses within the MLS program, both online and face-toface, such as Hematology I and II, Clinical Microbiology Lab, Immunohematology Lab, and Molecular Diagnostics Lab. For a brief time, Cliff worked for Advance Magazine for Laboratory Professionals providing storylines for the comic strip, “Lab out Loud,” that he worked on with his brother-in-law. He has been a contributor for several chapters in the Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, by Mahon, Lehman, and Manuselis. He is also the treasurer of the Capital Area Society (D.C.) chapter for ASCLS. He holds certifications in ASCP, AMT, and AAB in medical laboratory science.

In his spare time, Cliff enjoys spending time with his wife, as well as reading and writing science fiction stories. He is excited to be part of ASCLS’ Leadership Academy and can’t wait to utilize what he’s learning to help the next generation of laboratory professionals and the profession as a whole.

Galina Dronova - Minnesota
Galina is the lead of the largest outpatient clinic for Park Nicollet Health Systems where she was engaged in process improvement, training, and program management. Her credentials and education include a BS in clinical lab science/med technology (ASCP), BS in microbiology, and a medical technologist certification. She has an extensive background in lab science and research, experience in training higher education, and an energetic drive to learn and improve.

Her involvement in ASCLS began by first shadowing and then becoming the chair for the Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Collaborative. She was encouraged to keep growing in the ASCLS community by her mentor, Jean Bauer, and applied for the national Leadership Academy. Currently, she is the metro area junior director of the scientific assembly and is looking forward to contributing to a Society that helps develop professional growth and build lifelong connections.

In her spare time, she likes to talk a lot about rock climbing.

Billie Ketelsen - Michigan
Billie is a Michigan native, spending her entire life in the Detroit area. She currently resides in Royal Oak with her husband, stepdaughter (14), son (6), and daughter (5). Billie has been a medical professional for over 10 years with most of her experience centered around blood bank.

In between her blood bank careers, she worked in biomarker research, a position that allowed her to learn and use advanced skills in the laboratory. She is currently the blood bank manager at Beaumont Health Royal Oak, a level-one trauma center, 1,100-bed hospital. Billie is passionate about patient safety and is currently a volunteer on the ASCLS Patient Safety Committee, which keeps her up to date on new research and ideas. Her other passions include blood wastage, quality, and professionalism.

Within the ASCLS-Michigan society, she is beginning her role as Immunohematology Scientific Assembly co-chair. Billie is excited to be a part of the 2020 Leadership Academy Class and looks forward to learning from others in the profession.

Stephanie Moore - Alaska
Stephanie is originally from Kentucky. Growing up she lived in several states. She graduated from Spencerian College in Louisville, Kentucky, with a degree in medical technology in 2006. Stephanie started her career at a small hospital in east-central Kentucky. From there she moved on to working at an Equine Hospital.

Stephanie moved to Sitka, Alaska, in 2014. She is currently the point of care coordinator and laboratory technical coordinator. She is currently furthering her education. In her free time, she enjoys reading and going on hikes with her husband and six-year-old son.

Jasmine Pante - California
Jasmine is a Northern California native and currently resides in Monterey. When she was younger, she aspired to serve her community in the medical field but realized her talent for clinical laboratory science at the end of her undergraduate career. She has a BS in genetics from the University of California, Davis, and her post-baccalaureate degree in clinical laboratory science from Heritage University in Toppenish, Washington.

She’s worked in the field for three years, working as a clinical laboratory scientist (generalist) at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California. In December 2019 she will transition into senior clinical laboratory scientist, point of care, and quality. She often has questions for current laboratory methods and thinks of possibilities to improve laboratory workflow and patient care by volunteering for projects such as new instrument validation, auto-verification software, and leading the Lab Unit Council.

To balance her ambitions and stresses in her career, she maintains a yoga practice as an instructor and lifelong student. She currently instructs yoga classes at her hospital to all employees. She also enjoys travelling to new places, new experiences, and especially making time for her family, boyfriend, her pup Dustee, and friends—no matter how busy her life becomes.

Cherika Robertson - Arkansas
Cherika is a native of Arkansas, having grown up in rural South Arkansas, and currently lives right outside Little Rock with her husband and almost six-year-old son, Harper. She currently works as assistant professor in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has been a laboratory professional for 14 years, with extensive experience in areas of hematology, blood bank, and cytogenetics.

Professionally, she is actively involved in ASCLS, serving at the national, regional, and state levels. She currently serves as vice chair of membership services on the national Membership Development Committee. On the state level, Cherika serves as the president of the ASCLS-Arkansas society. She has been involved in planning state conferences, providing continuing education and networking opportunities to laboratory professionals from across the state. Cherika’s passion for recruitment and retention of laboratory professionals is evidenced by her enthusiasm for the profession, and her role as career ambassador 2.0 for the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Romina Selzer - Michigan
Romy was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but currently lives in Ferndale, Michigan. She graduated from Wayne State University with a BS in clinical laboratory science in 2009 after completing her internship at the University of Michigan Health System. She started her career as a generalist at a local Children’s Hospital but became a dedicated blood banker in 2013 when she accepted a position at Henry Ford Hospital in downtown Detroit. In 2017 she was promoted to senior medical technologist and has been in that role since then.

She is active in patient safety and blood utilization committees within the hospital, as well as being involved in ASCLS at the state and national levels. She’s a current member of the Membership Committee in Michigan, helped plan state meetings as committee member and vice chair, and served as district representative for the past two terms. She will take over as finance chair for the next two fiscal years in Michigan.

On the national level, she’s attended national meetings and has served in the P.A.C.E.® Committee and is very excited to be a part of the current Leadership Academy class. She’s passionate about her career and profession, but also loves traveling and going to new places. So, chances are, if she’s not home, then she’s probably on a plane to her next adventure.

The 2019-20 Leadership Academy faculty include former Leadership Academy faculty and former students who guide discussion of academy expectations, leadership and communication styles, and the history of the profession. Those
participating include Lindsey Davenport-Landry, Kathy Doig, Brandy Gunsolus, Heather McLaughlin, Elissa Passiment, Rebecca Rogers, and Kim Von Ahsen.

The group will have two additional face-to-face meetings—one at the 2020 Legislative Symposium in March and then at the 2020 Joint Annual Meeting in Louisville in June. The class attends online sessions and completes independent reading and assignments during the year. Making videos, developing presentations, shadowing an ASCLS committee, working with a mentor, and managing projects are part of the curriculum. Additional topics include being the face of the profession, time management, team building, conflict management, advocacy skills, developing new leaders, and strategic planning. Speakers include Suzanne Butch, Janelle Chiasera, Lindsey Davenport-Landry, Jim Flanigan, Mary
Ann McLane, Deb Rodahl, Rebecca Rogers, and more.

Suzanne Butch has retired from her position as manager of clinical pathology quality assurance in the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

THE NEW JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OFFERS EDUCATION, INSPIRATION, AND CONNECTIONS

Nearly 700 laboratory professionals and colleagues came together in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of the first Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of ASCLS and the Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT). This partnership between ASCLS and AGT resulted in expanded educational and industry engagement opportunities for both organizations, as well as others in the laboratory community.

The meeting featured over 70 educational presentations and 35 scientific posters, as well as opportunities to network with other laboratory professionals and engage with industry partners. Two-hour pre-conference workshops offered the chance to learn about current and up-and-coming topics of interest in genetics. For the first time, more than 40 of the sessions were recorded and made available online for those who were unable to attend the meeting live in Charlotte.

“Meeting up with old friends reignited the fire for me to want to make a difference at my hospital despite the resistance.”

The Annual Meeting Steering Committee (AMSC) focused on innovative new formats and educational sessions that were more interactive, including intimate chats and panel discussions. A new mobile meeting app, which included gaming and meeting scheduling, helped attendees seamlessly navigate the new formats. Industry partners were integrated directly in the meeting and added educational programming through Commercial Symposia. A new “Leadership AM @ the AM” concluded the meeting and transitioned ASCLS into the Annual House of Delegates with an open program of case studies and insights into effectively accomplishing the work of the Society.

2020 JAM
The 2020 Joint Annual Meeting will build on the success of this first meeting and will be held June 28-July 2, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. The committee received over 100 session proposals and is currently designing a program that will both educate and inspire attendees. The program will include presentations by dynamic speakers on topics from the various scientific disciplines, as well as presentations on opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Thanks to the feedback from the 2019 attendees, the AMSC will continue to offer interactive educational sessions presented in various formats, as well as offer additional opportunities for networking and industry engagement. The Presidents Reception and Silent Auction will also be expanded to accommodate a larger attendance.

Submissions of poster abstracts will begin in January 2020, with a deadline of March 1. Professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate. Accepted poster primary authors will receive a registration discount and will be eligible to compete for awards and prizes.


2020 Accommodations
The 2020 Joint Annual Meeting will be held at the new Omni Louisville Hotel, which just opened in 2018. This hotel, the tallest in the city, highlights the rich history of Louisville as well as its vibrant future. The hotel features a rooftop pool, luxury spa and salon, and six restaurants and dining options. And did we mention the Library Bar, Rooftop Bar, and Speakeasy with four bowling lanes?

Conveniently located on the first floor of the hotel is Falls City Market. This urban lifestyle market includes a grocery store, coffee bar, a bakery, sushi bar, brick-oven pizzas, wine and spirits store, and a lunch-time food truck. There is even a gift shop and tour company located in the market. All the conveniences meeting attendees could need!

The hotel is surrounded by restaurants and entertainment options, including 4th Street Live (dining and entertainment destination), Kentucky Science Center, Whiskey Row, and the Muhammad Ali Center. Over 70 distilleries call Louisville home, 17 of which can be found on the Urban Bourbon Trail. Baseball fans will want to tour the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory or take in a game of the Louisville Bats (a Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds), who will be at home with games against Columbus and Indianapolis.

Registration for the 2020 Joint Annual Meeting will open in March 2020—make plans now to join us in Louisville!

Get to Know Louisville

History. Founded in 1778, the city was named after King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War. By 1830 it became the largest city in Kentucky, which it remains today.

City of Parks. Louisville prides itself on its greenspace. The city is home to 18 parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Louisville Waterfront Park is an award-winning park on the banks of the Ohio River. And, Jefferson Memorial Forest is the largest municipal urban forest in the United States.

Horse Lovers. Since 1875, Churchill Downs has been the home of the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing. The Derby is held annually on the first Saturday in May.

Bourbon Country. Kentucky is the birthplace of Bourbon, and a third of it is produced in Louisville’s city limits. There are six, and counting, Urban Bourbon distilleries in the city, along with about 40 bars and restaurants on the Urban
Bourbon Trail. You can even venture beyond Louisville to Bourbon Country and choose from among more than 30 Bourbon attractions.

New Southern Cuisine. Regional favorites include Benedictine, Burgoo, Derby Pie®, the Hot Brown, Modjeskas, and fried chicken. The Old Fashioned is the city’s official cocktail, and it is tradition to toast with Mint Juleps every Kentucky Derby.

Famous Louisville Citizens:

  • Muhammed Ali
  • John James Audubon
  • U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis

More Fun Facts:

  • Louisville is home to the oldest Mississippi-style steamboat in existence—The Belle of Louisville.
  • The first successful hand transplant was performed in Louisville.
  • 90% of the world’s disco balls are produced in Louisville.
  • The world’s only fully underground zipline is in Louisville’s Mega Cavern.