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2018 Report to ASCP Membership: A Year in Review
2018 Report to ASCP Membership:
A Year in Review
As pathologists, laboratory professionals, and residents, we have the daily responsibility and privilege of finding answers to medical unknowns on behalf of our patients. Those answers, the test results, and explanatory guidance we provide are critical to the clinical care team’s ability to diagnose and treat patients. To continue to provide these answers to others, we also need answers to support our knowledge, career, and profession. The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is committed to providing you with the tools you need to better serve your patients. As the only organization that represents every member of the pathology and laboratory medicine team, we are leading the way in providing you with knowledge of and opportunities to participate in the latest developments in the field as a whole, as well resources to guide you in your individual roles.
During the past year, we have provided members of ASCP with information and services that build your knowledge, further your career, and advocate for your profession and your patients. In this year’s Annual Report, you’ll learn about our organizational efforts in several key areas: knowledge, certification, recognition, reach and influence, global community, and collaboration. In 2018, we developed innovative immuno-oncology education to help keep you on the leading edge of the field and launched new resources to provide guidance for laboratory professionals as they prepare to become certified. The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) celebrated its 90th anniversary and began offering new credentials to assure competence. During the past year, we created a Member Center on ASCP’s website to help you more easily access your member benefits and resources, and we grew our ASCP Patient Champions program to include 10 Patient Champions who are helping make the public aware of the critical work you do. We received a $2.1 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for our National Pathology Quality Registry, and in collaboration with the ASCP BOC and other organizations, we successfully advocated against a CMS proposal that would have weakened laboratory personnel standards. We continue to provide you with the ability to improve health care globally through programs such as our Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa initiative and our inaugural ASCP Global Health Ideation Challenge. Through a number of exciting collaborations, including an unprecedented partnership with The Pathologist, we are becoming even more STRONGERTOGETHER in our efforts to serve patients. Finally, the ASCP Foundation continues to provide you with opportunities to support your profession and public health as a whole, including offering more than 60 personal relief grants to ASCP members in response to Hurricane Maria.
You—the members of ASCP—are dedicated to finding answers that improve care and save lives. So are we. Let’s build on our accomplishments from the past year and enter 2019 STRONGERTOGETHER.
James L. Wisecarver, MD, PhD, FASCP
2017-2018 ASCP President
Melissa P. Upton, MD, FASCP
2018-2019 ASCP President
E. Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP, SCT(ASCP)CM
ASCP Chief Executive Officer
Knowledge
In an ever-changing medical landscape, leading the way to quality patient care requires you to continuously advance your knowledge. Over the past year, ASCP continued to supply trusted educational products and innovative cutting-edge content, as well as develop new tools and resources with the big picture in mind, to provide you with education covering the entire landscape of pathology and laboratory medicine.
Shaping the future of health care through innovative education
The rapidly changing field of immuno-oncology has begun to show great potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. To support the advancement of immuno-oncology diagnostics and treatment in the laboratory, ASCP developed a comprehensive educational approach to enhance your knowledge and skills related to immuno-oncology and support the implementation and dissemination of best practices in immuno-oncology testing.
We launched an evidence-based, online lung cancer diagnostic toolkit, known as DXToolkit Lung Cancer, an on-demand learning tool providing resources related to the diagnosis and management of lung cancer to members of the laboratory medicine team in real time.
Connecting you with quality resources to build and test your knowledge
We launched a new online GYN PT Proctor Portal, only available through ASCP, which lets pathologists and cytotechnologists find out the results of their gynecologic cytology proficiency tests the same day as the exam.
To support our residents, we are developing the Resident Question Bank to be included in ASCP’s 2019 RISE PLUS package, providing residents with online access to hundreds of multiple-choice questions, educational feedback, and references.
In addition to supporting your clinical education needs, we continue to empower you to take a leading role in your lab and on the clinical care team through certificate programs in leadership, management, and informatics.
Providing access to the latest research
The ASC-ASCP Workgroup for Emerging Roles in Cytopathology, a collaboration between ASCP and the American Society of Cytopathology, published findings in ASCP’s Lab Medicine and the Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology about how the practice of cytology is changing, what practicing cytotechnologists need to meet the future, and how professional organizations are developing meaningful tools and resources to meet the expressed needs.
We selected Steven H. Kroft, MD, MASCP, as the new editor in chief of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, who will continue to guide this premier journal forward in providing practical scientific articles that advance practice and patient care.
Empowering you with certification support
In order to support laboratory professionals as they prepare to become certified, we launched ASCP Certification Preparation: The MLS Online Review Course, which covers highlights of the content areas on the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) MLS (Medical Laboratory Scientist) exam, and piloted a live review course at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. We also published two new study guides, BOC Study Guide: Clinical Laboratory Certification Examinations, 6th Edition, and BOC Study Guide: Phlebotomy Certification Examinations, 2nd Edition.
Through collaborating with the American Board of Pathology (ABPath), we support diplomates’ Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements, including joining the ABPath and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology in issuing a statement on the value of MOC.
We are also participating in an initiative of the ABPath and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to help ABPath diplomates more easily identify and earn Continuing Certification (CC; formerly MOC) credits through the ACCME CME Finder and ease their reporting to the ABPath through the new ABPath MOC -reporting system within the ACCME’s online PARS (Program and Activity Reporting Systems).
In Fall 2018, ABPath and ASCP announced a partnership to provide the opportunity for participants in ABPath CertLink to earn CME/SAM (Continuing Medical Education/Self Assessment Module) credits for this innovative assessment program that drives physician professional development. ABPath selected ASCP in recognition of our role as a leading educational provider for pathologists.
We continue to provide pathologists and laboratory professionals with guidance through the CC or CMP (Credential Maintenance Program) process, including an online portal with more than 500 courses and credit tracking.
Developing resources spanning the entire field of pathology and laboratory medicine
ASCP’s Curriculum, Educational Resource, and Scientific -Advisory Committee (CER-SAC) continues to advance the work of the ASCP Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Curriculum. Under the umbrella of the CER-SAC, content-specific scientific interest groups in 13 main content areas are developing lists of hot topics in the field as well as reviewing and updating the curricular competency outlines.
Improving patient outcomes through multidisciplinary education
Collaboration among members of the multidisciplinary care team is central to effective patient care. We continue to offer state-of-the-art multidisciplinary team education in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), in collaboration with the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and The France Foundation, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in collaboration with ASH, the National Marrow Donor Program, the Oncology Nursing Society, and The France Foundation. Building on these separate initiatives, all five collaborators launched a combined program, MDS and AML MATTER, including both live and online learning opportunities designed to meet the needs of multidisciplinary care teams relating to the optimal diagnosis and classification of both MDS and AML.
Preparing healthcare providers for genomic medicine
In the emerging field of genomics, we are providing educational design support to the Undergraduate Training in Genomics (UTRIG) Working Group, whose work builds upon a genomics curriculum for pathology residents that was first developed by the Training Residents in Genomics (TRIG) Working Group, under the leadership of Richard L. Haspel, MD, PhD, FASCP. The UTRIG Working Group recently invited 14 medical students to participate in a full-day pilot education session at the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting. TRIG is a working group of the Residency Program Directors Section of the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC), and UTRIG is a working group of the Undergraduate Medical Educators Section of the APC. The work of the TRIG and UTRIG Working Groups is supported by an R25 grant from the National Cancer Institute.
ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting
ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting offers practical, personalized, and innovative learning and networking opportunities
ASCP welcomed more than 1,500 attendees from around the world to gain valuable knowledge from top-notch faculty spanning pathology and laboratory medicine at the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting, October 3-5, in Baltimore. With 16 collaborating societies, more than 250 hours of education, and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with colleagues spanning the entire field of pathology and laboratory medicine, the ASCP Annual Meeting truly is the premier meeting for the diagnostic medicine field.
Two distinguished general session speakers—both of them agents of change—inspired audiences to continue their vital efforts to improve patient care in the United States and around the world. During the Wednesday Grand Opening General Session, decorated Olympic gymnast and cancer survivor Shannon Miller offered her perspective as a patient and advocate for improving health care for women and children. Following the General Session, she participated in a meet and greet at a new ASCP Patient Champions networking forum, which provided an opportunity to connect patients, patient advocates, and members of the laboratory medicine profession.
During the Thursday Scientific General Session, Thomas J. Bollyky, JD, Senior Fellow for Global Health, Economics, and Development at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the book Plagues and the Paradox of Progress: Why the World Is Getting Healthier in Worrisome Ways, discussed global health and the future. Mr. Bollyky explored the paradox that recent reductions in infectious disease have not been accompanied by improvements in income, job opportunities, and governance; they have, in fact, provoked unintended consequences. Also during this session, 2017-2018 ASCP President James L. Wisecarver, MD, PhD, FASCP, gave an address reflecting on his tenure as president.
ASCP CEO E. Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP, SCT(ASCP)CM, presented the inaugural Cindy S. Johns Lecture, which honors the memory, spirit, and legacy of the longtime ASCP member and volunteer leader for her championship of the laboratory medicine profession. A certified laboratory professional by education and training, Ms. Johns, MSA, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM, passed away in December 2017 after waging a courageous 18-year battle against breast cancer. She was an inaugural member of the ASCP Patient Champions Advisory Board and received the first ASCP Patient Champions Award in 2017. In his presentation, titled “The Path of a Believer—Matching Your Passion with Your Purpose,” Dr. Holladay discussed the attributes of an effective volunteer leader in the medical laboratory profession and the necessary tools to provide a results-driven impact.
Meanwhile, ASCP’s annual awards lauded exemplary members whose leadership has shaped the Society and the profession, as well as one patient who has helped increase awareness and understanding of the medical laboratory. The ASCP Leaders Celebration honored many of these individuals, as well as ASCP’s 2018 40 Under Forty Top Five honorees. In the Exhibit Hall, attendees connected with exhibitors and browsed the hundreds of posters. Nearby, ASCP Foundation donors enjoyed a special donors-only lounge.
During the meeting, ASCP hosted nearly 40 local high school students at NEXTPO, where they were immersed in a morning of live scientific experiments and learned about careers in the medical laboratory. Three academically talented senior students were presented with ASCP Foundation STEM Student Scholarships.
On October 5, Dr. Wisecarver passed the mantle of leadership to ASCP’s new president, Melissa P. Upton, MD, FASCP. Dr. Upton is Professor Emeritus of Pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle. She continues to practice surgical pathology, autopsy pathology, and cytopathology, and she is one of the specialists at the University of Washington in the areas of gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreatic pathology.
During the celebratory Mixology Closing Reception at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the 2018 poster presentation award winners were announced, and Dr. Upton thanked Zubair W. Baloch, MD, PhD, MASCP, Chair of the Annual Meeting Education Committee, for his leadership and important role in developing the vision for the Annual Meeting. As Dr. Baloch has fulfilled his maximum term as Chair of the Annual Meeting Education Committee, the education program at the 2018 meeting was the last under his leadership.
The ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting’s practical education, personalized activities, and focus on the future truly underscore the innovation and hard work of ASCP members. The 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix will expand upon these initiatives and be even more exciting. If you missed the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting, mark your calendar now for September 11-13, 2019, and plan to attend the ASCP 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix!
Certification
Certification provides you and your laboratory team with an opportunity to demonstrate your competence and commitment to optimal patient care. In 2018, the ASCP Board of Certification continued to lead the way in providing a qualified medical laboratory workforce, which is vital to diagnosing and treating patients.
Building a capable medical laboratory workforce through global certification
In fiscal year 2018, more than 15,100 US certification exams were given, with an increase in examinees over fiscal year 2017 for technician (DPT, MLT), technologist/scientist (C, HTL, MB, MLS), and pathologists’ assistant (PA).
More than 3,700 international certification exams were given in fiscal year 2018, a 13 percent increase over fiscal year 2017. Examinees by region of education are from 106 countries.
The total number of certificants worldwide reached more than 554,800, including more than 2,300 international certificants, a 21 percent increase in international certificants over fiscal year 2017. Certificants by region of education are from 96 countries.
Celebrating 90 years of settings standards for quality patient care
During 2018, the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) celebrated its 90th anniversary with a variety of resources and activities for certificants, including a video showing how the BOC has evolved and grown since its founding as the American Registry of Medical Technicians in 1928, and the My Credential Story contest, which invited certificants to share their story of how earning an ASCP BOC certification or qualification positively affected their life. Since 1928, the demand for a skilled laboratory workforce has grown and evolved, but the BOC has remained committed to promoting patient safety through certifying qualified laboratory professionals.
Supplying new credentials to showcase your commitment to excellence
The ASCP BOC began offering the Specialist in Cytometry and the Specialist in Molecular Biology certifications.
The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories and the ASCP BOC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop, administer, and maintain a new Biobanking Practitioner Qualification.
The ASCP BOC worked with New York State licensure staff to implement processes for pathologists’ assistant licensure.
Advocating to ensure laboratory personnel competency
The ASCP BOC, in collaboration with ASCP, forced changes to a Louisiana bill that would have undermined certification in state licensure by barring the state “from relying on certification as a prerequisite for professional licensure unless there is empirical evidence of systemic harm to consumers from the absence of a certification requirement.” The ASCP BOC and ASCP also responded to state legislation in Missouri preventing certified individuals from including a certification in their professional titles, unless certification is required for state licensure.
The ASCP BOC also collaborated with ASCP and other laboratory professional organizations to flood the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services with comments opposing its proposal to allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and no formal laboratory training to perform high complexity laboratory testing.
Recognition
As pathologists, laboratory professionals, and residents, you provide expertise critical to diagnosis and treatment. During the past year, ASCP worked to highlight your vital role on the clinical care team and the significant impact you make on patients’ lives.
Helping the public understand your vital work through patient stories
We have grown our Patient Champions program to include 10 Patient Champions, who share their stories to raise awareness of the crucial role the medical laboratory plays in patient care, and empower patients to ask the right questions and understand their diagnoses. We have also sponsored patient advocacy and cancer events across the country and held the first Patient Champions networking forum at the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting.
At the ASCP 2017 Annual Meeting, we honored our first Patient Champion, Cindy Johns, MSA, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM, and established the Cindy Johns Patient Champions Memorial Fund in January 2018, after her passing.
Visit www.ascp.org/patients to find more information about our Patient Champions, including video interviews.
Building the future workforce by sharing the work you do with students
We continue to provide members with the tools and resources they need to give presentations about the profession at their local high schools, community colleges, and science fairs as a part of the ASCP Career Ambassadors 2.0 program. Through the leadership of the ASCP Resident Council, we established the ASCP Pathology Ambassadors program to recruit resident members to give presentations to increase medical students’ awareness of pathology and the number of students entering pathology residency programs. We also provide Pathology Ambassadors with the tools to help establish Pathology Interest Groups at a number of institutions.
Featuring leaders who dedicate time and talent to advancing the profession
Since 2014, 200 high-achieving pathologists, laboratory professionals, and pathology residents under the age of 40 have been recognized through ASCP’s prestigious 40 Under Forty program, which has provided honorees with recognition within their organizations and media attention.
Celebrating your daily efforts to improve patient care
In February 2018, we celebrated ASCP Member Week by sharing information about member-focused programs, offering daily product discounts and hosting the Stories from the Heart contest, in which members shared personal stories about the pathology and medical laboratory profession. In April 2018, we participated in the 43rd annual celebration of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, with activities including a photo and video contest.
Connecting members with the answers you need to advance your career
You’ve dedicated your professional life to turning medical unknowns into answers that improve care and save lives. We know the right answers matter to your career, too. During 2018, ASCP has seen a 5 percent increase in membership over the prior year, and as we move into 2019, we are highlighting how ASCP membership, the heart of our organization, provides you with the answers you need for your career.
To provide members with more opportunities to engage with one another and ASCP as an organization, we launched an enhanced digital communication strategy via social media and our website focused on value-added content, such as scientific articles and practical career and wellness tips. We are engaging ASCP members as ambassadors to serve as consultants, submit content, share content, and join in conversation with ASCP and their fellow members via social media.
We created the ASCP Member Center on ASCP’s website, which centralizes all of your member benefits and resources in one location, and we increased the visibility of the ASCP volunteer portal. We also launched a campaign to build awareness and communicate how you can get involved with ASCP.
ASCP Annual Awards
Each year, ASCP recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the Society and the profession, as well as one patient who has helped increase awareness and understanding of the medical laboratory. At the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting in Baltimore, ASCP honored these individuals for their efforts to advance the field of pathology and laboratory medicine. By highlighting these individuals, ASCP promotes recognition for the critical role pathologists and laboratory professionals play in health care.
Patricia J. Ellinger, MSEd, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CMSBBCM
ASCP President’s Award
Karen A. Brown, MS, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CM
ASCP Mastership
Margaret G. Fritsma, MA, MASCP, MT(ASCP)SBB
ASCP Mastership
Wayne W. Grody, MD, PhD, MASCP
ASCP Mastership
David N.B. Lewin, MD, MASCP
ASCP Mastership
Junell M. Petersen, MS, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CMSH
ASCP Mastership
Gregory N. Sossaman, MD, MASCP
ASCP Mastership
Mark H. Stoler, MD, MASCP
ASCP Mastership
M. Sue Zaleski, MA, MASCP, HT(ASCP)SCT
ASCP Mastership
Hassan M. E. Azzazy, PhD, SC(ASCP), DABCC
ASCP Member Lifetime Achievement Award
Holly Covas, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM
ASCP Member Excellence in Education Award
Henry C. Lee, CLS, MASCP, MT(ASCP)DLM, CPHQ
ASCP Member Excellence in Management Award
Carlo J. Ledesma, SH(ASCP)CM, MT(ASCPi)CM
ASCP Mentorship Award
Kathryn Foucar, MD, FASCP
H.P. Smith Award for Distinguished Pathology Educator
Joel M. Shilling, MD, MASCP
Israel Davidsohn Award for Distinguished Service
Suzanne Zein-Eldin Powell, MD, FASCP
Philip Levine Award for Outstanding Research
Savanah D. McMahon
Medical Student Award – Gold Award
Kelsey J. Johnson, MLS(ASCP)CM
ASCP Career Ambassadors 2.0 Award
Shannon Miller
ASCP Patient Champion Award
Reach & Influence
To improve patient care, we must support regulations and initiatives that maximize the role of laboratory medicine in improving patient health. In 2018, ASCP’s Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy led the way in vigilantly analyzing the regulatory landscape, advocating for the healthcare needs of you and your patients, and facilitating initiatives that support laboratory quality and patient safety.
Collaborating with other medical organizations to release clinical practice resources
We joined with the National Kidney Foundation and the nation’s leading laboratories and clinical laboratory societies to announce a new collaboration to remove barriers to testing for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The new collaboration will help standardize the tests used to detect CKD, improve comparison of test results between laboratories, increase early recognition of the disease, and promote patient awareness of the condition.
With a focus on the pathology aspects of diagnosing lymphoma, we are collaborating with the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Hematology to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the workup of lymphoma, and we conducted a call for comments on draft recommendations for this guideline during 2018.
Promoting laboratory personnel and oversight standards
In 2018, we coordinated a successful grassroots campaign opposing a proposal by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to weaken CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) requirements, and allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and no formal laboratory training to perform high complexity laboratory testing. ASCP, the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC), and other laboratory professional organizations inundated the CMS with comments to oppose the CMS proposal; more than 8,600 were received.
Defending fair and accurate reimbursement and coverage of diagnostics
We are continuing our efforts to ensure a sufficient supply of laboratory services by advocating for fair and adequate reimbursement, including changes to the CMS’s proposed reductions to pathology reimbursement rates and for opportunities for pathologists to more easily comply with Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) reporting requirements.
We are also supporting your efforts to satisfy regulatory requirements, including successfully advocating for “Completion of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program” to be included as an Improvement Activity for the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
In 2018, ASCP helped secure changes to a Medicare national coverage policy for next-generation sequencing (NGS) with companion diagnostics. The change maintained the ability of clinical laboratories to secure coverage of NGS-based laboratory-developed tests from Medicare Administrative Contractors.
Monitoring the status of the laboratory medicine workforce
In 2018, we published the results of our biennial workforce surveys, the 2016-2017 ASCP Vacancy Survey and the 2017 ASCP Wage Survey, which provide current information about the status of the workforce. Both surveys highlighted the need for qualified and certified lab professionals in order to ensure a robust future laboratory workforce.
Results from these surveys have served as the primary source of information for academic, government, and industry labor analysts, and ASCP was invited to present the wage and vacancy data to the federal government’s Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee at its 2018 spring meeting.
In conjunction with the release of the ASCP Wage Survey results, we launched a set of online interactive maps that incorporate findings from our workforce surveys. The online geospatial visualization of the data will advance the laboratory field’s understanding of the current workforce scenario.
Equipping you with tools to ensure appropriate test utilization
During the past year, we released our fourth and fifth lists of recommendations for laboratory tests that are commonly ordered but not always appropriate in pathology and laboratory medicine, as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, an initiative of the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) Foundation. The new lists expand our existing recommendations to 25.
Since 2016, we have recognized three groups of Choosing Wisely Champions, or individuals and clinical teams that are working to reduce unnecessary testing through the Choosing Wisely campaign.
2018 Choosing Wisely Champions
Ila Singh, MD, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children’s Hospital
Curtis A. Hanson, MD
Mayo Clinic
Diane George, DO
Henry Ford Medical Group
Heather Signorelli, DO
HCA-HealthOne
James Littlejohn, MD, PhD
Weill Cornell Medical Center
Jennifer Stumph, MD
Michigan Pathology Specialists
Pallavi Patil, MBBS, MD
Brown University and Lifespan Academic Medical Center
Enabling labs to harness their data to improve patient care through the National Pathology Quality Registry
During Fall 2017, we launched the National Pathology Quality Registry (NPQR) to allow you to leverage laboratory data to assess and improve the performance of your laboratories and healthcare institutions.
NPQR is a national quality and benchmarking program that provides pathologists and laboratory professionals with guidelines-driven performance measurement, benchmarking, and quality improvement capabilities. It enables laboratories to identify areas for improvement, participate in government-required pay-for-performance programs, integrate results into educational programs, and track appropriate utilization of laboratory tests.
The registry was granted Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) status for 2018 by the CMS, meaning NPQR provides pathologists with measures approved by the CMS for 2018 MIPS reporting through a QCDR. As part of NPQR, ASCP has offered a free MIPS reporting option providing pathologists with a way to easily and satisfactorily meet MIPS requirements and avoid penalties.
During September 2018, we were awarded a $2.1 million grant by the CMS to develop pathology-related quality measures that will be incorporated into NPQR for the CMS Quality Payment Program. ASCP is among seven awardees—and the only pathology organization—to receive cooperative agreement awards through the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Funding Opportunity: Measure Development for the Quality Payment Program.
Global Community
A sustainable laboratory infrastructure and competent workforce is important to providing patients with quality care, no matter where they live across the globe. Over the past year, ASCP’s Center for Global Health showed our commitment to patients worldwide by supplying training and humanitarian support.
Strengthening laboratories worldwide through improved laboratory infrastructure and training
We received over $3 million in funding for year five of our US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) cooperative agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past year, we have supported laboratory strengthening in five resource-limited countries through activities including in-service training, accreditation preparedness, viral load scale-up, HIV incidence surveillance, and rapid test quality improvement. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to further advance work around PEPFAR activities in this country.
Furthering global health solutions through innovation and publication
We held our inaugural ASCP Global Health Ideation Challenge during April through June of 2018. Participants submitted questions and solutions related to solving global health challenges through leapfrogging, or using new technologies or approaches to circumvent traditional approaches and avoid incremental steps.
We are also sharing our learnings from global health activities via publications such as Clinics in Laboratory Medicine and The Lancet.
Facilitating standardized pathology reporting to advance diagnostics and care globally
We are collaborating with the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) to pilot freely available translations of existing templates from the ICCR datasets, which have been developed to provide a consistent evidence-based approach for the reporting of cancer, into Spanish, French, and Portuguese, allowing pathologists and laboratory professionals in low- and middle-income countries to more easily report their cases and contribute data to international data collections.
Collaborating to support diagnosis and treatment throughout the world
We continue to serve as the primary laboratory and diagnostics lead for the Union for International Cancer Control’s C/CAN 2025: City Cancer Challenge. Through onsite expert consultations, trainings, and workshops, ASCP member volunteers are assisting cities around the world, including Cali, Columbia; Asuncion, Paraguay; Kumasi, Ghana; and Yangoon, Myanmar, with planning and improving the laboratory and diagnostic components of their cancer care systems.
We have also been involved with a large number of collaborators as consultants or partners on projects and programs in Vietnam, Ukraine, Guatemala, Suriname, Belize, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cote D’Ivoire, and The Gambia. Since September 2017, more than 20 volunteers have traveled to complete consultations, trainings, or site visits.
Expanding access to rapid cancer diagnostics, care, and treatment in resource-limited areas
Through our Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa initiative, we continue to work with countries in and outside of Africa to assess pathology needs, consider implementation plans, and strive for individualized solutions for each scenario. We have actively engaged with and have implementation plans in process for Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Liberia, Kenya, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti.
In November 2017, we announced a collaboration with Novartis and the American Cancer Society to devise a common approach to improve access to cancer treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. ASCP staff and volunteer members have performed in-person, on-site assessments for seven sites in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Malawi for the purpose of placing immunohistochemistry (IHC) systems for cancer diagnosis. Working with Roche, ASCP negotiated the purchase of five automated IHC units and a preliminary six-month supply of reagents for all seven sites. ASCP staff worked directly with site pathologists and laboratory professionals to develop business models for each site based on current pricing schemes and projected volume.
Collaboration
Successful patient care requires pathologists, laboratory professionals, and the entire clinical care team to work together. In 2018, ASCP expanded our collaborations, furthering our efforts to be STRONGERTOGETHER for our patients.
Uniting with The Pathologist to provide access to premium news and editorial content
In August 2018, we announced an exclusive official society partnership with Texere Publishing Limited, an international leader in the scientific, technical, and medical content markets, and publisher of The Pathologist. Through this agreement, ASCP members have access to high-quality reporting, news, editorial features, and opinion pieces on all aspects of laboratory medicine and diagnostics via the co-branded monthly publication and weekly email newsletters. Through a dedicated monthly column in the publication, ASCP is able to address issues of current interest and priority to our members, widen debates, and influence the sector internationally.
Joining with other organizations to supply resources to pathologists and laboratory professionals worldwide
We have developed agreements with the College of Pathologists of Central Eastern and Southern Africa, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, MedLabs of Jordan, the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, and the Philippine Society of Pathologists to provide education and resources to members of the laboratory around the world.
We continue to collaborate with a variety of other pathology and laboratory medicine organizations to identify valuable solutions to strengthen the medical laboratory team:
Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology
- Society for Hematopatholgy
- American Pathology Foundation
- European Society of Pathology
- International Society of Gynecological Pathologists
- American Society of Cytopathology
- California Society of Pathologists
Collaborating with USCAP to support residents with leadership development
We joined with the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology to host Just Say Know!, a two-day intensive educational program for residents in December 2018. The program focuses on four key topic areas: leadership, management, business, and change.
Partnering to connect members of the laboratory team to education and research
In May 2018, we expanded our partnership with the American Pathology Foundation to provide more members of our profession with access to the best resources, training, and education in pathology and laboratory management.
We renewed our partnership with the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists (ACLPS), continuing ACLPS’s designation of ASCP’s American Journal of Clinical Pathology as the official journal of ACLPS and strengthening our efforts to provide laboratory medicine professionals with access to the latest research.
ASCP Foundation
The ASCP Foundation provides individuals an opportunity to unite to advance diagnostic medicine and public health around the world. In 2018, donors to the ASCP Foundation supported significant strides in providing scholarships, improving global health, increasing laboratory visibility, and offering aid to the healthcare community in times of critical need.
Offering essential support to tomorrow’s diagnostic medicine professionals through grants, scholarships, and fellowships
Over the past year, the ASCP Foundation’s Scholarship Fund played a crucial role in building in the future of our profession. In fiscal year 2018, we awarded $537,000 to students and members through scholarships, grants, and fellowships. This support included 102 Laboratory Science Program Director Educational Grants, which help laboratory science programs educate and empower future medical laboratory professionals; 27 Resident Leadership and Management Scholarships, which offer the opportunity for residents to improve their management and leadership skills; five Pathology Interest Group Grants, which provide support for medical students and their Pathology Interest Group activities; and a variety of other scholarships, grants, and fellowships.
Improving global health by supporting access to rapid cancer diagnostics, care,
and treatment in underserved areas
The ASCP Foundation’s Global Health Fund continues to support the efforts of our Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa initiative by helping cover the costs associated with establishing and enhancing labs and training local personnel in resource-limited areas of the world. This has included donations of textbooks, equipment, in-person training by ASCP members, and assessment and implementation planning visits.
Showcasing the vital role of the laboratory to the public
Through donations to the ASCP Foundation Laboratory Visibility Fund, we are supporting public relations and advertising campaigns designed specifically to tell your story—and the story of the laboratory. The Foundation released our first public-facing video, “The Value of the Lab,” last year, which was made available to more than 8 million American Airlines passengers and broadcast on the TALK BUSINESS 360 TV channel on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV, which is made available to 132 million connected TV users. Building on the success of this video, we are preparing to release a second video, “Your Health, Your Laboratory,” which will provide a closer look at the role of pathologists and laboratory professionals in providing data and diagnostics necessary to health care.
Supporting areas of critical need
The ASCP Foundation General Fund provides a way for the Foundation to direct funds to the most critical areas of need, including unexpected needs such as disaster relief. During the past year, donations to this fund helped provide vital medical supplies and emergency relief grants to rebuild Puerto Rico’s medical laboratories after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Our relief efforts included providing two shipments of needles, syringes, gowns, gloves, and reagents divided by three labs; offering more than 60 personal relief grants to ASCP members; and supplying books to a training program. Lurmag Y. Orta, MD, FASCP, the pathologist in San Juan who originally reached out to ASCP for help, shared her story with attendees at the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting.
ASCP Foundation Founders Society
The Founders Society recognizes ASCP Foundation’s most generous donors who have made significant contributions during our first year of operations. We thank and honor the member of the Founders Society, listed below.
Margaret G. Alexander, BFA, and C. Bruce Alexander, MD, MASCP
Dana Altenburger, MD, FASCP
Philip L. Barney, MD, FASCP, and Sandy Barney
Thomas A. Bonfiglio, MD, MASCP, and Mary Bonfiglio
Curt Buchholz, MD, FASCP
Lynnette Chakkaphak, MS, MT(ASCP)
Christopher Cogbill, MD, FASCP, and Elizabeth Cogbill, MD
Stan Eilers, MD, MASCP
William G. Finn, MD, MASCP, and Cynthia R. Boschman, MD, FASCP
Larissa V. Furtado, MD, FASCP
Jonathan R. Genzen, MD, PhD, FASCP, and Jennifer T. Genzen, PhD
Robert A. Goulart, MD, MASCP, and Maura K. Goulart
Lee H. Hilborne, MD, MPH, FASCP, DLM(ASCP)CM
E. Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP, SCT(ASCP)CM
IMPAQ Strategy
Cynthia Johns, MSA, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM
Nathan H. Johnson, PhD, MASCP, MT(ASCP), DLM, SC
Diana L. Kremitske, MT(ASCP)
David Lewin, MD, FASCP, and Anna Lewin, MSW
James Linder, MD, MASCP, and Karen Linder, SCT(ASCP)
Alan R. Lavender, and Danny A. Milner, Jr., MD, FASCP
Amberly L. Nunez, MD, FASCP, and Charles J. Nunez, Jr., MD, FACEP
Susan M. Rodriguez, BSN, MS, and Fred H. Rodriguez, Jr., MD, MASCP
Kimberly W. Sanford, MD, MASCP, MT(ASCP)
William E. Schreiber, MD, FASCP
Joel M. Shilling, MD, MASCP, and Sandra B. Shilling, MT(ASCP)SM
Sandra H. Siegal, MS, and Gene P. Siegal, MD, PhD, FASCP
John E. Tomaszewski, MD, MASCP, and Jane Tomaszewski
Melissa P. Upton, MD, FASCP, and Cristopher Jon Cyders, RN
Anne Walsh-Feeks, MS, PA(ASCP), FACHE, and Stephen J. Feeks
James L. Wisecarver, MD, PhD, FASCP, and Patricia Wisecarver