[Histonet] Pre-labeling glass slides
Janice Mahoney
jmahoney <@t> alegent.org
Fri Mar 16 14:49:33 CDT 2007
Hi Douglas,
We are a clinical lab that services 7 hospitals and over 100 clinics in Nebraska and iowa. We do 38,000 surgical cases per year. Not very big by some standards but huge by others.
There is flexibility when applying those 5 principles. I like it that applying LEAN to a laboratory is NOT the same as manufacturing. We don't have to be so stringent and we can still see positive results and still be LEAN. The whole manufacturing thing turns so many people off but it is only because they do not understand or have the experience of seeing this done in a laboratory setting.
Jan
>>> "Douglas D Deltour" <doug <@t> ppspath.com> 03/16/2007 2:52 PM >>>
Jan,
How flexible can it be before it is not considered LEAN? Also I am curious
of your type of facility and workload. Thanks
Douglas D. Deltour HT(ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Professional Pathology Services, PC
One Science Court
Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29203
(803)252-1913
Fax (803)254-3262
*****************************************************
PROFESSIONAL PATHOLOGY SERVICES, PC
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader
of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that
any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited by law. If you have received this communication in
error, please notify me immediately.
-----Original Message-----
From: Janice Mahoney [mailto:jmahoney <@t> alegent.org]
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 1:45 PM
To: 'Katri Tuomala'; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Douglas D Deltour;
'Carmen Leschuk'; Rene J Buesa
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Pre-labeling glass slides
Well Rene, I am and have been a Histo tech for over 20 years. I have been
willing to change when I see things that will benefit the patient. I am a
LEAN trainer and have implemented the LEAN principles in several labs. I
did the DEEP STUDY in both LEAN and in Histology workflow. I can prove that
LEAN will reduced TAT and errors while maintaining and even improving
quality. To assume that LEAN will not work and that the principles are not
applicable tells me that you do not know about the best part of LEAN and
that is in the flexibility of it. There may be some "batching" but the
smaller and less frequent the better. We still overnight process. In LEAN,
when you are changing the "form, fit or function" of the specimen you are
adding value to it. If something, like tissue processing, is necessary and
cannot be eliminated could it be shortened or done in more frequent smaller
"batches"?
It is Friday afternoon and I will stop. When I get on a roll about LEAN I
cannot stop because I have seen the benefits in our lab and in others.
Obviously I am a believer and I love to talk about it.
Rene, I hope we can meet sometime and continue this discussion in person. I
always appreciate your insights on the histonet.
Jan
>>> Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com> 03/16/2007 11:23 AM >>>
As it hapened with Janice I can't keep quiet either.
Lets talk about LEAN.
To start with it is not applicable to the entire histology workflow.
The specimen arrives and somebody takes "hold" of it, number, access,
describe AND??? that person will have to process it (unless it is a Frozen
section). There has to be a delay and don't tell about the Xpress Sakura, it
will have to wait until 30 or 40 cassettes will be ready before starting
(and what do you call that if you don't want to call it a "batch"?)
It will come out after 120 minutes (or more time if it is a regular
processor) and again another person will take the cassette in a "nurturing
and loving embrace" and will prepare the slide, embed the tissue, section
it, WAIT until it dries and will stain it. How long will it take to that
"dedicated" histotech to have the slide ready for the pathologist and, most
important, how much did that slide cost? What happened to the other cases?
Is it a "one specimen a day"lab?
Trying to see the histology lab as the production line of a Toyota is
unrealistic. Some aspects can be streamlined, others not.
The only process that is LEAN (and has always been without knowing it by
the way) is the one performed by the histotech rushing over the piece of
tissue received from the OR to do a FS, and even there I have seen some
mislabellings (like some labs that do not access the tissue to do the FS).
Embracing new approaches require a deep study and knowing what we are
getting into.
Just my opinion (as always)!
René J.
Douglas D Deltour <doug <@t> ppspath.com> wrote:
So it will save us time by having the tech get up and print the slide
(using
the slide printer), go back to the microtome and cut it. This will happen
about 300+ times a night. Let's put two techs into the equation and one will
wait while the other is printing. If they do this I will not have to check
the slides for accuracy anymore?
Douglas D. Deltour HT(ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Professional Pathology Services, PC
One Science Court
Suite 200
Columbia, SC 29203
(803)252-1913
Fax (803)254-3262
*****************************************************
PROFESSIONAL PATHOLOGY SERVICES, PC
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader
of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that
any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited by law. If you have received this communication in
error, please notify me immediately.
-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Janice
Mahoney
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 10:25 AM
To: Katri Tuomala; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Carmen Leschuk; Rene J
Buesa
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Pre-labeling glass slides
I can't keep quiet anymore.
Single piece flow, one specimen, slide, case at a time is the fastest and
least error prone way of performing any task. It is LEAN and it can be
proven. Please consider it for the patient's sake.
i know that it seems more efficient to batch. I felt that way too before I
started seeing the processes in my lab with LEAN eyes.
All those checks along the way are slowing down your process. If you single
piece flow, one case/slide at at time you will make fewer errors and no
longer need so many checks. You will get more slides out faster (with the
right number on them whether they are written or etched or labelled).
Jan
Omaha
Janice Mahoney
Histology/Cytology Coordinator
Alegent Health Laboratory
4955 F Street
Omaha, NE 68117
(402)717-2889
>>> "Katri Tuomala" 03/12/2007 9:35 PM >>>
I totally agree with Rene. We pre-label all our slides in approximately 20
slide lots. We have so many checks along the way, before the slides are
delivered, that the odd mistake gets discovered very quickly.
You just have to pay attention to what you are doing.
And yes, I remember the diamond pens, ouch!!
Katri
Katri Tuomala
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rene J Buesa"
To: "Carmen Leschuk" ;
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Pre-labeling glass slides
> Carmen:
> Labelling the slides BEFORE they are used is the normal and logical
> practice. In this way the slides can be ready beforehand. The thing is
> that if the person using the slides does NOT pay attention, the
> "misslabelling" can occur.
> On the other hand the amount of time you could WASTE by leballing
> simultaneously while sectioning is astronomical.
> The good practice is to have a log with the blocks to section, prepare
> all the labelled slides in the needed amount and BEFORE sectioning the
> blocks, match slides to blocks and that is all you have to do.
> Sloppines and carelessnes are the roots of any mistake in histology. The
> solution is to pay attention, not to misuse a slides writing machine.
> René J.
>
> Carmen Leschuk wrote:
> Recently, I heard of a slide mislabeling that occurred in another histo
> lab that they determined to be caused by pre-labeling slides before actual
> use at the microtome. This lab said that if the slides would of been
> labeled simultaneously (per their policy) as the blocks being cut, the
> mislabeling would of been prevented. My lab currently pre-labels all of
> slides before cutting a sequence of 10-20 blocks, which I thought was
> common practice. My question is, what is common practice? Do other labs
> have poli
> cies forbidding pre-labeling of glass slides?
>
>
>
> Carmen Leschuk, HT, SLS (ASCP)
> Supervisor, SJMO-Anatomic Pathology
> (248)858-6231
>
>
>
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