[Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Wed Feb 11 16:05:22 CST 2009

Question for everyone. When you were in High school, college or in the military had you ever heard of Histology? How did you find out? One of our problems is no press coverage.
I am a Navy trained MLT, that 3 months after graduating gave up my position in Hematology to so my wife could have it and keep her out of blood bank. I met the Chief that ran Histology and thought I would give it a try. Everyone of us in that lab in Portsmouth, VA fell were MLT's that fell in love with Histology and all were OJTs, in fact the last year  that I was the assistant leading Petty Officer it was may job to train new people. What I tried to teach was how to get your knowledge to come not from you mouth but your finger tips. I would rather have a tech that knows how to embed properly, cut a complete section without cutting through the block,  what a good stain looks like and above all how to trouble shoot. I never needed or wanted the know-it-all that could tell me the molecular structure of xylene, but could not grasp the concept of setting up a gross run.

My point? We as Supervisor's are the mentors, it is are job to teach our techs on how we need the work performed, to me working on your certification is showing that you are committed to your profession, not all people are good at taking a test and passing the test just meant you were really good that day. Would I take an un-certified tech over a certified tech? That would depend on their  attitude and how well they perform on my tests.

Linda: one day I started an argument in the clinical lab at when I said "Histology is an art, it is only as good as the person performing, anyone can ready a manual and run a chemistry analyzer." I'd like to say that it went over well, but I can't

Tom Podawiltz, HT (ASCP)
Histology Section Head/Laboratory Safety Officer
LRGHealthcare
603-524-3211 ext: 3220
________________________________________
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Larry Woody [slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 2:14 PM
To: Blazek, Linda; DDittus787 <@t> aol.com; TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org; rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Good one Linda! You won't get many MTs to agree with that.

Larry A. Woody
Seattle, Wa.

________________________________
From: "Blazek, Linda" <lblazek <@t> digestivespecialists.com>
To: "DDittus787 <@t> aol.com" <DDittus787 <@t> aol.com>; "TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org" <TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org>; "rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com" <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>; "slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com" <slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com>; "Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu" <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>; "sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com" <sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 11:16:21 AM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

If a histo tech knows how to do most everything in the clinical lab but is not an MT, should they be allowed to work there?

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of DDittus787 <@t> aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 2:03 PM
To: TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org; rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com; slappycraw <@t> yahoo.com; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; sjchtascp <@t> yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology

Well Tom they can throw me on the fire with you!!! I agree  I came  thru an
MT program ,OJT for Histology (some MT stuff helped) got my Bachelors  later
and finally got my MBA- but I have been working a great deal with the "new
grads" from colleges and while they are very nice, I have to say some OJT would
have been a great deal more helpful, than being able to get an A on a test! I
know generations are different but what are they being told in these
colleges???  Where is work ethic, realistic work expectations? We are in healthcare not
banking thank goodness! Take me back to the good old days when we were by
the  docs side and learned everyday. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for listening.

Dana Dittus MT/HT MBA
Core Lab Administrator
UHS LLC

In a message dated 2/11/2009 1:56:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org writes:

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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