WCLN: Laboratory Detection and Reporting of Streptococcus agalactiae

Presenter:

  • Erik Munson, Ph.D., Technical Director, Wheaton Franciscan Laboratory, Milwaukee, WI

Description:

Streptococcus agalactiae is an etiology of neonatal sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia.  Strategies have been devised to identify appropriate candidates for intrapartum antimicrobial chemotherapy.  While more women are screened for this agent, rates of early-onset disease have not concomitantly decreased.  Potential improvements in laboratory diagnosis of this organism will be discussed.

A certificate of participation will be granted to each participant based on 1.0 contact hours of instruction toward credit.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. program.

As part of the new P.A.C.E. continuing education process, please go to the ASCLS CE Organizer web site to print your P.A.C.E. certificates. You will be asked for a code number to print the certificate. We will provide you this number during the teleconference.

Please note that the deadline for receiving P.A.C.E. education credit for this teleconference is June 11, 2015.

Materials:

icon-pdf Presentation (2.5 MB)

icon-pdf Handout (500 KB)

icon_word PACE Evaluation

WCLN: 2014 Updates – Completing the New Bioterrorism Proficiency Testing Result Form and Changes to the Rule-out Algorithms

Presenters:

  • Erin Bowles, B.S., MT(ASCP), Clinical Laboratory Network Coordinator, Communicable Disease Division, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI
  • Amanda Weiss, B.S., MT(ASCP), Program Coordinator, Proficiency Testing, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI

Description:

This audio conference presentation will introduce Sentinel Clinical Laboratories that participate in the WSLH PT Bioterrorism Preparedness Exercises (BPEs) to the new forms and reporting options that are available for the 2014 exercises.   All Sentinel Clinical Laboratories that participate in the BPEs are encouraged to attend this audio conference.   Participants will be walked through the new processes for submitting results, either electronically, or on paper. Rule-out algorithms will also be reviewed.

A certificate of participation will be granted to each participant based on 1.0 contact hours of instruction toward credit.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. program.

As part of the new P.A.C.E. continuing education process, please go to the ASCLS CE Organizer web site to print your P.A.C.E. certificates. You will be asked for a code number to print the certificate. We will provide you this number during the teleconference.

Please note that the deadline for receiving P.A.C.E. education credit for this teleconference is April 9, 2015.

 

Materials:

icon-ppt Presentation (3 MB)

icon-pdf Handout (645 KB)

icon_word PACE Evaluation

 

WCLN: 2014 Update – STEC Diagnosis and Surveillance in Wisconsin

Presenter:

  • Timothy Monson, M.S., Supervisor, Communicable Disease Division, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI
  • Mike Rauch, B.S., Advanced Microbiologist, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI

Description:

Clinical laboratories in Wisconsin have been testing for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) for many years. As more clinical laboratories have implemented Shiga toxin (ST) testing, statewide surveillance has been enhanced. The partnership between clinical and public health laboratories continues to be an essential component necessary for effective STEC surveillance and the prevention of further disease.

A certificate of participation will be granted to each participant based on 1.0 contact hours of instruction toward credit.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. program.

As part of the new P.A.C.E. continuing education process, please go to the ASCLS CE Organizer web site to print your P.A.C.E. certificates. You will be asked for a code number to print the certificate. We will provide you this number during the teleconference.

Please note that the deadline for receiving P.A.C.E. education credit for this teleconference is March 19, 2015.

Materials:

Webcast (Mediasite, 20 Kbps)

icon-pdf Presentation (5 MB)

icon-pdf Handout (2.6 MB)

icon_word PACE Evaluation Form

WCLN: Overview of CLSI Document M35-A2 for Bench-level Identification of Clinically-significant Microorganisms

Presenter:

  • Erik Munson, Ph.D., Technical Director, Wheaton Franciscan Laboratory, Milwaukee, WI

Description:

This audio conference will provide guidance on bench-level biochemical testing in the clinical microbiology laboratory, as such testing may be of importance to a variety of microbiology laboratories throughout the state. Discussed principles will subsequently be: 1) applied toward a better understanding of errors made in past WSLH Bioterrorism proficiency exercises; and 2) incorporated into same-day algorithms resulting in accurate identification of clinically-significant bacterial and yeast isolates.

A certificate of participation will be granted to each participant based on 1.0 contact hours of instruction toward credit.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. program.

As part of the new P.A.C.E. continuing education process, please go to the ASCLS CE Organizer web site to print your P.A.C.E. certificates. You will be asked for a code number to print the certificate. We will provide you this number during the teleconference.

Please note that the deadline for receiving P.A.C.E. education credit for this teleconference is February 12, 2015.

 

Materials:

Webcast (Mediasite, 20 Kbps)

Presentation icon-powerpoint 4.7 MB

Handout icon-pdf 700 KB

PACE Evaluation Form icon-word

WCLN: Why Are We Concerned With Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria?

Presenter:

  • Julie Tans-Kersten, M.S., MT(ASCP), TB Coordinator, Communicable Disease Division, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI

Description:

This audio conference will cover the clinical significance of the Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM).  The presentation will focus on various methods that may be used to identify NTM, from conventional methods to the newer emerging technologies such as Maldi-TOF and whole genome sequencing. The speaker will also touch on recommended susceptibility testing of NTM.

A certificate of participation will be granted to each participant based on 1.0 contact hours of instruction toward credit.

This program is co-sponsored by ASCLS-WI which is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. program.

As part of the new P.A.C.E. continuing education process, please go to the ASCLS CE Organizer web site to print your P.A.C.E. certificates. You will be asked for a code number to print the certificate. We will provide you this number during the teleconference.

Please note that the deadline for receiving P.A.C.E. education credit for this teleconference is January 15, 2015.

 

Materials:

Presentation icon-powerpoint 2.6 MB

Handout icon-pdf 1 MB

PACE Evaluation Form icon-word

WSLH Board Presentation: Rabies

Presenters:

  • James Kazmierczak, DVM, State Public Health Veterinarian, Wisconsin Division of Public Health
  • Jim Powell, MS, Advanced Microbiologist, WSLH

Description:

Presentation (to the WSLH Board) on the joint Rabies program of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, given by Jim Powell of WSLH and Jim Kazmierczak of WDPH

 

Webcasts:
“Rabies Control: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and Division of Public Health Partnership” by Jim Kazmierczak (19 minutes, Windows Media, 225 Kbps)

“Rabies Diagnosis” by Jim Powell (11 minutes, Windows Media, 225 Kbps)

WSLH Board Presentation: Institute of Clinical & Translational Research

Presentors:

  • Steve Marshall, Research Epidemiologist, Communicable Disease Division

Description:

The UW-Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is an NIH funded organization for coordinating the translation of laboratory research into actual clinical practice by connecting small and large research groups from around the state and the country, and by providing seed grants for innovative research. The WSLH will serve as one of several ICTR Core Laboratories by providing access to staff expertise, instrumentation and existing partnerships.

 

Webcast: WSLH as a ICTR Core Laboratory (14 minutes, Windows Media, 225 kbps)

WSLH Board Presentation: HPV Testing in Women Over 30

Presentors:

  • Chanthou Vong, Paul Nichols, Jamie Larson (School of Cytotechnology students)

Description:

WSLH Cytotechnology students, Ms. Jamie Larson, Ms. Chanthou Vong and Mr. Paul Nichols, shared with the WSLH Board a presentation made at an April, 2008 Wisconsin Society of Cytology (WSC) meeting.

 

Webcast: HPV Testing in Women Over 30 (12 minutes, Windows Media, 225 kbps)

WSLH Board Presentation: Drugged Driving Testing in Wisconsin

Presenter:

  • Patrick Harding, Director, WSLH Toxicology Laboratory

Description:

Each year scientists in the WSLH Forensic Toxicology Section test blood samples from more than 24,000 drivers suspected of “Operating While Intoxicated” (OWI). While all samples are tested for alcohol, a subset are also tested for drugs. Toxicology Laboratory Director Patrick Harding provides to the WSLH Board an overview of OWI testing in Wisconsin, focusing on the increasing rates of drugged driving testing performed by the WSLH.

 

Webcast (Windows Media, 225 kbps)