Industry News

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (ET)

Description: Sometimes patient samples may present confusing, complex and conflicting serologic outcomes. In other patients with straight-forward appearing serology, there may be information that would drive the experienced clinician and/or technologist to question the serology results. In both of these cases, the clinical and serologic history, current therapies and additional serologic investigation will help the clinician make the right choices for the treatment and management of the patient. This presentation will include case studies illustrating the problem solving process.

Speakers:
• Lynne Uhl, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Teresa Harris, MT(ASCP)SBB; CQA, CQIA (ASQ), American Red Cross

Wednesday, March 03, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: This program will provide an introduction to the Donor Hemovigilance website and a demonstration of data entry and report generation in the Donor Hemovigilance System. The speaker will also discuss benefits of participation and use of the system. Ample time for questions will be available. One free registration per site is offered for this program

Moderator
• Barbee Whitaker, PhD, AABB

Speakers:
• Mary Townsend, MD, Coffee Memorial Blood Center

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: This audio conference will give an overview of how a regional blood center (effectively communicates) handles three of the largest segments of the operation (staffing, donors, and hospital customers) in a business area that covers approximately 660 square miles, with multiple draw sites and customers as far as 300 miles away.

Speakers:
• Mary Meeker
• William B. Henry, MBA

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: Payment for blood and related services is subject to a complex array of difficult to understand coding and billing policies. In this program, new coding and billing rules for blood products and related services -- including the latest Medicare policies -- will be explained. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about transfusion medicine billing issues.

Speakers:
• Suzanne Butch, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQA(ASQ), University of Michigan Hospitals

Moderator
• Theresa Wiegmann, JD, AABB

Tuesday, June 08, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: Managing people is not an intuitive skill for a career scientist. We are educated in a craft that is distinctly right or wrong, black or white, and we are meticulously trained to eliminate the grey world between. When thrown into a management role which is inherently murky, we may lack the tools needed to succeed. Join us for a session focusing on tools and techniques that will make your management job easier, improve your team's success, and expand the quality of your patient care delivery. In this session we will explore how to hire the best candidates and train them for optimal success. You will also learn some easy tools to help you better manage your recruiting and retention process.

Speakers:
• Jackie Lohdefinck, BS, SPHR
• Von Madsen, MHRM, SPHR

Moderator
• Theresa Wiegmann, JD, AABB

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: This session will provide a review of current methods of umbilical cord blood collection and describe the risks and benefits of each method. In addition, the discussion will outline regulatory requirements for collection and methods of training for cord blood collectors.

Speakers:
• Kathy Mueckl
• Mary Beth Fisk, MT, CTBS, CQA, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center
• Rodica Ciubotariu

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: HPC, Apheresis products are the primary source of grafts in autologous and allogeneic adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The quality of the product has impact not only on engraftment but also on the long term outcomes of the patients. This program will focus on different parameters which affect the quality of the products as well as the ways to improve it. In addition, donor characteristics both in autologous and allogeneic setting and their effect on the collection will be reviewed.

Speakers:
• Jeffrey Winters, MD, Mayo Clinic-Rochester
• Michael L. Linenberger, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
• Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

Description: Supervisors have a challenging enough task to engage and retain a workforce without having to deal with the consequences that may result from personnel issues related to employment laws. To avoid problems of this nature, supervisors need a basic understanding of significant employment laws such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and, for federal contractors, the Affirmative Action obligations under Executive Order 11246. This program will familiarize supervisors with the basic information about each law and suggest when it is appropriate to consult with one's Human Resource department. Secondly, the program will briefly review what supervisors should know about labor unions and what they can or cannot do in a unionizing effort. Finally, participants will learn how to document employee performance in a manner that effectively prevents employment claims and makes such claims easier to defend.

Speakers:
• Michael Muskat, Partner with Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP

Moderator
• Laurie McGraw, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CPLP, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center