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 BCSLS Newsletter                                       Winter 2010 - Issue 23

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In This Issue
Goodbye Lynn...
Silver Award goes to...
Congress 2011
2011 BCSLS Board of Directors
Phil Reid Bursary
BCIT Award to Heng Chen
2011 Calendar of Events
TeleHealth
Employee Safety Seminar
The Real CSI
MLA Education Days
MLT Mentoring
Club BCSLS
Write for the OBJECTIVE
Winner of the "Leadership from Within" Telehealth Contest
Congratulations Penticton !!

 Minnie Downie, who spoke about 'Leadership from Within' during the October Telehealth did not accept her Telehealth honorarium and, instead, wanted to donate it to one of the participating Telehealth sites.    Minnie would love to see the winner re-invest the money into themselves and the people around them, to reflect what her presentation was all about. 

Greetings!

Happy Holidays  

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the BCSLS we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the very best for a prosperous and fulfilling New Year in 2011.

 

We hope to see many of you at our 2011 special events: Congress, Telehealth, MLA Days, Employee Safety Workshop, the Real CSI and more. Let's make it an exciting year for Med Lab Science in BC.

Congress 2010 a big success!

The 2010 BCSLS Congress, in beautiful Sidney by the Sea, was a huge success and according to many of the delegates and exhibitors it was one of the best Congresses ever. 225 delegates attended the three day event and they were joined by 90 exhibitors in a sold out trade show.

The Congress got off to a roaring start with television personality and columnist, Dr. Art Hister, talking to delegates about "Taking Control of Your Life: How to Livea Longer, Healthier, and Happier Life." Dr. Hister's unique and entertaining presentation style certainly got everyone in the mood for a productive Congress. He was followed by 60 speakers over the next three days that covered all five disciplines of Med Lab Science. The Congress came to a close with Dr. Jack Taunton telling us all what really went on behind the scenes at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The Trade Show featured 45 booths displaying the latest in equipment, technology and supplies and for the first time we had four huge outdoor exhibits featuring mobile displays from Beckman Coulter, BioMerieux Canada, Siemens and Sysmex.

The Annual General Meeting of the BCSLS took place on the Friday morning [Oct. 1] with a record number of attendees. The minutes of the AGM are now available on the BCSLS website at www.bcsls.net

The BCSLS wishes to extend a big thank you to the Congress 2010 local organizing committee who spent two years of their lives putting Congress 2010 together. They include Val Wood, Richard Thomas, Mandy DeFields, Diana Nagy, Kathy Sawyer, Sian Nuttall, Carole Pellow, Debi Glover, Wendy McKay, Laura Anderson, Jennifer Annand, Brad Palin, and Rene Maier. Well done!


Lynn Simpson leaves the Board after 9 years of commitment.

BCSLS Past President, Lynn Simpson of GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel, is leaving the Board of Directors after 9 long years of hard work, commitment and contribution to the profession of Med Lab Technology.

Lynn has served the last 5 five years in the Presidential Chain which is supposed to be 3 years in length. Due to the lack of a V.P. willing to commit to the Chain three years ago, Lynn had to serve an extra year as President then an extra year as Past President which she did willingly. She now gets a well deserved rest.

According to Angie Bender, BCSLS Executive Assistant,"Lynn's years of support and work with the BCSLS is integral to its success. We thank Lynn for her commitment. Her presence, energy, smile, and words of wisdom, will be missed."

Malcolm Ashford, BCSLS Executive Director agreed "Lynn was the President when I was hired four years ago. I have never worked with a more caring, empathetic, and understanding President. No matter what we have done at the BCSLS over the years, Lynn always wanted to be sure it was in the best interests of the profession and her colleagues province wide. She was supportive yet motivational. It is difficult in today's hectic times to find an individual like Lynn who is willing to commit for so long to something she really believes in. I know Lynn will miss the BCSLS Board but believe me, we will miss her more. "

Best wishes Lynn and Thank You!


BCSLS Silver Award to Eleanor McCaughey

Eleanor McCaughey, of Interior Health, was nominated by Pat Johnston for the BCSLS Silver Award at Congress 2010.

In Pat's words, "I would like to nominate Eleanor McCaughey. She is our Quality Coordinator and has worked tirelessly on our Quality System and patient safety. She has developed live meeting training sessions for staff throughout IH and has helped to develop the lab module in the Patient Safety Learning System [PSLS] provincial program. Her brain child of "TEST Tube Tammy" to get the message of 'the sample is the patient' out to lab staff and other departments has been inspirational."

Eleanor was not able to attend Congress this year to receive her award, so the BCSLS arranged to have a certificate presented to her, at her workplace, sometime after the AGM.  She has requested that the donation to a charity of her choice [part of the award] be to the Canadian Cancer Society, and hoped that the money could be specifically directed to ovarian cancer.  Also, she would like the donation to be made in memory of her sister in law, Wendy Taylor.  The BCSLS was delighted to do that for her. Congratulations Eleanor!

The Silver Award is meant to recognize a significant contribution to BCSLS activities and to the profession of Medical Laboratory Technology over a period of years. The contribution shall exceed those expected through the responsibilities of their position or office and may be at a local level.


BCSLS Congress 2011 to take place in Castlegar

Shelby Giesbrecht, Chair of the Congress 2011 Committee, is inviting all BCSLS members and non-members alike to join their colleagues for Congress 2011 in Castlegar on Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1st, 2011.


The theme for Congress 2011 is "Where Rivers and Knowledge Meet." The committee wants you to have fun, gather knowledge and get to know a little bit about the Kootenays.

Under development for the scientific program:

  • Domino Transplant Program
  • Stealth red cells
  • New age antimicrobials
  • Cocaine
  • Emerging vaccines
  • Patient safety- "Test Tube Tammy"
  • Privacy issues
  • Pre-analytical importance
  • Big C changes - faster, quicker versus longer and more methodical

We start the Congress with Knowledge and end it with fun and comedienne Zandra Bell. 

Social events at Congress will include Yuk Yuk Comedy night at the Friday banquet and a Saturday night wind down at Ainsworth Hot Springs. Relax in the hot mineral springs and enjoy a wonderful dinner overlooking the Kootenay Lake. 

Congress 2011 promises to be an event offering knowledge, networking and lots of laughs.

New MLT Director and V.P elected

Judie McCrindle, Site Supervisor at Ridge Meadows Hospital, was elected as the new MLT Director on the BCSLS Board. The election took place at the Annual General Meeting of the BCSLS held at Congress 2010 in Sidney. Judie takes office as of January 1, 2011.

Most recently Judie served as the Congress Committee Chair for Congress 2009 in Harrison Hot Springs. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the BCSLS Board.

Judie replaces Terry Krushel as the MLT Director on the Board. Terry was elected as the new BCSLS Vice President entering the three-year Presidential Chain of Office. She will become BCSLS President in 2012.


Bernice Melney awarded the Dr. Phil Reid Bursary

Bernice Melney of Delta, BC has been awarded the 2010 Dr. Phil Reid Bursary by the BCSLS Board of Directors.


She applied for the bursary after completing a Laboratory Quality Management Course at UBC.

According to Bernice, "Currently I am employed as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. This course has further developed my ability to provide leadership and resource information for a Laboratory Quality Management System including implementation, monitoring and constantly improving. It has also provided me with knowledge of the current Laboratory International Standards and recommended guidelines of best practice."

The Dr. Phil Bursary Fund was established to assist technologists and assistants financially in pursuing their advanced education in the field of Medical Laboratory Technology. This assistance has also been available to Medical Laboratory Assistants since the Society welcomed MLA members in 1996. More information can be found here

The bursary itself is based on the annual interest earned by the fund. This year Bernice received a cheque for $300 towards the cost of her course. Congratulations Bernice!


BCIT Student receives BCSLS Achievement Award

Heng Chen, a stand-out first year student in the BCIT Medical Laboratory Science program has received the BCSLS Achievement Award. Achievement Awards are presented annually to students who achieved outstanding marks in specific first-year courses or who have demonstrated a combination of high academic standing, leadership, service and /or all round achievement, as selected by the Med Lab faculty. 

The BCSLS Executive Director, Malcolm Ashford, presented Heng with a cheque for $500 at the BCIT Fall Scholarships and Awards Ceremonies on November 17th in Vancouver.


 2011 Calendar of Events:

 TELEHEALTH:
January 20
with Dr. LeGatt
  2 presenations, one night:

-A Cocaine Cutting Agent:  The Potential for Profound Toxicity
-Immunosupressant Drug Level Monitoring - The Practical Side

click here for this poster

February 17
with Sylvie Langois
Prenatal and Newborn Screening
click here for more information


March 
Tentatively...
DAP: Diagnostic Accreditation Program
click here for upcoming information

April 28
with Dr. Jonaki Manna
Body Fluid Morphology
click here for the poster
Employee Safety, is it Intertwined with Patient Safety?  You Decide!

A new workshop is being offered by BCSLS for the first time in the New Year.


Saturday, February 26th from 8:30am till 5pm at the Justice Institute in New Westminster, this new workshop should attract a lot of attention. 

The theme "Employee Safety, is it intertwined with Patient Safety? You Decide!" should be of interest to Lab Technologists and Assistants alike. It is intended to create the link between Employee Health and Safety and Patient Safety. Several knowledgeable speakers will address such topics as hazards in the lab environment, laboratory ergonomics, TDG, sanitization [MRSA/ VRE] and other employee safety issues and then the link with Patient Safety will be explored. A panel discussion will close out the day with panellist from Worksafe BC, VCHA, Providence Health Care, HEABC and the private labs. It should be very interesting day with lots of practical discussion and solutions.


Early Bird Deadline is January 31st

includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

 BCSLS members: $99 + HST

Non-members: $125 + HST

Students: $50 + HST

The Real CSI returns to the Justice Institute

The Real CSI returns to the Justice Institute in New Westminster in the spring of 2011. We are trying to confirm dates in either March or April and an announcement will be sent out in the New Year. Also more information will be forthcoming on the BCSLS website. The format will change somewhat this year as we hope to work with the BCIT Centre for Forensic and Security Technology Studies and some other local forensic experts to put on an intriguing and suspense filled day. Stay tuned for more information in January.

MLA Education Days Across BC
 Several MLA Education Days are being contemplated or planned around the province for 2011


Lower Mainland:  Saturday April 30th 

at Douglas College in New Westminster from 9am till 4:30pm. Topics to include: Proper sanitization [MRSA / VRE], 7 major Symptoms of stress in the workplace, ECG /Cardiac Case studies, traumatized patients/ violence in the workplace & others. Register on the website.


Other locations under consideration include Prince George, Kamloops and Victoria. More information will be forthcoming on the BCSLS website at www.bcsls.net 

 

Are you interested in helping BCSLS put on an MLA Education Day in your area or region?
BCSLS will support you and your local committee, by taking care of all of the registration, accounting, promotion (website, emailing) and printing.  For more information,
check out the website or contact the office.

MLT Mentoring Program  

Make a difference in your profession for only a few hours a year.  Consider being a Mentor to help foreign-trained professional immigrants in the same field understand the local market of their original profession and develop their local professional network.

The time required from the Mentor (8-16 hours per year) will be making a profound difference in the life of a newcomer to this country.  For more information click here.


Club BCSLS

 

Enjoy the benefits of membership, with CLUB BCSLS

This program is designed to provide you with valuable insider

discounts on the products and services you want and need. Offers can be

redeemed in a variety of ways - online, in-store and by phone.

 

For more information on these special offers for BCSLS members please visit

www.bcsls.intrd.com or go to the Club BCSLS page on our website.

Write for the OBJECTIVE

     
Do you know something others should know about?  Want to raise a topic for discussion?  How about reviewing a book or web site?
 
We are looking for people to contribute articles, reviews, commentary, and reports on local happenings to this newsletter.
 
Just submit a short piece, - no more than 300 words, to [email protected] with your name and position title.  Please provide any relevant web site links, digital photos, or references with your submission.
 
Note:  BCSLS reserves the right to edit or reject submissions for length, relevance, or misleading or objectionable content.

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