NYSHS is happy to announce that we are still offering vendor-sponsored Educational Scholarships this year!  After the unfortunate cancellation of our annual spring meeting our vendors have graciously decided to still contribute to the Educational Scholarships that we award our members. We are truly grateful for their continuing support in these uncertain times and look forward to seeing them all in 2021.

We have extended the application date until March 31, 2020.


Sarah Mack
New York State Histotechnological Society President​

Posted on March 12, 2020 by histo_admin | Comments Off on Educational Scholarships

March 9, 2020

Dear Members, Speakers and Vendors,

NYSHS is in the middle of an unprecedented time in our 48 year history with the current COVID-19 situation. After careful consideration we, as your Board of Directors, have come to the decision to cancel our Spring 2020 Symposium on April 25th at del Lago Resort. We have worked closely with del Lago and they have been incredibly cooperative and have allowed us to cancel our contract without financial penalties. If you have already reserved room with them please call and cancel your reservations. As registrations arrive we will return your checks uncashed as soon as possible. We are working through the details on how to proceed with our Vendors and Speakers, but we wanted to get this word out quickly as many institutions have imposed travel and conference restrictions.

We greatly appreciate the support the you as members have all shown NYSHS over the years, and we promise to make next years’ meeting the best yet. To our Speakers we wish to express our sincere gratitude for your willingness to take time out of your busy schedule to present to our members. Lastly, we wish to thank our Vendors, without each of you we would not be able to continue our meetings and offer the myriad of scholarships that you support to our students.

In this time of unknowns, we as your Board, wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you all in 2021! Please stay tuned for details to follow, and if you have any questions please contact any of us, our information can be easily found on our website: www.nyhisto.com.

Respectfully,

NYSHS Board of Directors

Posted on March 10, 2020 by histo_admin | Comments Off on Important information regarding our Annual Spring Metting.
Posted on November 15, 2019 by histo_admin | Comments Off on NYSHS Spring Meeting 2020

We are pleased to announce that the 2020 NYSHS Annual Spring Symposium will be held on April 25, 2020, in Waterloo, New York at the del Lago Resort and Casino.

Information will be available soon on the NYSHS website at:   www.nyhisto.com

Posted on October 18, 2019 by histo_admin | Comments Off on NYSHS save the date 4/25/20
Posted on January 3, 2019 by histo_admin | Comments Off on 2019 Save The Date

SAVE THE DATE

Join us for the Region 1 Annual Symposium hosted by MASH at the State Room on Saturday, March 16th,2019.  Stay posted for additional details coming soon!!!!


State room
60 State St
Boston,Ma 02109
http://longwoodvenues.com/venues/boston-event-venue/   

Our mailing address is:
MASH
52 Miranda Way 
Bridgewater, Ma 02324

Posted on December 7, 2018 by histo_admin | Comments Off on SAVE THE DATE: Region 1 Annual Symposium

Save the Date
Connecticut Society for Histotechnology Spring Meeting
“Cinco la Histologia”
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Hilton Garden Inn Wallingford/Meriden
1181 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT

 

Save the Date CT!

Posted on March 23, 2018 by histo_admin | Comments Off on Save the Date!!!! Connecticut Society for Histotechnology Spring Meeting

Posted on March 10, 2018 by histo_admin | Comments Off on Happy Histotechnology Professionals Day!

Help Stop CMS’ Proposal Classifying Nursing as a Biological Science

&

Bring Histotechnology Processes Under CLIA’s Oversight

Flawed Proposal Would Allow Individuals with a Degree in Nursing to Supervise Labs,
Perform High Complexity Testing!!!

 

Histotechnology Pre-Examination and Examination Processes are Highly Complex and
Should be Under CLIA’s Oversight!!!

Help is needed to STOP a highly flawed proposal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing to supervise clinical laboratories and to perform all CLIA complexity levels of laboratory testing. 
The proposal, published in a CMS Request for Information on Jan. 9, 2018, outlines a new policy that undermines the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) personnel standards. The new policy would allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing to perform high complexity testing and to serve as technical consultants (supervisors), which would require them to assess the competency of skilled laboratory professionals.
The proposal reflects the Agency’s nonsensical position, outlined in a controversial April 1, 2016 memorandum, that nursing is a biological science. The 2016 policy allows individuals with a nursing degree to perform and supervise high complexity testing and may even allow these degree holders to direct clinical laboratory testing. It is unclear whether CMS would disallow a nursing degree from being used to meet other supervisory roles apparently allowed under current Agency policy.
A typical baccalaureate degree in the biological sciences generally requires three to four times OR MORE biological coursework than a degree in nursing. The laboratory medicine community has great respect for the nursing profession and the important healthcare services they provide to patients. Still, a nursing degree is not equivalent to a biological sciences degree.  In response to the 2016 policy, the laboratory community, and NSH, have advocated repeatedly for changes to the policy.  CMS has received several letters and a petition signed by 35,000 concerned individuals challenging the Agency’s interpretation and even met with representatives of the laboratory community in September 2016.  For more information on these efforts, click here.

In addition, Histotechnology Pre-Examination and Examination processes are Highly Complex and should be under CLIA’s oversight.  CR §493.25 states that a laboratory must obtain a certificate for tests of high complexity if it performs one or more tests that meet the criteria for tests of high complexity as specified in 493.17

 

Review of the CLIA categories of tests by complexity indicates that many tasks and tests performed in the histopathology laboratory are in fact of high complexity (CFR 42 §493.5, CFR 42 §493.17).  Many of the functions and tests (outside the scope of patient result interpretation) are not only routinely performed by histologists but are also validated and acted upon by histologists in their day-to-day operational responsibilities.  From a medical perspective, accurate diagnosis is directly related to patient outcome and therefore the principle goal in diagnostic histopathology. 

 

Many of the “CLIA definitions and regulations” are outdated and based on methods and technology that are over 30 years old. There have been significant advances in science and medicine that have and will continue to transform laboratory medicine. Efforts to reduce healthcare costs have also changed the landscape from a “fee for service model” to an integrated team of health care professionals geared towards patient outcomes using the “Total Test Approach.” It is essential that education and training in medical laboratory sciences keep pace with the transition toward personalized medicine to provide high quality; outcome-based patient care.

 

In the interests of quality care, we urge all CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS, I.E., laboratory professionals, pathologists, Patients and the General Public, to contact CMS and tell the Agency to put patients first. Individuals that don’t have the appropriate scientific knowledge should not be allowed to perform high complexity testing or supervise laboratory testing. And, HISTOTECHNOLOGY PRE-EXAMINATION AND EXAMINATION PROCESSES ARE HIGHLY COMPLEX AND SHOULD BE UNDER CLIA’s OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE QUALITY PATIENT OUTCOMES

 

Click here to download instructions in a Word document to add the histotechnology specific language to your comments. Use this link to access the ASCP eAdvocacy Center.

Posted on March 7, 2018 by histo_admin | Comments Off on URGENT !! NSH TAKE ACTION: Your Action Needed on Nursing Degree Proposal

NYSHS is pleased to announce that there is $2000 in scholarship awards available for this years meeting.  Please visits the awards page for more info and details as well as to download an application.   A special thank you to all our sponsors for contributing and please be sure to visit them and thank them for their support!

Source Medical Products

StatLab Medical Products

Perkins Biomedical Services

Poly Scientific R&D

Gulf Coast Inc

Sakura Finetek

Posted on January 12, 2018 by histo_admin | Comments Off on NYSHS 2018 Call for Award Applications