- American Medical Technologists

n
The Spectrum n
Maine & New Hampshire State Society of American Medical Technologists
Spring 2013
Vol. 58, No. 1
MAINE/NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SOCIETY
OF AMERICAN MEDICAL TECHOLOGISTS
LEADERSHIP
2013 Spring Councillor’s Letter
Happy spring!
I hope that everyone survived this
snowy winter and is ready for some
sunshine and warm temperatures! I
have just returned from the Spring
Board and Council meeting and have
some news to share:
The 75th Educational Program
and National Meeting will be held in Pittsburgh, PA, during
the week of July 7-12, 2013. We will be meeting at the Omni
William Penn Hotel. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city and is the
home of over 50 museums, including the Carnegie Museum
of Natural History and the Andy Warhol Museum. A short
drive away is Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural
masterpiece and one of the most famous private homes ever
built. Shopping and dining opportunities abound, and Three
Rivers Casino is also nearby. Room rates are $119.00/night
– be sure to apply for the free Omni Select program when you
make your reservations. This will allow you to receive many
perks while staying at the hotel in Pittsburgh (and at any other
Omni hotel you may visit in the future). Perks include free
Front: Steven Stockford, Susan Constable, Dennis Arbour
Back: Laura Gilbert-Caret, Carole Fecteau, Pamela Kriegel
President
Susan Constable, MT(AMT), jagsec@roadrunner.com
256 Heywood Road, Winslow, ME 04901
Office 207/861-3135, Home 207/872-5538
Vice-Pres.
Pamela Kriegel, MT(AMT), pvkriegel@aol.com
1337 Augusta Road, Winslow, ME 04901
Office 207/861-3134, Home 207/877-9901
Secretary
Carole Fecteau, MT(AMT), clf04901@adelphia.net
17 Spruce Street, Waterville, ME 04901
Office 207/861-3133, Home 207/873-1415
Treasurer
Steven Stockford, MT(AMT), sstockford@parkviewamc.org
25 Springview Lane #4, Brunswick, ME 04530
Office 207/373-2371, Cell 207/992-7126
139 Northern Avenue #1, Augusta, ME 04330
Office 207/623-8411 ext 5613, Cell 207/215-5085
Laura Gilbert-Caret, MT(AMT), lgilbertcaret@emh.org
81 Oak Street, Oakland, ME 04963
Office 207/861-3136, Home 207/465-2666
“Councillor’s Letter” continued on page 5
Table of Contents
Board of Directors..................................................................................1
2013 Spring Councillor’s Letter..............................................................1
President’s Message.................................................................................2
Scholarship Winner ...............................................................................2
Calendar Of Events ...............................................................................2
Important Date To Remember: .............................................................2
Medical Assistant Education Newsletter Spring 2013.............................3
Medical Assistant Education Newsletter Summer 2013..........................4
Editor’s Message . ...................................................................................5
Maine/New Hampshire State Society Scholarship .................................5
2013 Maine/New Hampshire State Society Spring Business Meeting ...5
Proper Handling And Processing Of Laboratory Specimens...................6
Board
Members Dennis Arbour, MT(AMT), darbour33@gmail.com
Committees Editor — Carole Fecteau, MT(AMT)
Scholarship Chair — Laura Gilbert-Caret
Legislative Chair — Susan Constable
President’s Message
SCHOLARSHIP winner
Your Board members have had a very busy and productive
year. In February we made the transition to the centralized
banking system with the AMT home office. So far we all seem
to like how it is working out for us.
At the Spring Board meeting, Denny presented a draft
concept for the new ME/NH State Society pin. We all made
our suggestions and it is now in the final tweak phase for
presentation in the fall for approval. We had no more State pins
and thought this would be a good time to make improvements
and changes.
I am proud to announce that all the hard work your board
members have done over the past year did not go unrecognized
by the AMT Board of Directors. The Maine/New Hampshire
State Society will be presented with the Leona Lyons Carter
Award. This is such a wonderful recognition for our State
Society.
I also want to congratulate Steve Stockford on his award
of Distinguished Achievement for 2012. Steve is a very
integral part of our state society. He is also very active with the
Northeast Laboratory Conference. Steve is so deserving of this
great award. Thank you Steve for all you do for us.
I would also like to personally congratulate Jessica
Rodrigue on receiving the Maine New Hampshire State Society
Scholarship award for her studies in Medical Laboratory
Technology.
At the Spring Business meeting the delegates were selected
for the AMT National Business and Educational meeting
in Pittsburg. They are Laura Gilbert Caret, Steve Stockford,
Pamela Kriegel and Susan Constable. Hopefully we will see
some other Maine New Hampshire members at the meeting.
I will place a message on the message board at the meeting for
you to leave contact information so we can connect up with
you at the National meeting.
We are also looking for individuals to write some scientific
articles, leadership articles, or even a short story about
something interesting that has happened to you in your career
in the medical profession. Please contact us if you would like to
present something for us to put in the Spectrum.
I encourage you to all go on to the AMT home web
site and go in and review your profiles and ensure that your
information is correct. We are sending e-mail blast to remind
you of upcoming events and hope that you are getting the
information.
We hope to see some of you in Pittsburgh, PA at the AMT
National Meeting the 8th thru the 12th of July 2013. All
disciplines are welcomed and encouraged to attend. There are
many great scientific topics to attend and earn CEU’s.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be wonderful. We are
also looking for individuals who would love to become more
actively involved in the state society. Please contact me or any
of the Board members with your thoughts, suggestions and
ideas.
Susan Constable, President
constables@roadrunner.com
Carole Fecteau, Secretary; Editor
Cfecteau@emh.org
Pamela Kriegel, Vice Pres.
Pvkriegel@aol.com
Steve Stockford, Treasurer
Medtech62003@yahoo.com
Jessica Rodrigue is the 2013 Maine New Hampshire
American Medical Technologist State Society
Scholarship winner. She is a second year MLT, nontraditional student at University of Maine at Presque
Isle with a cumulative GPA of 3.973. Jessica has
always had an interest in being part of a healthcare
team. She is a CNA working toward her Associate
degree in Clinical Laboratory Science and finds
Microbiology and Chemistry very fun and exciting.
Her teachers describe her as motivated, prepared,
and an excellent team player.
Congratulations Jessica!
Calendar of events
AMT 75th National Meeting
July 8 -13, 2013
Omni William Penn Hotel
Pittsburgh, PA
Northeast Laboratory Conference
October 15- 17, 2013
Holiday Inn by the Bay
Portland, ME
National Medical Assistants Week
October 21 – 25, 2013
AMT 76th National Meeting
July 6 -11, 2014
Drake Hotel
Chicago, IL
Important date to remember
Maine /New Hampshire State Society
Fall Business Meeting
October 16, 2013 at 5 PM
President’s Suite 1124
Holiday Inn by the Bay
Portland, Maine
PUBLISHING INFORMATION: The Spectrum is a publication of the
Maine/New Hampshire State Society of the American Medical Technologists
and is published two (2) times a year in May and December. The views and
opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the ME/NH State Society or the American Medical
Technologists. The Editor reserves the right to accept, reject or revise any
material submitted for publication. Deadlines are April 15 and November 15.
ADVERTISING RATE SCHEDULE
Full page - $100.00 per issue / Half page - $75.00 per issue
Quarter page - $50.00 per issue / Business card - $20.00 per issue
MEDICAL ASSISTANT
EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
“Helping you achieve outstanding patient care”
Spring 2013
From MaryKate Friend, RMA
Lead Medical Assistant For Inland Physician Practices
•
UNDER PRESSURE…..!
There has been some observation that
some BP readings are still not being done
accurately. It can be challenging when
trying to room so many patients in a day but
as medical assistants we must learn to be
efficient and timely but most importantly…
be correct and accurate in our direct
patient care. Blood pressure readings are
CRITICAL in any patient’s care, even if they
don’t have “BP issues.”
Here are some quick tips to hardwire in
to help you achieve a better and more
accurate BP reading:
Entire arm should be fully supported on
the table with brachial artery at heart
level
• Do not apply cuff over clothing
• Select proper cuff size--this is KEY-always make sure you have access to
the proper size cuffs in your practice!
• Ask patient if they have used tobacco or
caffeine in the past 30 minutes as this
2012 National
AMT
Meeting – San Antonio, Texas – The Alamo
can affect
BP
• A full bladder can cause higher BP-remember to always collect the sample
unless you know for sure the provider will
not require an analysis or culture; you
can always discard it!
• Use the terms “high or low blood
pressure” instead of hypertension or
hypotension when speaking to a patient
• Do not make the patient feel rushed. If
patient is upset or angry when they arrive
it would be better for you to wait to take
the BP until the patient has settled down.
You may wish to discuss a protocol on
this with your provider on what to do in
these situations.
•
Correctly position the patient. Ideally, the
patient should relax for 5 minutes (if not
possible, this could be done at the end
of your rooming session instead of the
beginning)
• Have patient sit with feet flat on the
floor--in some cases this may not be
possible if the patient must lie down or is
in a wheelchair. If so please have patient
sit well supported or relax as much as
possible
MEDICAL ASSISTANT
EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
“Helping you achieve outstanding patient care”
Summer 2013
From MaryKate Friend, RMA
Lead Medical Assistant For Inland Physician Practices
ASSISTING WITH TOBACCO CESSATION
one to prescribe certain medications to a patient
(such as Chantix) and usually does the “5 A’s,”
you can help! The State of Maine offers a FREE
tobacco helpline..24/7…to all Maine people looking
to quit. As medical assistants, it is a requirement
of us to ask if a patient smokes at each visit and
document this in Centricity. You do NOT have to be
a provider to refer someone to the helpline. Here
are some pointers and key words:
Everyone knows it now and has for years. Using
tobacco products, whether it is smoking cigarettes,
smoking a pipe or using “chew,”….it’s bad for you.
Tobacco is the single greatest cause of disease
and premature death in America today and is
responsible for more than 435,000 deaths annually.
About 20% of adult Americans currently smoke,
and 4,000 children and adolescents start each day.
The costs of tobacco-related death and disease are
approximately $96 BILLION annually in medical
expenses and $97 billion in lost productivity. So
yes…it’s a problem.
•
•
Yet more than 70 percent of all current smokers
have expressed a desire to stop smoking. Tobacco
dependence is a chronic disease that requires
repeated intervention and multiple attempts to quit.
It is extremely difficult for most people to just stop.
•
•
•
Remember that just because someone says
at one visit they are not interested in quitting at
this time, they might change their mind at the
next visit and BE interested. Ask EVERY TIME.
People are more likely to follow through with
the helpline if the referral is SENT to helpline
from your office. They are more apt to
accept the call if someone calls THEM and
follow through with it than make the call
themselves.
Ask “are you willing to consider quitting?”
Offer “if you are interested I could connect
you with a Quit Coach at the Maine Tobacco
Helpline.”
If a patient agrees to it, you can have the
patient sign it and make out the referral
yourself. You do NOT NEED A PROVIDER’s
SIGNATURE
All of you will be receiving copies of the referral
form that can be faxed directly to the Maine
Tobacco Helpline. Feel free to make copies as
needed. If a patient prefers to call themselves,
you can certainly give them the # as below.
Remember…this is FREE TO ALL MAINERS…
there is no limits on income or insurance.
Tobacco dependent individuals usually require
multiple interventions by a clinician or a TEAM of
clinicians. This is the method that is usually followed
(the 5 A’s)
ASK (do you want to quit)
ADVISE
ASSESS
ASSIST
ARRANGE (follow up)
1-800-207-1230
Just by asking some simple questions
and processing a simple referral, you
literally could save their life, not to
mention $$$ in medical costs. An MA
plays a critical role in the overall
team to help someone quit. Offer
encouragement and guidance whenever
possible…you CAN make a difference!
You as the medical assistant can be included in that
TEAM of clinicians! While a provider must be the
Editor’s Message
Hola!
forget the proper pronunciation. You might wonder why
someone who lives in Maine would want to learn Spanish
but at my workplace we have Hispanic employees as well
as patients. Most of them do speak at least some English
but if I can make someone feel more comfortable by
welcoming them in Spanish, it is well worth the effort.
Have a wonderful summer!
I have finished my second term of Spanish class.
My teacher and class helped me compose a script for
use with Spanish speaking patients. I learned some
interesting things about the way other people regarded
healthcare and they probably learned way more than
they ever wanted to know about the healthcare works. I
hope to continue my studies perhaps this fall. If you learn
another language, you have to continue to speak it or you
Councillor’s Letter
from page 1
Wi-Fi, morning beverage, newspaper,
turndown service, and more. Diane
Powell is finishing up the preliminary
program and has retained several
speakers in the medical field from the
greater Pittsburgh area. Be sure to watch
the AMT website and your AMT Events
for more details.
Future National Convention sites:
July 7-11, 2014 – Chicago, IL
Drake Hotel Room rates $119.00/night.
(We may have an opportunity to tour
the AMT Office)
June 2015 – Kohala Coast, Hawaii
– Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Room
rates $169.00/night – start saving now
for this wonderful opportunity!
National award winners were
selected by the Board of Directors at
their spring meeting. While I cannot
divulge the winners until they have
been notified, I would like to say that
the Eastern District was once again well
represented. Congratulations to all of
the well-deserving recipients!
In conclusion, I would like to thank
you for the opportunity to serve as your
district councillor. If I can be of service,
please feel free to contact me at jcrigler@
fghi.com.
Janet Crigler, MT (AMT)
Eastern District Councillor
Ciao!
Carole Fecteau, MT(AMT) - Editor
MAINE/NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIP
One $1000 scholarship will be offered in 2014 for an MLT or MT student. The ME/
NH AMT reserves the right not to award the scholarship for any reason.
Application Instructions
1.Complete the application (download at AMT.org state organizations page).
2.Send a transcript of college grades.
3.Provide a paragraph that describes why you have chosen your career and why you
are applying for the AMT scholarship.
4.Mail application by April 1st, 2014 to:
Laura Gilbert-Caret, MT(AMT)
81 Oak Street, Oakland, ME 04963
Phone: 207/465-2666 • Email: lgilbertcaret@emh.org
Decisions will be based on academic performance, character, commitment to
laboratory medicine and financial need. All applicants must have completed at least
one semester of study and have a grade point average of 3.0 or greater. Recipients may
be asked to provide proof of tuition payment.
2013 Maine/New Hampshire State Society
Spring Business Meeting
The Spring Business Meeting was held April 19th, 2013 at the Lobster Trap
Restaurant in Winslow, ME. Minutes and reports were read and accepted. The
Maine/New Hampshire State Society $1000 Scholarship was awarded to Jessica
Rodrigue.
Susan Constable received the state Technologist of the Year 2012.
The AMT National Meeting will
be held in Pittsburgh July 7th to July
12th. Steven Stockford will be presented
with the Distinguished Achievement
Award and Susan Constable will collect
the Leona Lyons Carter Award for the
Maine/New Hampshire State Society
of AMT. Delegates were selected for
the National Business Meeting. Susan
Constable, Pamela Kriegel, Laura
Gilbert-Caret and Steven Stockford were
chosen.
Future National Meetings will be
From left to right Vice-president, Pamela Kriegel
held in Chicago in 2014 and in Hawaii
presents the ME/NH Tech of the Year 2012
in 2015.
Award to President, Susan Constable.
Common Testing Errors
Proper Handling
and Processing
of Laboratory
Specimens
- Leaving the clot tubes unspun for
prolonged amounts of time will falsely
decrease glucose results as well as
increase potassium results.
- Mixing additives should under no
circumstances take place. Mixing a
K2EDTA tube with a SST will falsely
increase potassium and decrease
significantly the calcium levels.
- Opening an Ionized Calcium tube
will cause pH interference and give
increased pH results when exposed to
room air.
- A Sodium Citrate tube must be filled to
the specified line. Under fill will cause
a falsely prolonged clotting time in PT/
INR and PTT.
- Samples that are icteric, hemolyzed
or lipemic will cause interference in
patient testing.
Common Lab Tests
Lavender and Pink Top
-K2EDTA
Grey Top
-NA Fluoride
- CBC with DIFF, RBC Folate ESR,
Hemoglobin A1C, ABORh, ABSC, HLAB27
(keep at RT), HCVQ (spin and freeze
plasma) Sickle cell and Malaria prep
Lactic Acid( on ice), Glucose
Royal Blue Top
-K2EDTA/ and no additive
Blue Top
-Na Citrate
-With additive (Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead
and Mercury)
-Without Additive (Copper, Zinc)
- Antithrombin III, Protein C, Protein S,
Factor assay, D-dimer, Fibrinogen, PTT,
INR, Lupus Anticoagulant
Green Top
-Lithium or Sodium Heparin
Red Top, SST, Tiger Top
-No additive/Gel
-Acetone, HIV, Ca-125, ANA, DSDNA,
Ascorbic Acid, CKMB, CPK T, CPKFractionated, ALKPHOs- Isoenzymes,
PTHI-intact with Calcium, Ionized Ca(
do not open tube) Complements C3/C4,
FSH, Gastrin, Hepatitis panels, H. Pylori,
Immunoglobins A,G,D,E,M, Insulin, LDISO, RA, Tegretol, Prenatal Screen(draw
2),VDRL, Folate, B12, Iron Studies, Lithium,
Vancomycin
For Additional Information
Please Reference
WWW.ARUPLAB.COM
WWW.TESTMENU.COM/ALI
webmedia.unmc.edu
-Albumin, Alkaline Phos, ALT, Amylase,
AST, Bilirubin direct and total, Calcium,
CO2, Chol, CK total, Creat, CRP, CRPhs,
ETOH, GGT, Glucose, HDL, Iron, Iron
Binding-UIBC, Sodium, Potassium,
Chloride, LDL Cholesterol, LDH, Lipase,
Magnesium, Phosphorus, Prealbumin,
Total Protein, Triglycerides, Urea, Uric
Acid, BHCG, Digoxin, Ferritin, Estradiol,
Free T4, LH, Pro-BNP, Prolactin, PSA,
Testosterone, Total T3, Total T4, TSH,
Troponin, Acetaminophen, Carbamazepine,
Gentamycin, Phenytoin, Salicylate,
Theophylline, Valproic Acid
INLAND HOSPITAL LAB
861-3133
ALI Reference Lab
1-800-639-3309
ARUP Reference Lab
1-800- 522-2787
Inland Hospital
Kristen T. Kilcollins (MLT)ASCP
200 Kennedy Memorial Drive
Waterville, ME 04901
www.inlandhospital.org
www.marketlabinc.com/uploads/images_
products/10464.jpg
Good Practices to go by
When Drawing Blood
- Make sure you have the appropriate
number of tubes.
- Know purpose and requirement of tube.
For example, does it need to be on ice
immediately, warmed for an hour or kept
at room temp etc.
- Use the short draw tubes when the
patient is a tough stick to maximize the
amount of blood you have in each tube.
- Spin within 30 minutes of collection the
serum separator tubes, red top tubes
(with no additive) Lithium Heparin and
Sodium Citrate tubes.