Newsletter
Salt Lake City, Utah Volume 7, Issue 2 July, 1999
What an honor it is for me to be your new president and a member of the Utah Chapter of CLMA. The responsibilities as your president are many and I promise to up hold the trust and faith you have placed in me and the Board of Directors. The Utah Chapter is a model chapter and its role as an association in leadership in clinical systems management is outstanding. Our chapter is only as effective as its membership. Your personal involvement, participation, comments, ideas, and criticisms are so very important to maintain the Chapter's success and allow it to be useful to you its members.
Dallas Conference - Chapter Receives Special Recognition
The 1999 CLMA's 23rd Annual Conference and Exhibition is now history. Utah was well represented with 32 registrants attending the conference. The Utah Chapter did not achieve the first place Chapter of the Year Award but was recognized as an outstanding CLMA Chapter (which we definitely are) and received a special recognition in Communication, Healthcare Policy, and Networking Programs. A plaque was presented to the Utah delegation at the General Session and proudly placed on display at the ARUP Booth. I also wish pay special tribute and thanks to all of our members who contributed their time and talents in the preparation for the Chapter of the Year Award.
The CLMA Conference week is also a time when many health care organizations meet with very busy agendas. Meetings included Columbia HCA Hospital Laboratory managers, ARUP marketing group, and Council of Chapter Presidents (CCP) all of which are attended by many of our Utah membership.
Utah First Place - Twice
Utah's own Gloria Zuroff and Khosrow Shotobani took first place in the women's and men's annual conference fun run in Dallas. Gloria is currently on our board and from St. Mark's Hospital and Khosrow from ARUP is a former Chapter President.
Stay up to date with the web site
For up to date real time information on what is happening with your chapter, use the Utah web site. Book mark our address, log on and find out what a useful information tool you have. (http://users.sisna.com/paulk) If you send me an E-mail through the web site I will send you one of the new Utah Chapter lapel pins.
Have a great summer.
By Paul Keoppel
The CLMA conducts a meeting before each annual convention for the chapter presidents and president elects called the Council of Chapter Presidents (CCP). This year's meeting was attended by three members of the Utah Chapter. The members heard reports from the various standing committees of the CLMA. The five chapters vying for the chapter of the year award were asked to present a highlight of their application. The Utah Chapter choose to highlight their web site. The various pages were projected on a screen to show some of the possibilities and potential of a web site. It was well received by the CCP membership. Dave Young was asked to be a moderator for a afternoon breakout session highlighting chapter networking. This was an open discussion brainstorming period. Many innovative ideas were shared among attendees.
Susan Moesch- Treasurer
Susan Moesch is the Director of Laboratory Services for Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC). She graduated with a B.S. in zoology from the University of New Hampshire, B.S. in medical technology from Rutger's University (New Jersey), and MBA in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey).
Susan's first position was at UCLA working as a technologist in the emergency room. The laboratory was assembled with "hand-me-down" equipment (Coulter F, hemoglobinometer, flame photometer, individual chemistry analyzers and a blood gas analyzer). Hematocrits were spun and differentials were done manually-the good old days. The next job that Susan accepted took her to New Jersey where she worked at Morristown Memorial Hospital as a hematology technologist, night supervisor, and hematology supervisor. After seven years in this position, she moved to Medical Center of Ocean County, a two-hospital system, where she was the administrative director of labs for five years.
In her current position at PCMC, Susan has observed that working at a children's hospital brings an entirely new dimension to what health care is all about. Says Susan, "It is amazing to see families and children struggle and overcome truly difficult circumstances. The families show such strength. I am proud to be a part of this environment of caring and healing." Susan has been with PCMC since 1997.
Susan has been an active member of CLMA since 1992 when she joined to network with others in her profession. In 1996, she served on the board of directors for the New Jersey CLMA. Susan says that CLMA has enriched her job by providing the tools (compliance information, new technologies, management skills) she needs to do her job.
Susan is married and enjoys traveling, hiking and camping.
Utah has become her new playground.
Noel Ladle - Board Member
Noel Ladle was born in Idaho Falls and grew up in Sugar City and Rexburg, Idaho. He attended Ricks College and graduated with a B.S. degree in bacteriology and chemistry from BYU in 1960. Noel completed his medical technology internship at Holy Cross Hospital and continued to work there as a blood banker and researcher for six years. Pathology Associates Lab (PAL) opened in 1967, and Noel was part of the start-up team. He stayed with PAL for six years until accepting the position of Lab Supervisor at Salt Lake Clinic. When Salt Lake Clinic was purchased by IHC in 1995, Noel became Lab Manager and Coordinator for IHC, UCR, Health Center Labs.
Says Noel reminiscently, "I have seen it all during my 38 years in laboratory medicine. In 1961, when I was working at Holy Cross Hospital, our lab was the first in the valley to use automated analyzers. A Coulter Model A hematology analyzer and a Technicon single-channel chemistry analyzer were proudly displayed; and only the most senior techs got to even touch them. Life was a lot simpler in those days. However we didn't have vacutainers and the nicely prepared reagents and dry chemistry slides of today. We used to grind rabbit brains for thromboplastin reagent, make chemistry reagents from scratch, and use small vials to put our blood samples in."
Noel continues by saying, "Lab management duties have greatly expanded. We used to make a work schedule and use time cards. Now its OSHA, CLIA, COMPLIANCE, FMLA, INTEGRATION, and STANDARDIZATION. I have been a member of CLMA since 1985. The help and networking that CLMA provides has enabled me to endure. We all need help from time to time. CLMA is the WAY."
Noel is married and has six children who live in Utah,
Texas, and Florida. He also has 11 grandchildren. He looks forward to his
retirement in 2001.
Kathy Logan - Board Member
Kathy Logan attended the University of Utah and received her MBA and B.S. degree in medical technology. She completed her internship at Holy Cross Hospital and worked in the hematology lab. Kathy's next position was at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center where she worked for the Department of Medicine handling coagulation research and laboratory testing for the hematology/oncology clinics. An opportunity to work for the College of Business at the University of Utah presented itself, and Kathy accepted a position as an academic undergraduate counselor. During her time with the college, she supervised the academic counseling staff, completed her MBA, published the newsletter, and started alumni efforts.
Kathy's current position is with ARUP Laboratories as director of marketing. Says Kathy, "My job is a marriage of my former jobs and background. I'm able to combine my knowledge of the laboratory with the business training I received. It's great to know that my past experiences have all contributed positively to what I'm doing now."
A member of CLMA since 1990, Kathy says, "CLMA is one of
the most responsive organizations for laboratory medicine. The organization
strives to make laboratory medicine visible and to address the needs of
managers." She has served on the National CLMA Exhibits Advisory Board since
1994.
Jo D Fontenot - Board Member
Jo D Fontenot received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Utah in Medical Laboratory Science. After receiving her B.S. degree she worked as a medical technologist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salt Lake City for 15 years. During that time she worked in hematology, special chemistry, toxicology and coagulation. She also had leadership positions as the Hematology/Coagulation Supervisor, Special Chemistry/Toxicology Supervisor and the Transfusion Services Supervisor. In 1998, Jo D became the Clinical Laboratory Group Manager for ARUP at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center (UUHSC). In this capacity, she manages the clinical laboratory and oversees the training and competency of POC testing for the UUHSC outlying clinics.
Jo D has been a commissioned officer in the Naval Reserve for 12 years. Jo D serves as the Executive Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander in a detachment of the Naval Hospital Bremerton. Recalled to Operation Desert Storm, Jo D was assigned as the Immunochemistry Supervisor at Naval Hospital Oakland where she was responsible for donor testing of blood products prior to their shipment to Saudi Arabia for the troops.
Jo D has been a member of CLMA since 1994. As a member of CLMA, she has found that CLMA provides an excellent opportunity for networking and working with other laboratory managers and allied health care professionals in dealing with the challenges of changing health care regulations. As a board member, Jo D is involved with membership and wants to encourage more involvement from managers of other health care professions.
Jo D's hobbies include hiking, mountain biking and fishing.
By Kathy Carlson
The Medicare Part B program (including reimbursement for
services provided by physicians and clinical laboratories) is administered by
the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) within the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS). HCFA contracts with local carriers (LC) to
process claims and make payments for covered services. Each LC employs the
services of a Carrier Medical Director (CMD) to administer Local Medical
Review Policies (LMRP) and administrative policy.
HCFA requires that each LC establish a Carrier Advisory Committee (CAC). Where there is more than one carrier per state, they are required to establish a joint CAC. The purpose of the CAC and its membership includes:
1. To provide a formal mechanism for physicians to participate, as advisors, in the development of LMRP's.
2. To disseminate proposed LMRP's to colleagues for commentary.
3. To communicate final LMRP's to their respective specialties and state societies.
4. To discuss and disseminate information about the Medicare program and improve
administrative policy, including inconsistent or conflicting ones.
5. To facilitate information exchange between the CMD and
physicians.
The membership of the CAC includes: Representatives of
State Medical and Osteopathic Societies, medical specialists and
sub-specialists from 30 areas (including pathology), plus chiropractics, oral
surgery, optometry, and podiatry, a beneficiary representative, state hospital
association, PRO medical director, Medicaid medical director. With the passage
of the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, membership was mandated to also
include a representative for the independent clinical laboratory industry.
The CAC is co-chaired by the CMD and one physician selected by the membership. Tenure on the CAC is at the discretion of the CMD.
CAC meetings are held 3-4 times per year, with no more than 4 months between meetings. The agenda is prepared by the CMD and distributed at least 10-14 days in advance of the meeting.
Utah has one LC, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, which is located at:
Cottonwood Corporate Center
2890 East Cottonwood Parkway
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121
The CMD is Stanley J. Altman, M.D., The representative for the pathologists of Utah is:
Stanley L. Gibbon, M.D.
Mountain View Hospital
Payson, Utah
As required now by the BBA, the representative of the clinical laboratory industry in Utah is:
Ronald L. Weiss, M.D.
ARUP Laboratories
500 Chipeta Way
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
Telephone: 801-584-5188
Fax: 801-583-2712
E-mail: weissrl@arup-lab.com
The next scheduled meeting of the CAC in Utah is August 19, 1999 at 4:00 P.M. at Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield office. Please contact Drs. Gibbon or Weiss if you have any questions or issues for the CAC to review.
By Noel Ladle
Power Breakfast speaker, Jeff Lowder, raised the anxiety level of attendees at the July meeting. Jeff, who is the Corporate Manager of Employee relations and Policy at IHC, reviewed what happens when you are charged with Employment Discrimination.
Do you fight or settle? Do you need an attorney? What
happens in a formal investigation? What government agencies become involved?
What can lead to a charge of discrimination by either a employee, or a
potential employee ? Can it be resolved informally ? These questions were
explained and real life situations used to illustrate what can happen.
Jeff pointed out that it may be in the best interest of the
employer to settle, even if there is no wrong doing, rather than the case go
to trail and cost thousands/millions more to prove it in court.
His advice was to follow your employers anti discrimination policies and document all instances that may develop into a problem. A note in a day planer is a whole lot better than relying on your memory 1 to 2 years later, when the investigation usually takes place.
An audio recording was made of the presentation. Two lending copies are available from Noel Ladle, 535-8296 or Email slnladle@ihc.com.
Dates have been set for the annual mid year meeting. By
popular demand we will be holding the meeting at the Zion Park Inn again this
year. The meetings will be held on November 4th and 5th. Rooms at the Inn have
been reserved for us at $55 each.
We selected the speakers based on the member survey that
was conducted last January. The speaker Thursday afternoon will be Mike Bahr,
the Chief Actuary for IHC Health plans. Mike will address the struggle between
insurance companies and providers. He will also share why laboratories are
being caught in the middle of the insurance maze. He has interesting
statistics to share about insurance usage, life expectancy and why he thinks
will happen in the near future.
Rhonda Paige will teach us Project Management- Planning for
Results on Friday morning. She will discuss the factors that cause a project
to fail and how to visualize, plan and implement a project. Rhonda is
certified by Franklin Covey to teach this class.
Join us for an exciting time at a great time of the year,
in Zion's National Park. Registration material will be mailed in early
September.
Check the Utah CLMA web site for the latest updates and registration information.
The Utah Chapter of CLMA and the Utah Chapter of CLS (USCLS)
have held joint meetings in the spring for the past several years. The board
of directors for both organizations have decided to end this joint meeting
relationship, starting with next year's meetings. It was felt that the
educational needs of the respective members were diverse enough that separate
meetings would better serve the members of each organization.
The Utah Chapter of CLMA will hold its spring meeting in April of next year. It will be a concentrated, one day meeting. We are searching for facilities in Park City to hold the meeting. We plan on targeting subjects that are useful to managers including, reimbursement, personnel issues, planning and government issues. Check our web site for details as they become available.
Maxine Garwood has accepted a position with ARUP as their
new Quality Compliance Coordinator at the University of Utah Clinical
Laboratory. Maxine also is the membership chairperson of the Utah Chapter of
CLMA.
"Chapter members on the move" is a new membership information section in the CLMA newsletter. When you hear or are aware of Chapter members on the move, let us know via e-mail.
The following people have joined CLMA in the last quarter:
Don Andrus - Brigham City Hospital
Paul Barlow - Sage Corporation
Jana Coombs - Advanced Clinical Micro
Don Erekson - Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
William Grubel - Foothill Family Clinic
Paul Hansen - Lumenal Technologies
Antonia Hollingworth - ARUP
Paul Lewis - ARUP
Diane Wariner - Ogden Regional Med Cntr
Tish Buroker - LabCorp
John Neville - Primary Childrens
Priscilla Stipanovi - ARUP
Tom Kline - U of U Health Network
Tara Kasmarek - ARUP
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