SUMMER EDITION ASCLS-IL AUGUST 2017 Insights

SUMMER EDITION AUGUST 2017

From ASCLS-IL!

Inside this issue: PRESIDENT’S 1-2 LETTER ASCLS VOICES 3 UNDER 40 SAVE THE DATE 4 2017 5-10 GRADUATES ZIKA VIRUS 11-12 ARTICLE STUDENT 13-14 FORUM ARTICLE 2017 ASCLS 15-20 ANNUAL MEETING INFO FOR 21 PUBLICATION

ASCLS-IL

Insights LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Nicholas M. Moore, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM

Greetings, ASCLS-Illinois! I am very happy to start my term as

President of ASCLS-IL with this message to you. I’m just settling back into

work after another successful annual meeting in San Diego. The annual

meeting offers amazing opportunities for networking with

colleagues, earning CE credits by attending scientific sessions by

leaders in the field of laboratory medicine, as well as opportunities to

see the latest technology at the annual laboratory expo, sponsored by

AACC. Next year the ASCLS annual meeting will be held at the Swissotel and McCormick

Place in Chicago from July 30 to August 2. This will be an amazing

opportunity to experience a national meeting if you haven’t been to one

before, and it is in our state!

I’d like to take a moment to give you some

perspective on the status of our state society and on

ASCLS, overall. Overall, in spite of gains during the last year, our

membership is currently down but this is expected as the membership term

just expired on July 31 and renewals are slowly starting to trickle in. If

you haven’t yet renewed, I encourage you to do so. ASCLS is a grassroots

driven organization, and membership dues are what sustain the

organization and help to provide all of the benefits that come with

membership. It’s also important that we talk to the other laboratory

professionals in our organizations and tell them all about the benefits of ASCLS, and

encourage them to join. The vision of ASCLS is to be recognized as the

leader of the laboratory community, representing the voice of all laboratory

professionals that are advancing the field to achieve safe, effective,

equitable, and patient-centered healthcare. Never can I recall such

uncertainty and political turmoil in our federal

government. Numerous physician, nursing and other healthcare

professional societies have voiced their opposition to the current

administration’s suggestion of repealing the Affordable Care Act

with no alternative for replacement. Elimination would drastically affect

the lives of millions of Americans. Regardless of political affiliation, I think everyone can agree that

eliminating legislation that has led to more people having insurance is

not the right decision.

I am also thrilled to have

so many wonderful and

talented members

volunteering their time in

various roles within the

PAGE 2 SUMMER 2017

PRESIDENT’S LETTER, CONT.

state society, whether it’s chairing a committee, serving as an elected member of the Board of Directors, or simply being a volunteer. Each of these individuals volunteer their time, effort, and energy into ASCLS-IL.

To that end, I’d like to take a moment to recognize some of our members who received awards at the national meeting. Congratulations to Reilly Steidle, who was nominated for the ASCLS Student Forum Award! Reilly, who just graduated from NIU in May, was most recently the chair of the ASCLS-IL Student Forum,

and has been very active within our society and ASCLS Region VI. We’re thrilled she’s part of ASCLS-IL! Additionally, the ASCLS-IL Insights, received third-place for overall best web-based publication award. Each edition of the newsletter is put together by two outstanding members: Masih Shokrani and Michelle Campbell.

ASCLS-IL was well represented at the ASCLS annual meeting in San Diego, with 6 delegates attending the House of Delegates on Thursday, August 3rd , who received the Omicron Sigma award for their involvement at the state, regional, or national level.

It’s important, however, that we recruit new members as well as retain our members to continue to serve in

these roles. I would like to give special thanks to Kate Bernhardt for stepping into the role of the Annual Meeting Chair. Kate is working hard with her entire committee to plan a fantastic spring meeting that will be held April 18-20, 2018 at the NIU Conference Center in Naperville, IL. Please look for more information in

the coming months.

As President of ASCLS-IL for 2017-2018, I am extremely humbled and honored to serve this organization and represent its members. Thank you!

ASCLS-IL Board of Directors Officers President: Nick Moore President-Elect: Demetra“Toula” Castillo Past- President: Masih Shokrani Executive Secretary: Gilma Roncancio-Weemer Recording Secretary (2016-2018): Kate Bernhardt Treasurer : Amy Liu Board Member (2015-2017): Rebecca Gayeski Board Member (2017-2019): Alexandra Vardouniotis

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ASCLS VOICES UNDER 40

Sheila Gibbons, Past President of ASCLS-IL, was recently honored as one of the inaugural recipients of the ASCLS Voices Under 40. This newest recognition program was developed by ASCLS to honor members who have shown exceptional commitment to ASCLS, the laboratory profession, and their community at a young age in their professional career. Eight recipients were selected based on their contributions to the profession as well two professional references. Masih Shokrani, ASCLS-IL President 2016-2017, and Jeanne Isabel, long time and invaluable member of ASCLS-IL, supported Sheila's nomination (Jeanne is also a Past President of ASCLS-IL). Recipients were notified in early June, and received the award at the 85th ASCLS Annual Meeting in San Diego California. Outgoing ASCLS-IL President, Masih Shokrani accepted the award on Sheila’s behalf. Sheila is honored to have received this award and wants to thank her ASCLS family for their continued encouragement and support.

In lieu of Sheila Gibbons, Masih Shokrani (outgoing ASCLS-IL President) accepted the recognition plaque for ASCLS Voices Under 40. This was presented at the Awards Ceremony on August 3, 2017 in San Diego, CA

SAVE THE DATE: 2018 ASCLS-IL ANNUAL MEETING

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2017 GRADUATES: WELCOME TO THE PROFESSION FROM ASCLS-IL!

KANKAKEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

From left-to-right: Abdelkrim Boukhari, Kyle Merry, Junior Kitoko, Linda Stec, Des’Chatelets Hall, Laura Cervantes-Horta, and Sophia Lamie

ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

From left-to-right: Taylor Wagner, Helena O’Callahan, Musawir Yousufzai, Kelly Gunnett, and Amanda Nolan

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2017 GRADUATES: WELCOME TO THE PROFESSION FROM ASCLS-IL! CONT.

From left-to-right: Amanda Flood, Benedicta Fiaty, Tyler Evans, Cathy Yavorsky, JD Furr, and Sam Trettenero

SAINT JOHN’S HOSPITAL:

From left-to-right: Monika Las, Sarah Warren, Alejandra Estrada, Sally Romanek, Sara Bahnsen, and Frank Landowski

VA HINES HOSPITAL:

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From left-to-right: Elizabeth Leden, Hannah Smith, Kaleigh Lacas, Samantha Koziol, Kara Powers, and Leah Roth


OSF SAINT FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER :

NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTME:

Back Row, left-to-right: Mitchell Liss, Nicholas Chase, Emillie Casalegno, Michelle Crisp, Tierra Bluitt, Eric Krysinski Front Row, left-to-right: Joshua Landauer, Farrah Bilimoria, Carolyn Wiest, Joyce Chen, Shante’ Kee

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RUSH UNIVERSITY:

Back row from left- to-right: Ermias Weldeyohannes, Peter Nielsen, Ariel Maskas, Rachael Brinegar, Jonathan French, Sally Whitaker, Naomi Iwai, Jamila McClinton, Tedie Cullen-Wagner, Mari Miller, Abriel Miller, Aisha Sheikh, Gisele Molina Front row from left- to- right: Colin Fisher, Samantha Eugenio, Abraham Sosa Armenta, Will Rotunno, Cruz Ramnarine, Brian Siapno, Zaid Al Jassany, Tifani Anton, Alyssa Ehrich, Malak Mahmoud, Sumayya Khatoon Not pictured: Jessica Bethke, Sarah Gliwa, Tyler Kloweit, Lauren Durovey, Veronica Mahmoud, Kathleen

Mekarski, Aseel Raoof

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PAGE 9

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY:

Front Row,left-to-right: Doni Lemm, Mohanned Mahdi, Antoinette Manishimwe Second Row, left-to-right: Candi Dunlap, Allyssa Vega, Nicole Dispensa, Julia Bush, Brad Hochstetler, Greg Urquizo, Stephanie Disch, Al-hadi Naser Guma, Izabel Zwolen, Brooke Wood, Krista Moreau Third Row, left-to-right: Ghadir AlSuaileek, Sami Knittle, Sarah Chritz, Aleksandra Rabkowska, Reilly Steidle, Katie Kylyushyk, Alexandra Brady, Indigo Bruno, Lacoda Hanus, Kelly Scott, Nabiha Khan

BLESSING HOSPITAL (no picture available):

Emily Ehrhardt, Lydia Bourgeois, and Candace Huckstep

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY (no picture available):

Randa Al-Talla Kelsey Geary Nichole Oprzedek Tami Vocke Erika Bergmann Eddie Gordon Stasha Patterson Chiko Zintambila Nicholas Bila Jamie Goudy Pat Queen Briana Bowler Dahir Guled Andrew Quinzio Paul Burke Kelly Hall Michael Raya Amy Christensen Spencer Lacson Emma Rust Erin DeRango Caitlin Mc Comas Meghan Tschuemperlin Danielle Earls Katie McPherson Kelly Udarbe

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ELEVATED LEARNING CURVE OF ZIKA VIRUS PROMPTS TESTING UPDATE

By: Eleanor Wolfram, M.S., C.P.H

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus which is transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (1). These vectors also transmit dengue and chikungunya virus and are found throughout much of the Americas, including parts of the United States. An estimated 80% of persons infected with Zika virus are asymptomatic (2). Symptomatic disease is generally mild and characterized by acute onset of fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, or nonpurulent conjunctivitis. Symptoms usually last from several days to 1 week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, and fatalities are rare. Guillain-Barré syndrome has been reported in patients following suspected Zika virus infection (3). Pregnant women can be infected with Zika virus in any trimester. Illinois Zika Case Statistics Compared with Nation According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), child bearing age women who live in a Midwestern state, such as Illinois, are considered to be at low risk for contracting the Zika virus. This could be due to the fact that Zika virus cases uncovered in Illinois thus far are international travel associated (4). In August 2016, IDPH reported 119 cases of Zika virus disease statewide (4) as compared with the national 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 5,102 rate of disease cases (5). According on an article by the Chicago Tribune, “Illinois public health, medical and mosquito control officials say they are closely following the latest developments and spreading information. While they say the chance of contracting Zika virus in Illinois is minimal, they acknowledge that low risk doesn't mean zero risk.” (6). Initial U.S. Guidelines for Zika Virus On January 19, 2016, the CDC posted guidelines online as a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) titled: Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak — United States, 2016. These guidelines included recommendations for pregnant women considering travel to an area with Zika virus transmission and recommendations for screening, testing, and management of pregnant returning travelers (7).

Increase Knowledge Leads to Updated U.S. Guidelines Just recently on July 28, 2017, the CDC updated the agency's recommendations on testing for Zika virus infection in asymptomatic pregnant women who live in or often travel to areas impacted by Zika. The CDC update is titled: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women with Possible Zika Virus Exposure — United States (Including U.S. Territories, 2017. The revisions are the result of increasing global knowledge about the Zika virus. The CDC guidelines, issued as a Health Alert Notice on May 5, 2017, provides new information on how laboratory and other health practitioners should interpret test results (8). Current CDC guidelines call for all pregnant women to be evaluated for risk of Zika exposure and signs and symptoms of Zika. Asymptomatic pregnant women at risk of Zika are recommended to have a blood test to detect immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies that the body makes initially to fight Zika infections (8). However, recent data indicate that Zika IgM antibodies may be detected in blood for months after the initial infection in some people. That means that healthcare practitioners may not be able to tell whether an asymptomatic pregnant woman who tests positive contracted the infection before or after becoming pregnant. Knowing when the virus was contracted is important because becoming infected while pregnant can result in birth defects for the baby, including a smaller than normal head (microcephaly) and developmental delays (8).

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The updated CDC guidelines recommend that in addition to the test for IgM antibody, a Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) that detects Zika virus RNA should be done at least once each trimester. The NAT test should be done on blood or urine and may provide a more definitive diagnosis of a current Zika infection, according to the CDC. However, having a negative test does not rule out the possibility of an infection since the amount of virus drops over time (8). Zika NAT testing may be performed on amniotic fluid if an amniocentesis is done for any reason (e.g., prenatal genetic testing). Other Laboratory Testing Considerations All women planning a pregnancy are at risk for the Zika virus and therefore should consider getting an IgM antibody test done prior to pregnancy to possibly detect a pre-pregnancy exposure to Zika. While the result cannot determine whether it is safe to become pregnant, it can help determine whether a woman gets infected during her pregnancy (i.e., a negative result pre-pregnancy and then a positive test after becoming pregnant) (9). A positive result pre-pregnancy may mean that a woman has a recent Zika infection, a past Zika infection, or an infection with a similar type of virus. Pregnant women who are tested should receive information from their healthcare practitioners about the limitations of testing along with their results.

While there is yet no vaccine to prevent Zika, there are steps which should be offered to individuals for avoiding mosquito bites and exposure to Zika. To see more on prevention steps please visit the CDC web page on Zika Virus Prevention (10). References (1) CDC. Zika virus. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016. www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html. Date accessed the website July 15, 2017. (2) CDC. CDC health advisory: recognizing, managing, and reporting Zika virus infections in travelers returning from Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Mexico. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016. www.emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00385.asp. Date accessed the website July 15, 2017. (3) Oehler E, Watrin L, Larre P, et al. Zika virus infection complicated by Guillain-Barre syndrome—case report, French Polynesia, December 2013. Europe Surveillance 2014;19:4–6. Cross Reference Public Medicine (4) IDPH Zika Virus in Illinois. www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/zika/introduction Date accessed the website July 19, 2017. (5) CDC 2016 Case Counts in the US. www.cdc.gov/zika/reporting/2016-case-counts. Date accessed the website July 12, 2017. (6) Rhodes, Dawn. Illinois at low risk for Zika virus transmission; experts advise vigilance. Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-zika-virus-illinois-met-20160215-story. Date accessed the website August 1, 2017. (7) CDC MMWR Release January 19, 2016. Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak — United States, 2016. Weekly / January 22, 2016 / 65(2);30–33 (8) CDC MMWR Release July 28, 2017. Update: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women with Possible Zika Virus Exposure — United States, 2017.Weekly / July 28, 2017 / 66(29);781-793 (9) CDC Guidance for U.S. Laboratories Testing for Zika Virus Infection. www.cdc.gov/zika/laboratories/lab-guidance Updated June 12, 2017. Date accessed the website August 2, 2017. (10) CDC Zika Virus Prevention www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/index. Date accessed the website August 2, 2017.

Eleanor Wolfram, is certified in quality auditing and public health.

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ELEVATED LEARNING CURVE OF ZIKA VIRUS PROMPTS TESTING UPDATE, CONT.

https://labtestsonline.org/glossary/rna/

https://labtestsonline.org/glossary/vaccine/

STUDENT FORUM: 2017 ASCLS NATIONAL MEETING REPORT

By: Reilly Steidle, Outgoing ASCLS-IL Student Forum Chair

SUMMER 2017 PAGE 13

This year, I had the pleasure of attending the ASCLS National Meeting in San Diego as a Student

Delegate for the State of Illinois. I was eligible to be a Delegate because of my role as outgoing Student Forum

(SF) Chair for IL. I was accompanied by Shannon Healy, Masih Shokrani, Nick Moore, Toula Castillo, and

Lisa Bakken, who were also IL Delegates. By attending the conference with this designation, we were able to

vote in elections that were not open to all members of ASCLS. I voted in the National SF Election, because I

was the state’s Student Representative. All of the candidates were uncontested for the student elections, but I

believe that the chosen candidates will do a great job of fulfilling their National SF duties. I was surprised to

learn how early in their college career other students became involved with ASCLS. Several students had held

a SF chair position before their senior year. This made them a more desirable leader at the national level,

because they had experience on a local scale.

The first day of the conference, I attended the National Patient Safety Committee meeting. This past

year, I was a member of the Patient Safety Committee and had never met the other members in person. It was

exciting to put a face with the names of everyone from our conference calls. I’m very proud of the work we

accomplished and it was gratifying to know that we made a tangible effort to improve how others interpret

laboratory testing and protocol. I was the youngest and least experienced MLS at the meeting, but everyone

made me feel comfortable and welcomed my contributions as if I were a seasoned tech. By meeting the other

committee members, I gained more respect for who they are as individuals and the contributions they have

made to our field. Cathy Otto, in particular, is a wealth of knowledge. In 2016, she was the Chair of the Patient

Safety Committee and has delivered over 50 presentations on patient safety and quality improvement at state,

regional and national meetings. Before the conference, she mentored me through my first blog publication for

Lab Testing Matters. During the meeting, she continued to educate me about the importance of patient safety

in the laboratory.

The second day of the conference was packed with student activities. I started my day off by attending

the Student and Newcomer Breakfast. Omni Hotel provided a nice spread and held the event on their rooftop

patio that overlooked San Diego. This breakfast was a good opportunity to socialize. Shannon and I sat with

two veteran MLS from a Southern Region. It was nice to talk to them about the organizations that they work

for and what roles they have fulfilled during their career. After breakfast, I attended a session about how to

successfully obtain grants and scholarships. The take away that I got from it was, to always stick to the prompt

and don’t focus on why you need the scholarship money. The scholarship committees would rather read about

what you will do, or have done, for Medical Laboratory Science or the organization that is providing the

funding. The next session I attended was the Region VI Caucus. It was good to see some familiar faces and

connect with other members across the region. In that session, I was introduced to the newly proposed

membership categories for ASCLS. There was a lot of discussion at this meeting concerning the naming and

designation criteria for the categories. Many of the members felt extremely passionate about what they had to

say and it was a preview for what they were going to present to the board members at the House of Delegates

meeting. I was able to speak up for SF at the regional level and suggested that we rewrite the SOP for

designating regional SF leaders. The way that the document is currently written rotates the position between

SF chairs for each state, depending on what year it is. I proposed that the position be open to any SF Chair in

the region. I’m advocating for this because in the past the position has been left open and students from other

states would like to fulfill it, even if it isn’t their designated year.

SUMMER 2017 PAGE 14

One of the last educational sessions I attended on the second day was the New Professionals and New Members Forum (NPNMF) Orientation. This session is open to people that have joined the field and/or ASCLS in the past 5 years. I went to this session to better understand what my role in ASCLS will be now that I have graduated as a MLS. In general, there are many opportunities to get involved in the NPNMF. At the national level, leadership is a very structured 3 year term. There is a mentoring process that you will participate in as both a mentor and mentee. It seemed like a good way to get involved with other people in MLS and many of us had things in common. I enjoyed talking to the new professionals about their careers and involvement in ASCLS. Later that day, I participated in the Student and NPNMF Jeopardy. I was on a team with several other Regions and we answered old Student Bowl questions. Our team gave some great answers and we ended up winning. Later that night, I attended the NPNMF Social at a local establishment and had fun socializing with other members.

On the final day of the meeting, I attended the award ceremony in the morning. Many people from our region received national awards and one NIU student was awarded a scholarship. Our newsletter, ASCLS-IL Insights, also earned an award. After the ceremony, I went to the exhibition. It was intriguing to see so many analyzers and professionals in one building. One of my favorite analyzers to learn about was the Biofire. It saves days of microbiology work up and ultimately gets patients treated much sooner, because the analyzer can identify bacteria directly from the sample. The last event I attended was the House of Delegates. It was very formal, but a safe space for all delegates to express their opinion. One agenda topic, that was the focus of most of the meeting, was discussing new membership categories. I had previously heard about this topic at the Region VI Caucus and was interested to hear everyone’s opinion. Delegates from other states had the same concerns that our region discussed and there was discussion on every purposed category. One of the most highly contested categories was the one for members that had belonged to ASCLS for over 25 years. Shannon Healy contributed her thoughts on student membership criteria and gave a voice to students that are not going to school full-time or on a more traditional path. I appreciated being able to observe and learn from my peers while representing the MLS community in our state.

Overall, the meeting was a great learning experience and I would encourage everyone to attend one. Especially the 2018 Annual meeting, because it is in Chicago! Getting involved at the national level allows you to gain perspective on other healthcare systems and MLS from across the United States. Also, it is an opportunity to learn about career opportunities that you may not have known you have access to. I’m glad that I got to be a delegate this year and experience my first National Meeting in such a beautiful place. Our organization has a strong sense of community and it was refreshing to be in a room full of people that are driven by, and attracted to the same things I am.

STUDENT FORUM : 2017 ASCLS NATIONAL MEETING REPORT,CONT.

Congratulations to the Keys to the Future Award winners, William “Bill” Wilson, Douglas Mueller,

whose names were displayed at the National Meeting!!!

Congratulations to Sheila Gibbons, 2015-2016 ASCLS-IL President, for receiving 2017 ASCLS Voices

Under 40 recognition.

Congratulations to Masih Shokrani, and Michelle Campbell for receiving Publication Award (web-based),

Third Place (ASCLS-IL Newsletter, ASCLS-Insights)

Congratulations to Michelle Campbell for receiving ASCLS E&R Graduate Scholarship, Nicole Dispenda for

ASCLS E&R Dan Southern Scholarship, and Masih Shokrani and Michelle Campbell for CLS Distinguished

Author Award.

Kate Bernhardt, Demetra “Toula” Castillo, and Masih Shokrani,

each had posters’ presentations in San Diego. Outgoing ASCLS President: Suzanne Campbell

Incoming ASCLS President: Deb Rodahl

ASCLS-IL is a member of ASCLS Region VI: Kim Von Ahsen (Iowa) is Region VI Director Demetra (Toula) Castillo is Region VI Secretary Lisa Bakken is Region VI Treasurer Lindsey Davenport- Landry from ASCLS-Iowa was the

recipient of the Rho Sigma Award for the involvement

and leadership that she has brought to ASCLS and Region VI.

The ASCLS Annual Meeting will be held next year in Chicago, IL (July 30-August 2, 2018)

SUMMER 2017 PAGE 15

HIGHLIGHTS OF ASCLS 2017ANNUAL MEETING IN SAN DIEGO, CA

Prepared By: Masih Shokrani, Outgoing ASCLS-IL President

San Diego Convention Center was one of the two venues, along Omni Hotel San Diego, for the 2017 ASCLS Annual Meeting (for scientific sessions, poster presentations and Clinical Lab Expo)

ASCLS- IL Newsletter, Illinois Insights, received the Third Place Award, Newsletter Web Version, in the 2017 Awards Ceremony held in San Diego, California. ASCLS President presented a plaque for this award to me. Copy Editor, Michelle Campbell, and I would like to extend our appreciation to all the readers of the Newsletter and especially to those who have contributed to the Newsletter with their articles, and other informative materials. This award belongs to all. Sincerely, Masih Shokrani Editor-in-Chief

Award for ASCLS-IL Insights A Note From the Editor

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2017 ASCLS ANNUAL MEETING (IN PICTURES),CONT.

Mary Ann McClane was the recipient of 2017 Life-Time Achievement Award for her many years of service to the ASCLS.

Reilly Steidle, outgoing ASCLS-IL Student Forum Chair (2nd from right), was nominated for the Student Forum Award, and received a “Certificate of Recognition” in the Award Ceremony on August 3rd.

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The Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) was held this year in San Diego, CA from July 31-August 3. The meeting included various Educational Scientific Sessions, Committee Meetings, Clinical Lab Expo, Poster Presentations, Awards Ceremony & much more!

Nick Moore, as the host city liaison, gave a presentation (Chicago, IL will be the site of 2018 ASCLS Annual Meeting)

ASCLS Board of Directors in the House of Delegates on August 3,2017

Region VI group picture in San Diego

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Region VI Events: ASCLS-IL is a member of ASCLS Region VI

Lindsey Davenport- Landry (left) from was the recipient of 2017 ASCLS Region VI Rho Sigma award. Kim Von Ahsen (right), Region VI Director, presented the award to Lindsey.

Suzanne Campbell (right), outgoing ASCLS President, and previous Region VI director, received a special recognition from Kansas Society and Regions VI for her many years of service. Kim Von Ahsen (left), Region VI Director, presented the recognition to Suzanne.

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As part of Region VI, ASCLS-IL Delegates Attended ASCLS House Of Delegates In The Annual Meeting in San Diego on August 3rd

Front row, from left-to-right: Shannon Healy, Reilly Steidle, Nick Moore, Toula Castillo, Lisa Bakken,

and Masih Shokrani

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY–

SCIENCE - ILLINOIS

ASCLS-IL is an affiliate society of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) and one of five states in ASCLS Region VI, which also includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. ASCLS serves as the voice of all clinical laboratory professionals, creating a vision for the advancement of the clinical laboratory practice field, and advocating the value and the role of the profession ensuring safe, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient centered health care.

Promoting the value of the profession to healthcare and the public

Uniting the profession to speak with one voice

Advocating on behalf of the profession

Promoting professional independence

Enhancing quality standards and patient safety

Ensuring workplace safety

Providing professional development opportunities

Promoting expanded roles and contributions of clinical laboratory professionals to the healthcare team

Increasing the diversity in the profession and expanding the voice and role of under-represented individuals and groups

Do you have examples/ideas of ways to promote the profession of Medical Laboratory Scientist? Ideas to increase ASCLS-IL membership? Are you interested in becoming more involved in ASCLS-IL? Are you an educator? Are you a writer? We are looking help for creating new student bowl questions! Are you a great party planner? We could use your help in planning the 2018 ASCLS-IL Annual Meeting! We are always looking for help and volunteers!

We’re on the web! www.asclsil.org

Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/

ASCLS.IL

We are always interested in articles for the newsletter

For any and all of the above, please feel free to contact the organization at:

[email protected]

ASCLS-IL Insights Editors:

Editor-in-Chief: Masih Shokrani, Ph.D. MT(ASCP) - [email protected]

Copy Editor: Michelle Campbell, MLS(ASCP) - [email protected]

SUMMER 2017 PAGE 21

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SUMMER EDITION ASCLS-IL AUGUST 2017 Insights