Hi - Peggy Wenk here.

I'm on the ASCP "Laboratory Medicine" Editorial Board, and
have been very interested in the thread on Lab Med. I would
like the Histonetters help, if I could. Please read all the 
way through, if you would, please. Sorry it's so long.

Believe it or not, last Friday Sumiko Sumida (NSH President)
and I were discussing the perception that ASCP "Laboratory Medicine" 
does not have any articles for histotechs.

I commented on the fact that med techs say the same thing.

I think part of the reason is - every lab is very different
and very self-contained. By that I mean, the tech working
in histology wants only histology articles, not med tech. The
med tech working in microbiology wants only micro, not
blood bank or chemistry. Histotechs doing routine histology
do not want immuno. Supervisors need managerial articles
that bench techs don't want. Program Directors of schools
need information that concerns schools and teaching. Hard 
Tissue techs need specific articles, as do those histotechs
working on animal tissues. Molecular pathology articles
are either right up your alley or out of the ballpark.

ASCP is trying to cover ALL labs areas throughout the year. 
So any one journal may not have articles pertaining to
someone's specific needs, but there should be some
articles throughout the year for each tech.

So over the week-end, I compiled a list of articles from
1998 and 1999 that pertain (I felt) to histotechs - at
some level and job. I was going to type this up and have
it available at the ASCP booth at the NSH S/C.

But, now that this topic has come up on Histonet, I think 
I'll print it now, at the end of this "dissertation." 

Please let me know what type(s) of article(s) YOU 
would like to see printed in 1999, 2000 and beyond
- what type of information YOU need to know about 
- what topics are needed in YOUR institution
- what questions you think need answering

As Rande and Freida said in others postings, histotechs
don't seem to like to write (I'm writing my first
Lab Med. article, and I've been a histotech for 19 years
and on the Editorial Committee for 1 1/2 years.) But,
I'm finding out, if asked, histotechs quite often will
be glad to write something. (ASCP just asked me, and
I said yes. But I never thought of volunteering. Duh.)

So please, suggest a needed article and topic. Suggest
who you would like to see write it. If you want to 
volunteer - you're it. If you can't think of someone,
that's OK, that's part of my job and ASCP's job to
find someone who will write the article. But we need
to know what YOU, in the very varied histotech
community, need.

If you would, please send the suggestions directly to
me, rather than Histonet, so it doesn't become
overwhelmed with all of your suggestions (I'm being
optimistic that there will be LOTS of suggestions 
from this vocal/opinionated/energetic group.)

I'm leaving in 2 weeks to go to the Lab Medicine
Editorial Committee meeting, so this is happening
at a GREAT time. If some of the suggested topics 
seem a little too technical/procedural/specific , 
I'll pass them along to Jules Elias as ideas for 
 the NSH "Journal of Histotechnology," if that is OK.

ARTICLES FOR VARIOUS HISTOTECHS:

1998:

Jan	- Americans with Disability Act
	- Minimizing the Toxic Effects of Formaldehyde

Feb	- Urate Crystals in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin Processed Tissue
	- The Laboratory's Role in Assessing Patient Outcome

Mar	- Building a New Employee Loyalty in the Clinical Lab
	- Developing Web-Based Instruction in the Clinical Lab

Apr	- Bridging Communication Gaps
	- Book Review: Color Atlas of Basic Histopathology

May	- Latex Allergy
	- Laboratory's Role in Reducing Hazardous Waste 
		(histology & IM lab)

June	- Q&A: Disposal of silver, osmium tetroxide, DAB
	- Effects of Reducing Staff in the Laboratory on Task
	Response, Job Satisfaction and Wages
	- Role of Recycling and Chemical Substitution in Pollution
	Prevention Program (histology and IM lab)

July 	- Forensic Anthropology: What Bones Can Tell Us

Aug	- ASCP Board of Registry Statistics
	- Guide to Automating the Histology Laboratory
	- Book Review: Histotechnology - A Self-Instructional Text

Sept	- Review of Tests for the Diagnosis of 
	Helicobacter pylori infection

Oct	- 1997 Annual Survey of Medical Laboratory Science Programs
	- Going the Extra Mile: Recognizing America's Volunteers

Nov	- News of HER2 tests approved by FDA
	- Book Review: Troubleshooting Histology Stains

Dec	- Impact of Managed Care on Laboratory Economics


1999

Jan	- Profiles: Janet Maass, MT, CT(ASCP)HTL - Animal Histology

Mar	- 1998 Wage and Vacancy Survey

Apr	- Q&A: Shelf Life of Histology Chemicals
	- Why, Oh Y2K?

May	- Prions - CE Update
	- Q&A: How Histotechs Can Protect Themselves from CJD


So, what are the hot topics out there that histotechs need right now? 
What is being overlooked? Where can we help?

Please let me know.

_______________

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073
home email   Lpwenk@netquest.com