Western Pennsylvania Chapter Community

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Getting Connected and Events

  • 1.  Getting Connected and Events

    Posted 12-16-2023 13:08

    Greetings all, 

    I'm trying to establish professional connections across the area!  I joined the chapter earlier this year and have heard almost nothing regarding the chapter.  

    I'd like to understand the chapter organization and volunteer needs and opportunities.  

    I'd also like to extend an invitation to the ASCLS-PA, PASSAMT annual meeting including an invitation to present at the event.  

    The 2024 ASCLS-PA annual spring meeting will be held at the Harrisburg/Hershey RedLion Hotel on Monday May 6th with Board meeting and awards dinner the afternoon and evening of Sunday May 5th.  On Monday May 6th there will be approximately 20 concurrent PACE approved 1 cr. live sessions where one will be able to earn up to 5 PACE approved CE in a variety of disciplines.  There will also be ample time to mingle with vendors across the continuum of laboratory services.  While speakers, topics, and vendors vary from year-to-year (especially after the pandemic) we've had vendors from Greiner, Ortho (now Quidel-Ortho), Homonetics, Stago, biomeriux, Geisinger, PennState Health, CHOP, and Siemens.  We've had speakers from Pinnacle Health, Pennsylvania Hospital, UPMC, Geisinger, Let's Talk PBM Podcast, and others.  

    This is not an advertisement, but an opportunity I'd like to share and hope for future collaboration.  When I was a member of ASCLS-WV, the WVCLMA and ASCLS chapters held our annual meeting jointly and cooperatively worked together to find and sponsor speakers and vendors.  I think this is something we'd like to do in Pennsylvania too.  While each organization serves different purposes, we can also work together with resource sharing and awareness of opportunities for our members.  I recently relocated to Pennsylvania to build a hospital based MLS program at Geisinger which is only one of several new programs starting to help with the profound staffing shortage affecting all of us.  

    Please let me know who is out there, and how we can work together.  



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    Marianne Downes Ph.D. MLS(ASCP)cm
    Medical Laboratory Science Program Director
    Geisinger Medical Laboratories
    Milton, PA
    (814) 442-2887
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