[Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Tue Feb 17 10:28:49 CST 2009

It is my personal opinion that all Histology techs working within a clinical setting today should be certified. Period.  Histology requirements are no longer what they used to be as complexity of procedures used in the lab are increasingly becoming more demanding. I started out in 1961 straight out of high school, but since then, over time, have gotten my HT, BA in biology, HTL, and IHQ, all while continuing to work full time. 

I think it was a terrible mistake to abandon the practical exam for the HT/HTL and rely solely on the written exam to judge the expertise of the candidate for ASCP certification. Automation probably played a crucial part in making the "hands-on" experience obsolete, but I think that practical experience was invaluable because it reinforced and illuminated what the written material was teaching. And while automation undoubtedly has many benefits, unfortunately, it can also promote "dumbing-down" as it requires little or no interaction with the user of the laboratory equipment. While I was getting my personalized OTJ training from a pathologist in a medical school's experimental setting, it was always understood that although we were working with animal tissue, the patient's welfare ultimately was the bottom line. This attitude not only inspired good laboratory practice, but also the desire to learn and to do the best possible job I could. To this day I find it immensely rewarding to perform special and IHC stains by hand and achieve the expected results. 

So many other professions demand a college education followed by, or in conjunction with, training in a particular skill, so why should our profession be any different?  With an increased level of education and training will come a larger pay check and the well-deserved respect so frequently lacking now. 

Hermina

Hermina M. Borgerink, BA, HT, HTL(ASCP)QIHC
Wake Forest University Primate Center
Department of Pathology
Medical Center Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27157
Tel. (336) 716-1538
Fax. (336) 716-1515
e-mail:  hborgeri <@t> wfubmc.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Kim Tournear
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:53 AM
To: Histonet
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

I agree with the overseas tech issue...my experience at Ventana Medical allowed me to meet alot of well educated techs from across the ocean. What difference does it make where the education comes from, as long as the candidate is qualified to do the job? 

I think an ASCP certification should be obtained allowing the applicant to use his/her credentials, and a state license (if applicable) without having to go back for a degree they already have. 

We knew long before 2005, that the histology world was going in new directions and that a histotech would be required to be certified. I fear that at some point, hospitals will not hire any non-registered techs (of any kind). 

Just my 2 cents worth....

~Kim Tournear ~HT (ASCP), QIHC (ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Tucson Medical Center
Tucson, AZ

~Don't let your life end before it begins~

OU Rocks!!!!

--- On Mon, 2/16/09, Bernice Frederick <b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu> wrote:

From: Bernice Frederick <b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology
To: "'Larry Woody'" <slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com>, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 7:28 AM

Agreed. Kind of devalues one's education if there are uncertified techs. I
also think that it's silly that techs from outside the US are sometimes
forced to repeat their 4 years of college when they have the knowledge and
the equivalency from wherever and can do the job better than some techs
doing it for years.
Bernice

Bernice Frederick HTL (ASCP)
Northwestern University
Pathology Core Facility
ECOGPCO-RL 
710 N Fairbanks Court
Olson 8-421
Chicago,IL 60611
312-503-3723

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Larry Woody
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:10 AM
To: rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley
Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

This has been an ongoing issue for so many years in histology, I've always
wanted to see a mandatory license in the field but that always starts a
firestorm of controversy. If you have surgery, you certainly want a board
certified surgeon to do it and same with the Pathologist that looks at the
slides so wouldn't you want a certified tech doing the lab work as well?

Larry A. Woody
Seattle, Wa.

________________________________
From: Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>
To: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley
<sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:58:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

A hospital that relies on uncertified techs to do histology work is
motivated by the pursue of costs cuts (you can call it greed!) and shows
total disregard for quality of work and patient care. They may end losing
all those savings when settling a legal case.
René J.

--- On Wed, 2/11/09, Steven Coakley <sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Steven Coakley <sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology
To: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 9:55 AM

Any thoughts or experiences with my fellow HT/HTL's(ASCP).  What the big
advantage do all these facilities think there gaining by going with
unregistered
techs, especially when theres always ongoing quality issues when theres so
many
trained certified HT looking for work?  In my area of the country I can't
believe how many Hospitals go this way.

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