LABLine

CONFERENCES

Oct. 24-27. AABB’s Annual Meeting and TXPO 2009 for transfusion and cellular-therapy professionals will take place at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The event will feature 130 educational sessions and nearly 200 exhibitors. Go to www.aabb.org for more information.

Oct. 27-28. AACC’s 10th Anniversary Laboratory Automation Conference in Kansas City, MO, features top automation experts to teach you how to optimize your laboratory systems through innovative software solutions; use automation and data management to maximize your workforce resources and increase lab efficiency; amplify lab ROI through strategic implementation of quality techniques; and apply middleware solutions to strengthen process control. Learn more at http://www.aacc.org/events/meetings/Pages/5707.aspx.

Oct. 29-30. Join top experts at “Lab Automation: Finding the Right Fit for Your Lab” at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City for tips and strategies for lab automation projects, and tours of the ARUP automated laboratories. This conference is supported in part by education grants from Sysmex America. Visit www.aacc.org/events/meetings/Pages/5277.aspx.

Nov. 5-6. “Translating Novel Biomarkers to Clinical Practice: Role and Opportunities for the Clinical Laboratory” at the Marriott Bethesda Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, MD, will feature discussions of clinical proteomics, biomarker discovery, co-development of therapeutic compounds and proteomic assays, regulation of proteomic technologies, and developments in standardization. Go to www.aacc.org/events/meetings/Pages/5699.aspx.

Nov. 19-22. The Association for Molecular Pathology 2009 Annual Meeting at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, Kissimmee, FL, will cover the major areas of clinical molecular diagnostics: hematopathology, infectious diseases, inherited genetic diseases, solid tumors, and technical topics. Visit www.amp.org/2009.

Dec. 5-8. The American Society of Hematology’s 51st annual meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, offers dozens of sessions covering the breadth of hematology, including nanotechnology, complementary medicine, emergency preparedness, and the impact of healthcare disparities on patient outcomes based on factors such as race, socioeconomic status, geography, and age. See more at www.hematology.org/Meetings/Annual-Meeting.

Jan. 29-30, 2010. The 17th Annual First Coast Infectious Disease/Clinical Microbiology Symposium will be held at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, St. Augustine, FL. To access program and register online go to www.firstcoastidcm.com.

WEBINARS

Oct.13. 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ET. “Health Care Reform and the Clinical Laboratory.” Congress is working on legislation that would overhaul the entire health-delivery system, including laboratory operations. If enacted, this bill may significantly impact testing volume, utilization patterns, coverage policy, laboratory reimbursement, and more. Learn what these changes may mean for the laboratory community. Register at www.aacc.org/events/meetings/Pages/5696.aspx.

“Weathering the Storm: Surviving and Succeeding in Today’s Economy” was part of an AACC Executive Thought Leadership Series supported exclusively by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. The webinar containing the audio and PowerPoint presentation in a synchronized format is now available at no charge at www.aacc.org/events/online_progs/weather-storm/Pages/default.aspx.

“Demystifying Clinical Use of Cardiac Markers: Troponin and Natriuretic Peptides” addresses the variety of factors that affect the clinical utility of troponin and natriuretic peptides. Learn how these variables affect tests and know how best to use them clinically. Two sessions include “Demystifying Troponin” and “Demystifying Natriuretic Peptides.” Links to free programs are at www.aacc.org/events/online_progs/cardiac-markers/Pages/default.aspx.

Nov. 4, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET. “Slaying Sepsis: Saving Lives with Faster and Better Treatment,” part of Instrumentation Laboratory’s ILluminations Webinar Series, offers information on the early diagnosis of sepsis and septic shock with Jeffrey C. Fried, MD, an expert in critical care medicine, who will discuss the relationship between rapid treatment and mortality, including the use of lactate measurements in early diagnosis. Register for this free webinar at www.ilus.com/illuminations.

AUDIO CONFERENCES

Order the recording of “Automated Histology in the Clinical Laboratory: Best Practices and New Technologies” at www.g2reports.com/audioconferences/1103.html. This session offers an in-depth view of emerging technologies that are transforming the clinical histology market. Learn about new histological assays and improved technology, and gain an understanding of what pitfalls to avoid when integrating new technologies.

Order the CD of “How to Achieve Cost Savings for Your Lab by Analyzing Test Utilization Patterns” at www.g2reports.com/audioconferences/1089.html. This presentation describes how laboratories can save shave hundreds of thousands of dollars every year by identifying and eliminating expensive tests that are of little to no clinical value.

Go to www.g2reports.com/issues/RECORD/1620285-1.html to learn how to start up and operate a molecular diagnostics lab with “Molecular 101: Starting Up and Running a Molecular Lab — Workshop DVD.”