Fall 2024 Newsletter
ASMH Newsletter • Volume 29 Issue 3 • Fall 2024
President's Message
Dear ASMH Members,
I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer! As we approach the end of the year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to our members who volunteer with all of our committees. Our organization thrives because of your dedication and active participation, and we’re excited to offer more opportunities for you to get involved.
Volunteers are the backbone of our success, and we have several committees and initiatives where your skills and time can make a big difference.
- Nominating Committee: help review and decide the members who are nominated for Board Director positions
- Webinar Committee: help create educational webinars for the membership to access online
- Newsletter Committee: help curate the newsletter that is emailed to the membership quarterly
- Program Committee: help create the schedule and program for the Annual Meeting
Whether you’re interested in helping with assisting with upcoming events or contributing to our committees, there’s a place for you to lend a hand! I am always open to meeting with you and discussing ideas or helping you find your spot here at ASMH!
Your involvement not only helps us achieve our goals but also enriches our community. Let’s continue to work together to make a meaningful impact! Your input and involvement means a lot to us.
Best regards,
Camille McKay, BSHCA, M.Ed., HTL
President, ASMH
2024 ACMS Scholarship Recipient
Linda Cesario, DPM, HT(ASCP)
I am honored and grateful to be the first recipient of the ACMS scholarship for seasoned members. I have been a member of the Society for 29 years and have been attending the ASMH Annual Meetings since the 2nd meeting at Palm Desert, CA in 1996. So you can say I have plenty of meeting experience and memories.
The biggest highlight for me is the in-person networking. After the difficult challenges of the pandemic when we could not hold in-person meetings, I value the personal contact even more. Making lifelong friends beyond professional ties has been the most rewarding experience.
At the 2024 annual meeting in Phoenix, I found the speakers, workshops, and troubleshooting open forums highly informative and engaging. These sessions provided a valuable opportunity for the members to discuss important topics and learn from each other. One highlight was the collaboration between the ACMS and the ASMH, featuring lectures and workshops. Since 2018, the ASMH Mohs Tech Training Program has been providing technical topics and hands-on training to the ACMS fellows-in-training. This year, the program was also offered to the ACMS general membership, resulting in a doubling of attendance, with Mohs surgeons from as far away as Australia. There was also a combined ACMS/ASMH presentation by surgeons and techs that was well received. These collaborations have significantly strengthened the relationship between the two organizations.
A new and exciting addition to the meeting was the ASMH booth in the exhibit hall. This increased the visibility of the Society to the ACMS and the vendors and provided detailed information about the ASMH Mohs Tech Training Program.
Each annual meeting has its unique atmosphere shaped by the meeting content, workshops, and networking events. The charm of the host city certainly adds an extra element, whether it’s a beautiful resort or a bustling downtown.
The success of the ASMH annual meetings relies on the hard work of the program committee members, volunteers, and active members. Planning for the next year's meeting starts soon after the current one ends, involving multiple layers of careful planning to ensure a successful educational event. I strongly encourage you to get involved in any way that suits your schedule or comfort level. It can greatly contribute to your professional growth.
As an ASMH Life Member, my annual meeting experiences over the past 28 years have been rewarding both professionally and personally. I hope your Annual Meeting experience will encourage you to continue attending and becoming involved in the future. The ASMH would greatly benefit from a volunteer like you.
I would like to express my gratitude to the ACMS, the scholarship committee, and the Board of Directors for awarding me this scholarship.
See you in Nashville!
Histologically yours,
Linda Cesario, DPM, HT(ASCP)
Distinguished Service Award Recipient Thank You
Mo Gagnot, HT ASCP
Dear Friends,
It was exciting to attend the Phoenix meeting in my home city of Phoenix, AZ! And so glad you
all beat the heat that is now upon us here in the desert.
Receiving the 2024 Distinguished Service Award was very unexpected! It’s fun to join the ranks of this very elite DSA group! Many thanks to Lindsey Riggs, Past President, and the Board of Directors for presenting me with this honor, recognising my efforts and accomplishments for the society. I am truly humbled. Thank you to the entire ASMH membership for your trust in me.
Over the years, we’ve made great strides, had many successes as well as overcoming obstacles and challenges. Seeing this society grow from the very beginning has been very fulfilling. Serving on many committees, training new technicians, sitting on the Board of Directors, and selected to be your President from 2018-20 has truly been a wonderful experience.
Personally and professionally, the opportunities within ASMH made me a better Mohs technician and provided me resources to hone my skills, share my knowledge, connect with those who have the same passion as well as build unforgettable and lasting friendships. You all are instrumental in providing this for me so thank you, I am forever grateful and appreciate you all!
Sincerely,
Mo Gagnot, HT ASCP
Always Prepared: Navigating CLIA Inspections with Confidence
Stacie Eckhout
As the person in charge of a Mohs laboratory, I have always believed in the importance of being prepared for anything. This role comes with great responsibility, and I constantly remind myself to update all manuals and logs monthly in case an inspector shows up unexpectedly.
Clinicians running moderate and high-complexity testing laboratories undergo CLIA inspections every two years as part of their license renewal cycle. CLIA inspectors provide two weeks' notice for initial and renewal inspections. However, unannounced visits can occur at any time. Given that these notices are often sent by mail, laboratories might not receive notification until the day inspectors arrive due to potential mail delays.
This exact situation recently happened to me. During a busy Mohs day, a CLIA inspector arrived for our 2-year renewal inspection. The email notification had been missed, and the letter was sent to our other facility. My provider and I were a bit caught off guard, as we usually meet beforehand to review everything and adjust our schedule to be available for questions. But this time, we had to make it work on the spot.
I welcomed the inspector into the lab and provided all the necessary manuals and logs. I maintained a constant readiness state by consistently reviewing protocols, keeping them up-to-date, and using a calendar to track when PMs, proficiency testing, and competencies are due. I also utilize a monthly laboratory checklist. As a result, I’m happy to report that we passed the surprise inspection with zero deficiencies—a direct outcome of always keeping the lab inspection ready.
Admittedly, part of me was thinking, “Did I remember to put all the dates on the new reagents I received yesterday?” and “Are the competencies up to date for the last six months?” However, my lab director reassured me, saying, “I’m not worried. I know you’ve got this!”
Maintaining this mindset helped me excel in my role and ensured the lab avoided any deficiencies. If a lab is not in order and gets cited with a deficiency, it can create huge problems, including disruptions in patient care and potential penalties. By staying organized and prepared, I was able to keep our operations running smoothly and efficiently.
Some common deficiencies that may prevent a laboratory from receiving CLIA certification include:
- Missing signatures of the laboratory director
- Missing policy procedures
- Lack of competency assessments
- Incomplete validations of instrumentation
- Not performing competency assessments on staff
- Incomplete quality assurance plan and quality monitoring
I hope sharing my story helps others develop a proactive mindset. CLIA inspections can be stressful, but being prepared can alleviate much of the anxiety associated with inspection day. I advise using a checklist every month (CLIA provides a great one), ensuring your protocols match your actual practices, checking expiration dates, and using a calendar to track time-sensitive items. This approach will help reduce pressure when inspection time comes around.
Member Resources
Volunteer for a Committee
Interested in volunteering with ASMH? Willing to offer your talents to help strengthen the society? We want you! Click here to submit an interest form.
ASMH Online Bibliography
The ASMH bibliography is your resource and we strongly encourage you to explore it. Efforts will be made to keep the articles up to date and relevant to current best practices while keeping the scope wide enough to interest the broadest of minds. It is our intention to cover subjects ranging from basic lab techniques, Mohs embedding, cryotomy, routine and immunohistochemical staining, lab safety, ethics and work flow. This is a continually evolving project that will be guided by your feedback, suggestions and more importantly, your contributions, so please share interesting articles and send topic suggestions to info@mohstech.org.
Go to the bibliography to find new COVID-19 resources: Laboratory Biosafety & Coronavirus Disinfection in Histopathology.
Showcase your ASMH membership in your online profile
Members are encouraged to download and use this graphic in your email signature, on your social media profile or added to your professional online presence. Please remember that you may not, in any way, alter, manipulate or change this graphic. Contact info@mohstech.org should you have any questions about proper use.
Note to ASMH newsletter readers: Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise throughout this e-newsletter, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the American Society for Mohs Histotechnology. The views and opinions of authors expressed do not state or reflect those of the American Society for Mohs Histotechnology.