[Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Wed Feb 11 13:11:41 CST 2009

It's not about if OTJ techs are better or worse than certified techs, it's about unifying the field and certification is one way to do that. As it stands now we are in a divided field of expertise where some places have a total lack of respect for anyone working in histology and other places go for the lowest price. Once you are in histology it's up to you how talented you are going to be but IMO this field needs to be unified for higher wages and more education about the field itself so more people get interested in it.

Larry A. Woody
Seattle, Wa.

________________________________
From: Tom McNemar <TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org>
To: rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com; Larry Woody <slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com>; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley <sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:56:10 AM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

I'm sure that I'm gonna get blasted but......

I'm sorry but I stand by the statement.  I have been a certified HT for 30 years now.  I will take an uncertified tech who can get a quality slide to the pathologist in a timely fashion over one who can tell me about it but can't do it.  We all know that they are out there.

Yes, perhaps the "lure" was insufficient but that is out of my control and irrelevant.  The bottom line is that none were willing to accept what I had to offer.

Certification does not make a good histo tech.  Certification is a stamp of validation.  It says that someone passed a test so they must be good.  There are many very good uncertified people in histology.  

Certification lost some of its validity when they did away with the practical part.  I would prefer to have someone who can actually do the work and not just talk about it.

Given my choice, I would love to have all certified techs but I live in the real world and it's not likely to happen in my remaining time.  Everyone talks of quality like it comes magically from having a piece of paper.  It don't.  Quality comes from experience and practical training.  And in the long run, that paper has very little to do with it.

Let the flamming begin!

Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP) 
Histology Co-ordinator 
Licking Memorial Health Systems 
(740) 348-4163 
(740) 348-4166 
tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org 
www.LMHealth.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 12:12 PM
To: Larry Woody; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley; Tom McNemar
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Tom:
All you have written is understandable EXCEPT that "it doesn't take an advanced degree to do histology", that reflects the old assumption that "if you know how to cook or to knit you can do histology". 
That is an unacceptable position now when patient care should be a major concern. I agree that a lab assistant  does not need to be certified as long as the work is limited to "assist" or do things other than working with patient samples.
Perhaps the "lure" you used was not "tasteful" enough (not enough money or benefits).
HTs occupy the worst paid echelon in the medical lab and will never get of that stratum unless all are certified and those who hire them show the proper respect for their work.
René J.

--- On Wed, 2/11/09, Tom McNemar <TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org> wrote:

From: Tom McNemar <TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology
To: "Larry Woody" <slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com>, rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com, Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu, "Steven Coakley" <sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 11:36 AM

Perhaps in a perfect world....  My world is less than perfect.  For our last
opening, we spent 10 months trying to find and lure a certified tech to our
facility and then gave up and took an MLT.  We have four techs and two of us are
certified HTs.  We recently hired a person off the street and trained them to be
a histology assistant.  It has been very beneficial for us.  She files slides,
covers the late grossing (assists the pathologist), coverslips, etc.

It doesn't take an advanced degree to do histology.  You gotta do what you
gotta do to get the work out.

Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
Histology Co-ordinator
Licking Memorial Health Systems
(740) 348-4163
(740) 348-4166
tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org

-----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 11:10 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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