- American Medical Technologists

TENN-O-SCOPE
Official Publication of the
Tennessee State Society of
American Medical Technologists
Volume LX
Dec 2013
No. 2
Tennessee
The Volunteer State
Tennessee State Society of American Medical Technologists
2014 Officers
www.americanmedtech.org
President
Vice
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Jerry Hudgins, MT
2227 Windsor Park Lane
Hendersonville, TN 37075
hudg340@yahoo.com
(m) 615-218-9154 (w) 615-328-5503
Kay Burnett, MT
35 Cypress Heights Lane
Buchanan, TN 38222
kkburnett@wk.net
(h)731-232-8675 (m) 615 830-6320
(w) 731-644-8549
Annie Washington, MT
1186 Mary Jane Cove
Memphis, TN 38116-8900
annie.washington@stjude.org
(h) 901-345-2887 (m) 901-734-6649
(w) 901-595-3644
Walter Parsons, MT
1011 McMahan Avenue
Nashville, TN 37216
parsons9593@bellsouth.net
(h) 615-262-4229 (m) 615-415-8001
Ex-Officio
Southern
District
Councillor
Judiciary
Councillor
Martha Duncan, MT
6014 Clifton Drive
Columbia, TN 38401
nittwitt6461@yahoo.com
(h) 931-380-3423
Shannon Newman, MT
249 Willie Craig Road
Bassett, VA 24005
shnewman@comcast.net
(h) 276-629-7827
(m) 276-732-9334
fax: 276-629-2621
Kimberly Cheuvront, Ph.D.
100 Fair Oaks Drive
Fairmont, WV 26554
kcheuvront@FGHI.com
(m) 304-641-0126 (w) 304-367-7488
2
Tennessee State Society of American Medical Technologists
2014 Board of Directors
www.americanmedtech.org
Martin Amick, MT
Board Member 68 Winding Oaks Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
mamick@eplus.net
(h) 731-660-1420 (w) 731-541-6026
(m) 731-616-9110
Haun, MT
Board Member Charles
3520
Cherokee
Avenue
2013-2015
Chattanooga, TN 37412
6201haun@comcast.net
(h) 423-867-3925
2014-2015
Kim Wheeler, MT
Board Member 105 Sunset Drive
2012-2014
Unicoi, TN 37692
kdwheeler@centurylink.net
(h) 423-735-7915
Valerie Owens, RMA
Board Member 521 Haynes Street
2012-2014
Nashville, TN 37207
valowens6@gmail.com
(h) 615-227-3473) (w) 615-327-3603
Diane Robbins, MT
Board Member 827 Apple Drive
2014-2016
Livingston, TN 38570
diane.robbins@lpnt.net
(h) 931-823-1879 (w) 931-403-2125
Tereyo Cox, MT
Board Member PO Box 330292
2014-2016
Editor
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
mtmice@gmail.com
(h) 931-527-3564 (w) 931-334-4023
Kaye Tschop, MT
4954 Hopedale Drive
Nashville, TN 37211-4853
k9kid@bellsouth.net
(h) 615-833-3427 (m) 615-424-0550
3
Table of Contents
President’s Message……………………………………………………………………. .5
District Councillor’s Message………………………………………………..…...6-7
Editorial.……………………………………………………………………………………..…8
Dates to Remember.…………………..………………………………………………….......9
Delegate Reports………………………………….……….…………….10-13, 22-23
Magnolia Educational Treasures 2014.………………………...……………..14
On the Cover………………………………………………………………………….…...15
TNSSAMT Delegates to National Convention……….............…….…… 16
TNSSAMT National Award Winners………………………………………….... 17
TNSSAMT Fall Meeting Speakers………………………....……..…...……….. 18
TNSSAMT Fall Meeting Photos…………….……………………………………… 19
Stress - Take Action…..…………………………………………………………...20-21
Committee Assignments…………………………...………….………………….. . 21
Caribbean Sojourns………………………………………………………………..24-25
Legislative & TN Med Lab Board Report………………..…………............26
AMT’s 76th National Meeting Chicago………………………………..……...27
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The TENN-O-SCOPE is the official publication of the Tennessee
State Society of the American Medical Technologists and is published two times a year. If you requested a paper copy of the journal, it will be mailed first class mail from the Main Post Office 525
Royal Parkway, Nashville, Tennessee 37230. Publication is available on our website at www.americanmedtech.org. Select meeting
and events, state society, specific state society, then select Tennessee. Once on the Tennessee site, select newsletter and select current issue. Articles appearing in this publication are the opinion of
the author and do not reflect the opinion of the Tennessee State
Society and/or the American Medical Technologists. The editor
reserves the right to edit all articles when necessary. This publication was printed by Allegra Print & Imaging, 601 Grassmere Park,
Suite 19, Nashville, Tennessee 37211.
4
President’s Message Autumn 2013
Jerry Hudgins, MT TNSSAMT President
I must say that this has been a very exciting year for the following
reasons: We have been blessed with another beautiful year, rain
and sunshine in abundance, as provided by our Father. Our publication “The Tenn-O-Scope” was presented first place journal by the
National American Medical Technologists for the third year in a row.
We were blessed for another year with our Southern District Councillor, Ms. Shannon Newman MT as our director. She successfully
completed her RN Degree and therefore is starting the journey into
another section of our medical field. Ms. Kaye Tschop (our Editor)
was presented this leadership role, after Shannon was not reappointed; her term begins Jan 1, 2014.
Chris Seay was already assigned the title of Liaison to the Caribbean,
and he was also elected to the National Board of Directors.
We have elected a new Vice-President of TNSSAMT, Kay Burnett
MT, thus giving us an officer from the upper west Tennessee area.
Our TNSSAMT family has elected three members to the BOD, Diane
Robbins, MT (reelected for a 3yr. term), Tereyo Cox, MT (elected for
a 3yr. term), and Martin Amick, MT (elected for 2yrs.) to complete
Kay Burnett’s term due to her Vice-President election.
The TNSSAMT held its educational seminar at Paris-Landing State
Park and provided 12hrs of CE. Mrs. Kay Burnett spearheaded this
meeting by herself and it was a wonderful success.
We have noticed new faces at our meets and at the National Conference, maybe the thought has finally surfaced that we need to become ACTIVE in our AMT Organization.
May we all “as a family” enjoy these holidays and
never forget to follow our Father’s steps.
Jerry T. Hudgins, MT (AMT)
President of TNSSAMT
5
District Councillor’s Message Fall 2013
First, I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and
phone calls during a family illness that I had to leave the convention
early. I hate that I missed seeing all of my AMT family, but everyone
was in my thoughts everyday of the meeting and I can’t wait to see everyone next year in Chicago. The National meeting was held in Pittsburgh, PA on July 8th - 12th. I know it was a great meeting with excellent speakers and educational sessions. It was announced at this meeting that the 2014 meeting will be held July 6th - 10th, 2014 in Chicago,
IL at the Drake Hotel, $125.00 per night. For those of you who have
been wishing for an exotic meeting location, your wishes have been
granted for 2015. We will be meeting in late June 21-26, 2015 at the
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in Kohala Coast, Hawaii, $169.00 per
night. Now, is the time to start saving and plan for what will prove to
be a wonderful time. We will be the only people in the resort for this
period. The resort, and a sister facility, are offering these rates for
three nights before and after the meeting.
Some news from AMT office: A reminder for all members to watch for
e-blasts regarding their state activities. If they are not receiving any
they should go on-line and make sure they have the correct e-mail address listed in their personal profile. And, National AMT enewsletter. The national office is now sending a bi-monthly enewsletter to all members for whom they have an e-mail address. Once
again, if not receiving these they need to check their listed address.
Also, the national office is redesigning the national web page. Changes
should be coming soon. It is intended to be more intuitive and user
friendly. And lastly, the national office has contracted with a professional writer to produce an AMT History book that will be available for
purchase at next year's 75th anniversary meeting in Chicago. The author may be contacting some of the members for input. The North
Carolina story board challenge had a few takers. First place went to
Oregon.
New AMT Board members: Chris Seay and Peggy Oiler. Jeannie Hobson was reelected to a full three year RMA term. The officers are
Mary Burden as President, Everett Bloodworth as Vice-President, Jeff
Lavender as Secretary, and Janet Sesser as Treasurer. New AMTIE
Board Members: Charles Baker and Dorothy "Mimi" Roush.
6
District Councillor’s Message Fall 2013
At this time I would like to congratulate my district award winners:
Honor Roll states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Virginia. Publications awards: Kaye Tschop from Tennessee for 1st place journal, and Kathleene Hardy from Florida for 2nd
place newsletter. Distinguished Achievement: Salimata Kone-Coulibaly
and Nettie Lucille Norphleet from Alabama, Patricia Crouse Harris,
from Virginia, Deborah Janeczko from Florida, Annie Washington from
Tennessee, and Zobida Kahn-Mohammid from Trinidad &Tobago. Exceptional Merit: Peggy D. McHutcheon from South Carolina. Silver Service: Tommie Williams from North Carolina. GEM award: Arthur Contino and Kathleene Hardy from Florida and Joyce Lybrand from South
Carolina. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to AMT. Finally,
don’t forget to celebrate National Medical Assistants Week October.
Thanks for your hard work and dedication to AMT. Finally, don't forget to celebrate National Medical Assistants Recognition
Week, October, 21-25 2013.
Respectfully submitted,
Shannon H. Newman, BSMT
AMT Southern District Councillor
Yes, its official!
The national meeting schedule will stay in effect thru 2015!
Sunday: Council Meeting; Board Meeting
Monday: Opening ceremonies/Keynote speaker and CEs in the
morning, Lunch of Champions, workshops and CEs in the afternoon, Committee Meetings, Welcome Reception
Tuesday: CEs, AMTIE Board, Meet the Candidates, Editor’s
Workshop, OGM/MOM Dinner
Wednesday: CEs, District Leadership Forum, Awards Dinner
Thursday: District Meeting, Town Hall and Annual Business
Meeting, President’s Reception/Social
7
Editor’s Message
Kaye Tschop, MT
In a few short days we will be ushering in the new
year. 2014 is the year of the Horse according to the
Chinese Fortune Calendar. How bizarre has the
weather been this past year? According to the
Farmer’s Almanac, we will have much of the same
in 2014. One day it is 20 degrees and the next it is in
the 70’s.
I’d like to thank the Tennessee State Society for allowing me to be a
delegate to the AMT National Convention. It was wonderful to see
all of my AMT family in Pittsburg this past July. What a joy it was
to see everyone and the location was great and the hotel very comfortable. I got there just in time to see the Furry Fandom Convention that took over the hotel in mass. What is a furry you ask? Well
they are a subculture interested in fictional anthropomorphic animal
charastics with human personalities and characteristics. They were
a great bunch of Furrys! Once again TNSSAMT received first place
in the journal category and it is because of all of all of you! Keep
sending those articles because that is how I am able to keep your
Tenn-O-Scope current, interesting and all about the state of Tennessee. What about the great job Kay Burnett did with the Paris Landing meeting? Beautiful location and the speakers were great with
topics everyone was interested in. We even had our national vice
president Everett Bloodworth and his wife Kate present lectures.
Mark those calendars because the AMT National Meetings will be
in Chicago at the Drake Hotel July 7-11, 2014 and Hawaii June 2126, 2015! You have been wanting Diane Powell to book a meeting
in the islands so now is your chance to get those continuing education credits and enjoy a trip of a lifetime so save those pennies!
In closing I would like to say I have been selected as the new Southern District Councillor beginning January 1, 2014. I look forward to
meeting all the members of the Southern District and CASMET and
I appreciate the opportunity to serve AMT in this capacity. I know I
have some awfully big shoes to fill but with the guidance of Shannon Newman and the other District Councillors, I know they will
help me get my feet on the ground! Happy New Year everyone!!!
8
Dates to Remember
National Dental Assistants Week.………………….March 3-9, 2014
National Laboratory Professionals Week……. …..April 21-27, 2014
AMT 76th National Meeting …………………… ….July 7-11, 2014
Drake Hotel Chicago, Illinois
TNSSAMT Fall Meeting………………… ………...Oct 17-18, 2014
Edgewater Hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
National Medical Assistants Week…………………Oct 21-25, 2014
Magnolia Educational Treasures……………...……Oct 17-18, 2014
Edgewater Hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
AMT 77th National Meeting……………………….June 21-26 2015
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Kohala Coast, Hawaii
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Advertising Rates - 2013
One Page
½ Page
¼ Page
1 Issue
$ 75.00
$ 60.00
$ 40.00
$ 20.00
2 Issues
$ 150.00
$ 120.00
$ 80.00
$ 40.00
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Business Card
Delegate Report - Point of Care Practice
By Tereyo Cox, MT
Promoting Good Point of Care Practices for Waived Testing was presented by Heather L. Strang (CDC and Prevention from Atlanta, GA). The
presentation took the allotted time and the speaker had great hand outs
and booklets available for those attending the lecture.
The presentation was very intriguing and informative in
preparing for a government body inspection. Ms. Stang
was well prepared and had booklets available to take
home. “Ready? Set? Test!”, “To Test or Not to Test?”,
postcards, and posters to take back to perspective facilities. Also, she gave us a website for free CE credits from
CDC www.cdc.gov/dls/waivedtests.
The presentation explained the growing trend of point of care tests and
the critical planning, and management process. It covered the aspects of
the responsibility for training non-lab personnel to perform waived testing. The presentation covered the importance of following manufacturer’s
instructions, quality control, and assessment of waived testing.
Also, Ms. Stang presented requirements for pre-analytical, analytical, and
post-analytical testing for waived testing. She discussed the three phases
of waived testing: 1) Specimen collection, 2) On-board control testing for
confirmation, and recording interpretation and 3) Result documentation,
confirmatory test, and biohazard, waste disposal. She explained the importance of standardized reporting of test, results given to authorized personnel, and results written legible for others to read. Ms. Stang explained
the importance of good record keeping for easily accessible retrieval purposes.
Finally, Ms. Stang spoke about the importance of temperature logs as being part of CLIA requirements for testing at waived sites. She highlighted
once again the importance of following manufacture’s instructions to do
waived kit testing. She also covered the requirements for waived testing
at a facility. The informational booklets has excellent resources, model
forms for documentation, and template safety procedures to follow. The
booklets give example of things to include in Incident reports, Confidential Agreement Instructions, and templates for training evaluation forms,
and competency performance assessment instructions.
Congratulations to one of our own from Tennessee being selected for
Board of Directors on National Level: Mr. Chris Seay. I am ready for
Hawaii 2015!!!
10
Delegate Report D - dimer
By Jerry Hudgins, MT
Our “trip of surprises” started on Saturday July 6 th, on a gloomy morning,
but riding in a very comfortable, clean quite car owned by Kaye Tschop.
My doctor said I could go by ground, not air, because there must be an exercise time each hour and a half. My lady friend, Teresa Warren, LPN and
Kaye made sure of the exercise; it really helped to move those legs. Sunday
was our day of lightly touring and site seeing, it is such an unusual event to
walk across those bridges on a safe pedestrian path and view the rivers as
the sun goes down and the city comes to life with its lights.
Our meeting was held at the Omni William Penn Hotel and the facility was
a magnificently preserved great architectural structure. We were told that
the original filming of one scene of “Silence of the Lambs” was performed
on the second level of this hotel, isn’t that Neat!
One of the lectures I moderated was on D-dimer assays and Mrs. Beth Phillips MT, ASCP brought to mind the real dangers of DVTs and PEs.
As far back as 1687, Malpighi noted that blood clotted and reliquified after
death, then in 1893 Dustre coined the term “Fibrinolysis”.
Our present day use of the D-dimer started 30 years ago as an aide in Suspected DVT (deep vein thrombosis), then in the mid 1990’s as an aide in
ruling out VTE (vein thrombi emboli), then came the DIC profile. Some of
the interesting things noted are the following occurrences: 600,000 Deep
Vein Thrombi per year and 150,000 Pulmonary Emboli per year.
The diagnostic challenges with DVT/PE are 90% of PE (emboli that have
traveled to the pulmonary arteries) have developed from DVT, which can
occur in legs, pelvis or other extremities. Up to 50% of DVT produce minimal symptoms or are completely “SILENT”. These occur at a rate of 85%
in proximal veins and 15% in the calf of the leg, 20-30% of the calf thrombi
exit proximally. Highest incident of PE occur in hospitalized patients and
death usually occurs within 60 minutes in about 10% of these people. Some
of the following signs could be warning of a PE:
 Shortness of Breath
Anxiety or nervousness
 Rapid Pulse
Excessive sweating
 Sharp chest pain
Cough with blood
 Low Blood Pressure
Fainting
PE’s cause more deaths annually in U.S. than Breast Cancer,
Highway fatalities and AIDS combined. The D-dimer test is
useful in outpatient diagnosis, but isn’t of use in diagnosing
an emboli on hospitalized patients due to their ongoing disease state.
11
Delegate Report - DNA Mutations
By Christopher Seay, MT
Before I begin my report and introduce everyone to Ozzie Skinner, let me
say this was a great AMT meeting. The Omni William Penn Hotel is classic architectural beauty. The staff was so friendly and accessible. Had a
fantastic time! There were a total of 266 attendees. There were twenty-five
(25) first timers and seven (7) second timers. There were 171 credentialed
delegates. Everyone seemed to have a great time.
Now, meet Ozzie Skinner. He gave a thoroughly outstanding presentation
on DNA Mutations. In the sixty minutes, he covered a large number of mutations. He just ran out of time. He began by talking about the basic structure of DNA. Chromosomes are thread-like structures located inside the
nucleus of animal and plant cells. Each chromosome is made of protein
and a single molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The unique structure of chromosomes keeps DNA tightly wrapped around spool-like proteins, called histones. Without such packaging, DNA molecules would be
too long to fit inside cells. For example, if all of the DNA molecules in a
single human cell were unwound from their histones and placed end-toend, they would stretch 6 feet. Changes in the number or structure of chromosomes in new cells may lead to serious problems. For example, in humans, one type of leukemia and some other cancers are caused by defective chromosomes made up of joined pieces of broken chromosomes. It is
also crucial that reproductive cells, such as eggs and sperm, contain the
right number of chromosomes and that those chromosomes have the correct structure. If not, the resulting offspring may fail to develop properly.
Each person has slight differences in their physical make up - and therefore
in their DNA. These subtle variations in DNA are called polymorphisms
(literally "many forms"). Many of these gene polymorphisms account for
slight differences between people such as hair and eye color. But some
gene variations may result in disease or an increased risk for disease. Although all polymorphisms are the result of a mutation in the gene, geneticists only refer to a change as a mutation when it is not part of the normal
variations between people. Germline Mutations are present in the egg and
sperm cells, which are also called germ cells. Mutations that occur only in
an egg or sperm cell, or those that occur just after fertilization, are called
new (de novo) mutations. De novo mutations may explain genetic disorders in which an affected child has a mutation in every cell, but has no
family history of the disorder. Acquired/Somatic mutations can occur in
any of the cells of the body except the germ cells (sperm and egg) and
therefore are not passed on to children. It is important to note that genes
themselves do not cause disease - genetic disorders are caused by
12
Delegate Report - DNA Mutations
By Christopher Seay, MT
mutations that make a gene function improperly. New genetic diseases
are discovered every month; as of 2001, there are estimated to be approximately 1,100 genetic diseases. Genetic diseases are present in 8
percent of live births. Nucleotides are the alphabet of DNA. There are
only four "letters" in DNA: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and
cytosine (C). They always go by pairs, A with T, and G with C. Such
pairs are called "base pairs". If unfolded the DNA in each cell's nucleus
would be 2 meters long. Humans have an estimated 100 trillion cells.
In other words, if all the DNA from every cell in a person's body were
patched up together they would form a strand of 200 billion kilometers,
or more than 1,000 times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
There are in fact 23 pairs of chromosomes, each person inheriting a
maternal and paternal copy of each. Pairs of chromosomes are numbered from the largest (chromosome 1) to the smallest (chromosome
21). Ozzie gave of some facts about DNA mutations. Black Plague
Mutations derived from Smallpox. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius, a conqueror better known as the Stoic Emperor of Rome, succumbed to
some sort of disease, which may have been smallpox, brought into
Rome by soldiers returning from Seleucia. Many soldiers also died
from this, known as Galen's Plague. Cystic fibrosis: or CF, is an inherited disease of the secretory (see-KREH-tor-ee) glands. Secretory
glands include glands that make mucus and sweat. Disease is passed
from parents to children through genes. People who have CF inherit
two faulty genes for the disease - one from each parent. The parents
likely don't have the disease themselves. CF mainly affects the lungs,
pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs. There were so much
more he presented. However, I think I should stop at this point. If we
are lucky and fortunate, in October 2014, we may be able to get Ozzie
to present to us at the Magnolia Educational Treasures in Gatlinburg,
TN. This was a fantastic presentation.
To close, I thank all those who offered support and
prayers. I was elected to The AMT Board of
Directors.
I will be working hard to
make you proud of me and,
even more so, proud of AMT.
13
Meet Ozzie Skinner!
Magnolia Educational Treasures
Magnolia Educational Treasures
proudly presents
October 17 & 18, 2014
At the beautiful Edgewater Hotel in the heart of
Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Visit the web at www.edgewater-hotel.com
Make your reservations now by calling: 1-800-423-9582
(Reservation code is Magnolia)
Room Rate: $109.00/night (plus 12.75% tax) (Single or Double).
Includes complimentary continental breakfast & free parking.
Visit www.gatlinburg.com for a comprehensive listing of the
Gatlinburg scene.
Meeting Registration Fees, Speakers and
Topics: To follow.
14
On the Cover
By Kaye Tschop, MT
My coordinates are 35°2′46″N 90°1′23″W. I am located in the far southwest corner of Tennessee 9 miles from downtown Memphis and only 4
miles from the Mississippi border. I am one of the most visited properties behind the White House and the Biltmore Estates. I sit on 13.588
acres of property and I am probably most known by my entrance gate.
You can’t miss me as my one-of-a-kind gates has green musical notes
and is shaped like a sheet of music. I was originally owned by C. W. Toof
who founded a commercial printing company and was once the pressroom foreman at the company. My grounds are named after Mr. Toof’s
daughter Grace. Grace inherited the farm and together with her niece
Ruth Moore and her husband Dr. Thomas Moore built the present mansion in the current Colonial Revival Style. I was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1991 and designated as a
National Historic Landmark March 27, 2006.
August 16, 1977 my life was cut short by an apparent heart attack where
they found me on the bathroom floor. I am flanked by my mother
Gladys, father Vernon, and grandmother Minnie May as I am buried in
the Meditation Gardens .
Do you know who I am? I am Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley
Mansion & Estate Memphis, Tennessee!!
Cover photos courtesy of Chris Seay
Meditation Garden photo courtesy of: Airtuna08 at en.wikipedia
15
AMT National Convention Pictures
Jerry Hud
gins
Chris
Seay
Kaye p
o
Tsch
Tereyo
Cox
Jerry
Hudgins &
Theresa
Warren
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AMT National Convention Pictures
Jerry Hudgins accepting Distinguished Achievement for Annie
Washington
Jerry
Hudgins
receiving
State
Society
Honor
Role
T
TNSSAM
l
Nationa
Award
Winners
First
Place
Journal
Kaye
Tschop
Editor
17
2013 Fall Meeting Speaker Photos
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fall Meeting Speakers
1. Angie Dotson, RN
2. Dr. Perry Scanlan
3. Nancy Wilkerson
10.
4. Dr. Will Farthing
5.
5. Everett Bloodworth, MT
6. Kathy Veazey, RN
7. Craig Peevyhouse, RN
8. Elizabeth Allen, RN
9. Kate Bloodworth, MT
9.
6.
10. Leigh Ann Stamps, MT
8.
7.
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2013 Fall Meeting Photos
1.
3.
Tennessee
2.
5.
F
4.
1. Jerry Hudgins & Judy Coburn
2. Chris Seay, Kate & Everett
Bloodworth & Jerry Hudgins
3. Junior Bassant
4. Kay Burnett & Jerry Hudgins
5. Newly elected officers & board
members
6. Agnes Oslica, Martha Duncan &
Leigh Ann Stamps.
7. Helene Kerpics
A
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meeting
7.
6.
19
Stress - Take Action!
By Kaye Tschop, MT
The Basics
Some physical signs include: headNot all stress is bad. Stress can pro- aches, upset stomach, back pain,
weight gain, problems sleeping,
tect you in a dangerous situation.
tense muscles and frequent colds.
Preventing and managing chronic
daily stress can help lower your risk What are the benefits of managing
for serious health problems like obestress?
sity, high blood pressure and deManaging stress can help you sleep
pression. Reduce or prevent stress
better, control your weight, get less
by: planning ahead, decide which
back and neck pain, heal faster, get
tasks need tackled first, or preparing
sick less often, get along with family
for stressful events. Stress is hard to
and friends, plus you can be in a
avoid so try to manage your stress
better mood.
by taking time to relax, eat healthy,
Take Action against Stress!
talk to friends and family, and get
healthy.
Take action against your stress by
What causes stress?
Stress is often caused by some type
of change. Positive changes can
cause stress as well like getting a
promotion or winning a contest.
Stress can be short-term or longterm. Common short-term stresses
are: too much to do, lack of time to
finish projects, running late, traffic
jams, getting lost, or lots of little
problems in the same day. Common
long-term stress is caused by chronic illness, death of a loved one, problems at work, money problems or
being a care giver.
What are the signs of stress?
being prepared and being in control
of your situation will help with the
stress in your life. Here are 9 tips to
help in the prevention and management of stress.
1. Plan your time wisely and set realistic goals. Prepare a to-do list and
start with the most important
things.
2. Prepare yourself ahead of time
for stressful events like a job interview .
3. Relax with meditation or deep
breathing. This relaxes your muscles
and clears the mind.
4. Relax your muscles. Stress causes
People may feel worried, angry, irri- tension in your muscles. Try a hot
table, short tempered, depressed,
shower or stretching exercises.
and unable to focus. Stress effects
5. Get Active. A little exercise does
the body in many different ways.
20
Stress -Take Action
By Kaye Tschop, MT
wonders to improve your mood and
relaxes your muscles too.
6. Eat wisely by feeding your body lots
of fruits, vegetables and proteins.
7. Watch the alcohol! Drink in moderation. No more than 1-2 drinks per day.
8. Talk to friends and family when you
feel upset and stressed.
Lots of people need professional help to
deal with their stress appropriately.
Talking with a professional is nothing to
be ashamed of. In todays fast paced
world we live in, our lives are filled with
all sorts of stress of one type or another. Be good to yourself by taking some
well deserved “me-time”, eat well, gets
lots of rest and be kind to one another.
Your life may depend on it!
9. Get professional help if you need it.
Committee Assignments - 2013
Historical
Martha Duncan, MT*
Publication
Kaye Tschop, MT*
Chris Seay, MT
Valerie Owens, RMA
Bonnie Wiseman, MT
Diane Robbins, MT*
Diane Robbins, MT
Annie Washington, MT
Valerie Owens, RMA
Agnes Oslica, MT*
Martha Duncan, MT
Legislative
Bylaws/SOP
Walter Parsons, MT
Proctor
Audit
Kaye Tschop, MT*
Charles Haun, MT*
Martha Duncan, MT
Valerie Owens, RMA
Scientific
Kay Burnett, MT*
Chris Seay, MT
Nat’l Lab Wk
Kay Burnett, MT*
Kim Wheeler, MT
Nat’l RMA Wk Valerie Owens, RMA*
Photography
Membership
Kaye Tschop, MT*
Diane Robbins, MT
Nominating Martha Duncan, MT*
Chris Seay, MT
Gaye Hudson, MT
Jerry Hudgins*
Kaye Tschop, MT
Annie Washington, MT
* Denotes Chair of Committee
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DELEGATE REPORT
REPORT—
—Lymphadema
By Kaye Tschop, MT
Nicole Baldridge, PT, DPT, CLT, Certified Lymphedema Therapist,
Women’s Rehab Men’s Health, Physical Therapy Resident for Centers
for Rehab Services in the Pittsburg area presented a very interesting
lecture on Lymphedema.
Lymphedema is described as an abnormal accumulation
of the protein-rich fluid in the interstitium, causing
chronic inflammation and reactive fibrosis of the affected tissues. Lymphedema usually affects an extremity,
but can also occur in the head, neck, genitals, and abdomen.
Lymphedema is poorly understood but is said to affect
about 2.5 million Americans but is very common in third world countries effecting about 90 million people. Primary lymphedema can be
present at birth or can develop later in life. Some primary lymphedema
diagnosis can include:

Lymphangiodysplasia – general malformation

Hypoplasia – fewer than normal # of lymph collectors

Aplasia – absences of collectors in a distinct area

Milroy's Disease is congenital lymphedema evident at birth

Meige’s Syndrome is primary lymphedema onset at puberty
(lymphedema praecox)

Lymphedema Tardum is primary lymphedema onset after
age 35
Some causes of secondary lymphedema are surgery, trauma, radiation,
scarring or infection in the lymphatic system. Many women suffer
from lymphedema after a breast removal and lymph node biopsies after
a cancer diagnosis. In third world countries, the most common cause of
secondary lymphedema is a parasitic infiltrate into the lymphatic system.
Diagnosis of lymphedema begins with a thorough patient history and a
physical exam. The most common tests ordered today to assist in the
diagnosis are ultra sound, CT scan and MRI. There is no cure for
lymphedema, you can only managing the symptoms. Some treatments
used for lymphedema are a pneumatic compression pump, surgery,
complete decongestive therapy (CDT), elastic garments and medications.
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DELEGATE REPORT
REPORT—
—Lymphadema
By Kaye Tschop, MT
Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) consists of manual
lymph drainage, compression bandaging, exercise, skin and nail
care and instructions in self care. Treatment begins with light
gentle massage of the affected area to stimulate and reroute the
lymph flow around blocked areas so the fluid can drain into the
venous system. After manual lymph drainage, compression bandages are applied to affected area to increase pressure and keep
excess fluid from re-accumulating. Light exercises are performed
while bandaging and compression garments are worn to stimulate
muscle and joint pumps, stimulate lymph and venous return.
Good nail care is very important to keep bacterial and fungal infections at bay. Cuts and bruises should be cleaned immediately
to keep the risk of infection low.
Complete Decongestive Therapy is a two phase treatment program with phase one consisting of manual lymph massage,
bandaging, exercises and skin and nail care. Phase two of the
therapy consists of everything in phase one with the addition of
compression garments and routine follow up visits for a lifelong
condition. Goals are to reduce size of the extremity, restore range
of motion and increase the quality of life of the patient. Medicare does not cover the cost of garments where most private insurance companies do cover the cost of bandaged and garments.
Bandages and compression garments are hot and uncomfortable
so many patients are not compliant in wearing them.
Ho
o
Ho H
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Caribbean Sojourns
By Walter Parsons, MT (AMT)))
My first CASMET meeting was 2001 in Nassau, Bahamas, and have been
attending bi-annual meetings and regional council meetings as a guest
since then - Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Belize and Grand Cayman. I also
visited several additional islands as a tourist in the ‘80s. I have experienced the beauty of the Caribbean and its people with each return visit a
greater appreciation for their culture. CASMET and RCM are an easy way
to meet new friends and professional partners in clinical laboratory medicine in the Caribbean enriching my life which leads to lifelong friendships
and professional contacts.
Each trip has had its unique and memorable experience and I wish to
share one with you while attending the Belize Regional Council meeting
October 2012, hosted by Mr. Jaime Correa. Several CASMET members
along with Chris Seay and myself extended our visit an extra day to see
some sites in Belize. We shared a taxi ride to downtown Belize City and
enjoyed walking around the city shopping and site seeing. The streets are
narrow and congested. Banks, offices and shops line the main streets
along with fruit and fast-food vendors in open pavement spaces. We
were also looking for a particular restaurant - Bird’s Isle - Jaime had recommended. We crossed a little bridge on this dirt road pausing to observe a large iguana crossing the road in front of us and continuing its
journey up a tree. There in front of us was a sign welcoming us to Bird’s
Isle Restaurant and I say just in time as I needed something to settle my
nerves! Our waiter was very friendly, the beers cold and the food was
tasty. We had a great time kicking back, listening to music and enjoying
the beautiful ocean view. We walked back to our pick up place for the taxi
ride back to the hotel. That night we all piled into Jaime’s car for another
trip downtown to Riverside Tavern overlooking the Belize River. Turns out
friends of Jaime work here so we were treated as special guests. The Tavern offers a great selection of local and American food - good quality no
matter if you go for a burger or fish. Riverside Tavern is run by the famous
Belikin family - Belikin beer and local farm raised beef. The place reminded me of a sports bar back home with TV watching from anywhere in the
restaurant. Following the meal, everyone was having an after dinner tropical drink that had amusing names. I did not order one until someone
challenged me to join everyone. So the waiter/bartender said he would
make one for me. This drink was served in a tall glass, appeared to have
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Caribbean Sojourns
By Walter Parsons, MT (AMT)
everything. Ice cream, milk and whipped cream - the
works! Oh, it tasted delicious - just like a soda fountain
milkshake. I sipped on this drink until I hit the bottom
making that slurping noise that kids do sometimes.
Someone asked me if I enjoyed it and I said yes, it tastes
like a milkshake. As I said these words, I screamed out,
“I’m lactose intolerant!” I don’t know what my facial expression was but
the whole table broke out in laughter and Jaime almost fell out of his chair
in uncontrollable laughter. I got amused with his reaction but I knew I
was in for a lot of trouble because I was going back to the states the next
day. The side effects of lactose intolerant people are bloating, cramping,
gas and diarrhea. What will I do? What was I thinking? Needless to say,
everyone had an enjoyable time but I knew I was going to have major
problems tonight and the next day flying home.
Once I got back to my hotel room, I went straight to my medication bag
and took loperamide hydrochloride tablets for preventive care (antidiarrhea) and started praying to God to get me home safely and not let
me have any trouble. And I am happy to report I made it home without
any problems. I got home at 10pm and thanked God again for taking care
of me. However, at midnight I was up and was up most of the night but I
didn’t care because I was in my own home. I am truly lactose intolerant
and apparently need reminding when away from home.
25
TN Medical Laboratory Board and Legislative Update
By Annie Washington, MT
Here are two important items from the Tennessee
State Licensure Board I wanted to remind everyone about
as we start the New Year.
PUBLIC CHAPTER 952
On January 1, 2013, a new law became effective requiring the
licensing board to provide electronic notices to licensees. The law gives
you the option of being notified electronically of the following: (1) Renewals of license, certification or registration; (2) Any fee increases; (3)
Any changes in state law that impact the license holder; and (4) Any board
meeting where changes in rules or fees are on the agenda. If you “opt in”,
the Department of Health will also be able to alert you of critical public
health matters impacting the State of Tennessee.
You can visit https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/begin.jsp and complete the registration
process to opt in. Once you opt in and provide a current email address, you
will begin to receive ALL notices electronically rather than through the
United States mail. Please note that opting in means your renewal notification will be delivered electronically approximately 45 days in advance of
your expiration. The e-notice will direct you to the appropriate webpage to
renew. If your profession does not permit you to renew your license
online, a paper renewal will continue to be provided.
BOARD REVISION OF CE POLICY
The July, 2013 Board Meeting, the policy statement regarding continuing
education was discussed and revised. The revision addresses those who
may still hold an active license but are not working due to disability, retirement or other circumstances.
The policy revision allows a licensee who has failed to obtain CE hours in
a timely manner, the option to retire the license within thirty (30) days
or have ninety (90) days from the date that appears on the deficiency letter
from the Board to obtain the CE hours that are still deficient and to submit
proof of completion of those hours to the Board’s staff.
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