[Histonet] Georgia Society for Histotechnology Program

[Shirley Powell]

The Georgia Society for Histotechnology invites you to the 2009 meeting to
be held at Sea Palms Resort at St. Simons Island, Georgia, March 20-22,
2009.  The program is below and the registration form can be downloaded from
www.histosearch.com/gsh soon or I will email you a copy personally. The
complete  hotel information is already on the GSH website.  Please call for
reservations now by calling the Sea Palms Resort.  Be sure to tell them you
are attending the GSH meeting.  The phone number is 1-800-841-6268.  Visit
the web site at www.seapalms.com.  Special GSH Room Rates are $99 for two
double beds and $109 for two double beds or a King bed Suites are available
as well as Villas. 

March 20, 2009 - Friday

1 to 5 p.m.:  HT/HTL Review Session for Students
5 to 7 p.m.:  Meeting Registration
7 to 9 p.m.:  Vendor Reception in Vendor Area

March 21, 2009 - Saturday

7:00-8:00 a.m.:  Meeting Registration

8:30 a.m. to 12: Workshop #1 - Today's Artifacts - Tomorrow's Facts
8:30 a.m. to 12: Workshop #2 - Expense Analysis and Reduction in the IHC Lab
	(10:00 - 10:30 a.m.:  Break in Vendor Area)

12:00 - 1:00-GSH AWARDS LUNCHEON

1:00 to 4:30 p.m.:  Workshop #3 - Decalcified and Undecalcified Bone:
Histology Techniques
1:00 to 4:30 p.m.:  Workshop #4 - Basic Troubleshooting for Histology
Laboratory Equipment
 	(2:30 - 3:00 p.m.:   Break in Vendor area)

4:30 p.m.:  GSH General Membership Meeting
	(GSH Board Meeting to Follow)

March 22, 2009 - Sunday

7:00-8:00 a.m.:  Meeting Registration

8:30 to 12 a.m.: Workshop #5 - Commitment in the Workplace - What Does it
Mean to the Employee and the Employer
8:30 to 12 a.m.: Workshop #6 - Contemporary Trends in Immunohistochemistry
	(10:00 - 10:30 a.m.:  Break in Vendor Area)

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:  

#1:  Today's Artifacts - Tomorrow's Facts?
Lamar Jones, BS, HT(ASCP) - This workshop will teach the participant to
recognize and identify artifacts from the gross board, fixation, processing,
embedding, microtomy, staining, coverslipping and other areas of
histotechnology. 

#2:  Expense Analysis and Reduction in the IHC Lab
Joe Myers, - This workshop will discuss ways to cut expenses in the
immunohistochemistry laboratory without sacrificing quality.  

#3:  Decalcified and Undecalcified Bone: Histology Techniques
Vickie Kalscheur - The speaker will give an overview of Decalcified and
Undecalcified bone sample preparation for research histology.  Specimen
collection, fixation, decalcification, processing, and more will be covered
using a wide variety of bone samples.  The undecalcified component, again
discusses handling, preparation, and staining of undecalcified Plastic
embedded bone samples.  Special and immunohistochemical staining of bone
specimens will be discussed.  This talk will be casual and informative for
those working in clinical or research settings.  Handouts will be provided.

#4:  Basic Troubleshooting for Histology Laboratory Equipment 
Jason Velasquez, Technical Engineer -This course will provide a basic
preventive maintenance guide that will assist users of histology equipment
in the upkeep and troubleshooting of their instruments.  The type of
cleaning solvents that can and cannot be used will be discussed (along with
some pictures that show what happens when the wrong cleaning supplies are
used) and how and where to clean for best results.  The types of tools that
should be kept in the laboratory's tool chest and how and when to use them
will be demonstrated.  Common types of faults that can be reasonably
repaired by the average Histotech will be discussed and the ways, tools and
thoughts behind the troubleshooting process will be investigated.  Some
symptoms that precede failures will be made known so that the users can
notify their bio-medical technicians or repair group of a pending failure,
before the instrument breaks completely.

#5:  Commitment in the Workplace - What Does it Mean to the Employee and
Employer
Wanda Grace Jones, - Hospitals, Research Labs, and Private Laboratories
still struggle with continuous loss of employees and finding new employees
to fill these positions.  Past research has isolated two variables that
impact employee turnover.  1st variable is employee's identification with
and involvement in an organization (how involved are you).  2nd variable is
the employee's perception of level of commitment an organization has to the
employee.  We will discuss the attitude toward an organization which
attaches the person to an organization, the process by which the goals of
the organization and employee become integrated, building better
communication between employee and employer and cost associated when an
employee decides to leave.

#6:  Contemporary Trends in Immunohistochemistry
Mary Cheles, MPH, HTL, DLM(ASCP) - The analysis of a patient has
historically relied on morphology and the evaluation of individual
antibodies on pathological tissue.  Immunohistochemistry has been in
practice for the past 40 years.  During that time, we have seen an evolution
from individual reagents to optimized systems and from manual staining
practices to fully automated options.  Pathology and laboratory medicine is
changing faster than ever. In the future, personalized medicine will define
the effect of a therapy based on an individual's gene and protein profile.
What does this mean and where does the histology community fit in?  This
workshop will briefly review immunohistochemistry basics, opportunities for
automation, process standardization, antibody validation, regulatory product
labeling and current proficiency testing.


Shirley A. Powell, HT(ASCP)HTL, QIHC
Technical Director Histology 
Curricular Support Laboratory
Mercer University School of Medicine
1550 College Street
Macon, GA  31207
Ph:  478-301-2374
Fx:  478-301-5489