Digital Pathology Blog

Recovery Act Grant: Enabling National Networking of Scientists and Resource Discovery

As part of the federal stimulus package, NIH has announced the “Enabling National Networking of Scientists and Resource Discovery” funding opportunity.

This grant is designed to support the development, enhancement or extension of Web-based tools for professional connection and collaboration in biomedical research. NCRR has designated $30 million to fund two such grants. 

Application Receipt Date: June 15, 2009

The complete RFA can be found here.

News items from CAP

Several newsworthy items in this recent mailing from CAP.

Of note, a couple items pertinent to digital pathology including dermatopathology survey, a pre-conference workshop at the upcoming Futurescape meeting on digital pathology and early announcements for CAP '09.

CAP Member Wins American Cancer Society’s Star of
Hope Award
Richard N. Eisen, MD, FCAP, was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Star of Hope award, which honors doctors who "demonstrate excellence in providing compassionate and skilled care for people facing cancer and their unyielding contribution in the cancer fight." The article illustrates how pathologists are an integral part of the medical team. The chief of oncology at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, said he’s worked with Dr. Eisen for 15 years and couldn’t image working without him at their hospital. Dr. Eisen’s recognition of his work is a great example of transformation of the specialty.
Read the full article

Revised Cancer Protocols—Coming Soon
Cancer protocols containing the 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/International Union Against Cancer (UICC) cancer staging elements will be released by the CAP mid- to late- summer 2009. Let your IT staff know now to prepare for these upcoming changes.
Learn more about the Cancer Protocols

YOUR COLLEGE NEWS

CAP ’09 Abstracts Program — Deadline Is March 27, 2009
With the deadline fast approaching, consider submitting an abstract or case study. Submissions to the Abstracts Program will be accepted through Friday, March 27, 2009, at 11:59 PM. The CAP ’09 Abstracts Program is a competitive program that is designed to promote a broad range of research in pathology. The program provides a unique opportunity to enhance research skills and contribute to the literature and advancement of pathology. Everyone is encouraged to submit abstracts, and CAP Junior Members are eligible for cash awards for their presentations. Visit the CAP ’09 website for more information.

 New Addition to the CAP Transformation
Web Site
Don’t miss the latest pathologist story of
Dennis D. Reinke, MD, FCAP, whose dedication to the specialty of pathology led him to receive the Pathologist Spotlight Award from the College.
Stay tuned for new photos and additions to the Real Story featuring Yvonne R. Hearn, MD, FCAP.

New Dermatopathology Survey
The CAP online digital slide program in dermatopathology offers valuable benefits to assess and improve your diagnostic abilities:

• Two releases, each with five diagnostic challenges—earn 5.0 CME credits per year
• Digital image technology, simulates the use of a microscope and allows scanning and magnification changes
• Challenges are completed online, on your terms, when and where you want
• Instant feedback—you’ll know immediately whether or not your diagnosis is correct
• First release in June

Enroll in the Dermatopathology CAP Survey today. Call 800-323-4040
option 1.

Save the Date: Lab Week Is
April 19–25, 2009
National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 19–25, 2009) is a special time set aside to recognize the important role that pathologists and other medical laboratory professionals play in treating patients. This year's theme is "Laboratory Professionals Get Results." Important information to help you promote National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week in your community and to your co–workers will be featured at the CAP website in April. Stay tuned to the CAP website for more information.

 

The CAP Foundation

Thinking about Digital Imaging for
Your Practice?
Attend the Digital Imaging Pre-Conference Workshop at Futurescape III—Transforming Pathology: Information as a Disruptive Technology, June 12–14 in Rosemont, Illinois. This hands-on experience will reveal how these systems can be used in your practice. For more information, contact Arlene Strong at 800-323-4040 ext. 7324.

New Pilot Program Available for Resident Research Grant Projects
A one-year pilot program created to provide financial resources for basic science and clinical research projects for residents and those in fellowships has been launched.
Learn more.

Call for Nominations Lansky Award for Leadership—Deadline:
May 1, 2009
Know a great candidate for the Lansky Award for Leadership? The CAP Foundation is currently accepting nominations.
Learn more.

Download the March NewsPath^® Podcast and Article
Listen to the March NewsPath^® podcast on "The Role of KRAS Mutation Testing in the Management of Colorectal Cancer," by special contributor, Mark D. Pool, MD, FCAP, and presented by CAP Spokesperson, Soon Bahrami, MD, FCAP. Both the article and podcast were based on the CAP POET report on the same topic. Share the information with your clinical colleagues during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month in March.

Sign Up for CAP '09 and Take Advantage of the Early Bird Savings
Sign up now for CAP '09 – THE Pathologists' Meeting™, October 11–14 at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, DC, and receive the best price guaranteed! Pay $899 and save 20% off the $1,125 global fee. No deposit required. Visit cap2009.org today and save!

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

CMS Technical Problem with New PQRI Code
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified a technical problem with the new PQRI 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) CPT II code. For pathologists, the PQRI code affected is 3250F, which non-primary site specimens for the Breast and Colorectal Cancer reporting measures. CMS carriers rejected these line items as unprocessable. More information is available on the CMS website.

View the New and Updated Practice Management Resources
The following is a list of new and updated practice management resources and each resource is listed by practice management topic area.

• Compliance and Risk Management
  • CMS Fraud & Abuse Resource List — A four-page summary of Fraud & Abuse topics and available resources.
  • HIPAA Privacy Rule and Health Information Technology — guidance documents that discuss how the Privacy Rule can facilitate the electronic exchange of health information
  • Medicolegal Issues in Pathology
  • Liability and Payment Issues in the Selection of Pathology Assays
• Human Resources
  • National Provider Identifier (NPI) — Apply or Update your NPI on the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES)

Suite of SNOMED CT Courses Now Available in Self–Directed Format
SNOMED Terminology Solutions™ (STS™) now offers many of the popular, core SNOMED CT classes—SNOMED CT: An Introduction; SNOMED CT: Concept Model; SNOMED CT: Data Structure (Relational) Model, and SNOMED CT: An Introduction to Nursing Content in the new self–directed format. The new platform allows users a convenient way to learn about SNOMED CT at their own pace (or when their motivation is at its highest), without being tied to a scheduled time or place. It also gives students an economical option for learning, since it eliminates the traditional costs associated with travel and instructor expenses. To enroll in the self–directed courses, users should visit the STS online course catalog and create an account to register. STS also offers classroom sessions and Web teleconferences, and all education services can be customized.
Please note: The CAP Education activities will be unavailable March 14 through March 22 while the learning management system is upgraded. Please enroll after March 23, 2009.

SNOMED CT in Pathology and Cancer Work Registry Scheduled for May
The SNOMED CT in Pathology and Cancer Work Registry Web Teleconference will be offered 10:00–11:30 AM CST, May 18, 2009. This introductory 90–minute Web–based program will address SNOMED CT's structure and content coverage and its use in the surgical pathology cancer checklists as adapted from the College of American Pathologist's Cancer Protocols. The presenter also will review US government initiatives in biomedical informatics as related to SNOMED CT. For more information, call 800-323-4040 ext. 7700 or 847–832–7700, or contact snomedsolutions@cap.org.
Please note: The CAP Education activities will be unavailable March 14 through March 22 while the learning management system is upgraded.

RESIDENTS SECTION

Residents Forum Meeting in Boston–Resounding Success
Resident colleagues headed to Boston the weekend of March 6–7 to the Welcome Reception on Friday evening and for the all-day Saturday session. Transformation was a key theme. Visit CAP for Residents at the CAP website for the latest information.

SPOKESPERSONS NETWORK IN THE MEDIA AND
IN THE COMMUNITY

Pathologist Takes Steps to Keep Local Hospital Free from MRSA Infections
James R. Miller, MD, FCAP, is featured by the Salem Times Commoner Newspaper in Salem, Illinois, demonstrating a new technology, GeneXpert, which he is using to keep his local hospital free from MRSA infections. The article is a great example of how a pathologist is recognized for using technology to help transform the role of specialty in the media as well as in preventing the spread of MRSA.
Read the full article.

 

 

 

Healthcare IT funding from recent stimulus package passed

A number of people have asked me recently if healthcare IT initiatives will receive any funding from the recently passed stimulus package.  Here is a nice summary I saw recently:

The $787 billion economic stimulus package includes $19 billion for HIT. The HHS Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) will receive $2 billion to use to coordinate health IT policy and programs. Programs will be initiated by the Secretary but the National Coordinator will have the responsibility to move and expand the electronic movement of health information.

The ONC will be able to award grants to states or to Indian Tribes to use to establish a certified EHR Technology Loan Fund Program to help providers. Loans may be used by providers to purchase certified EHR technology, improve EHR technology, to train personal to use the new technology, and to improve the secure electronic exchange of health information. These loans won’t be available until 2010.

The National Coordinator has the responsibility for standards and certification. New health IT Policy and HIT standards committees will be formed to serve as federal advisory committees and the committees will then forward their recommendations to the National Coordinator.

With this legislation, all health care providers and insurers plans that are providing services or products for the federal government will now be required to use only standards compliant health IT systems and products.

Incentive payments of $17.2 billion will be made through Medicare to go to health professionals and hospitals for certified EHR technology. Incentive payments will be made to physicians for the first five years from 2011-2015 if the use of EHR technology is demonstrated. The Medicare payment schedule for eligible professionals is $15,000 for the first year. However, if by 2015, a health professional does not demonstrate the use of EHR, then Medicare reimbursement payments will be reduced.

Hospitals will also receive incentive payments for the first five years for making use of EHR technology. If an eligible hospital does not make meaningful use of the EHR technology by 2015, their reimbursement payments will also be reduced.

According to the publication “Health Data Management”, the Congressional Budget Office projects that health IT provisions in the stimulus package will result in 90% of doctors and 70% of hospitals using certified EHR systems by 2019.

The National Coordinator will be responsible for developing a health IT extension program to provide health IT assistance and to help providers adopt health technology. In addition, Regional Centers will be developed to provide technical assistance.

To enhance educational possibilities in the field of health IT, grants may be provided for demonstration projects to help move and integrate certified EHR technology into clinical education. In addition, assistance will be provided in consultation with the National Science Foundation to establish or expand medical health informatics programs in universities and colleges.

The stimulus package will also provide $4.7 billion for NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, $2.5 billion for USDA’s Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program, $1.5 billion for HRSA to use to build or repair health centers and/or to purchase equipment, $1.1 billion to provide for research within AHRQ, NIH, and HHS, $85 million for health IT and telehealth technologies within the Indian Health Service, $500 million for SSA, and $50 million to provide IT within the Veterans Benefits Administration.

CAP Foundation Grants - Deadline: February 1, 2009

 

NIH awards contracts for projects to improve informatics support to small clinical studies.

Healthcare IT News (1/26, Merrill) reported that NIH "has awarded three contracts for pilot projects to improve informatics support for researchers conducting small-to medium-sized clinical studies. Officials say the projects will boost how researchers communicate and aid in the discovery of new treatments for diseases." The contracts were awarded to "Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, the University of Washington in Seattle and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn." Researchers at Case Western University will "develop Physio-MIMI, an informatics infrastructure for collecting, managing and analyzing diverse data types across institutions." The University of Washington project will "develop a mechanism allowing researchers at three large, geographically distributed medical centers to easily access large shared data sets." The Vanderbilt project will "extend the capabilities of the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) system."

Innovation at University of Michigan and Around the State

"The University of Michigan established the Medical Innovation Center to encourage new ideas in the state. The Center was formed to help clinicians overcome a number of barriers, help others navigate the complexities of commercialization, improve public health, develop an effective education curriculum, and provide introductions to collaborators, funding sources, and industry partners.

Once the Innovation Center has sufficient funds, a Global Innovation Alliance Program will be established. This program will provide international fellows the opportunity to be trained at UM and the university will support innovative programs to develop low-cost biomedical technologies. These technologies will be used to help emerging countries and for individuals suffering from rare or orphan diseases.

Recently, the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Matthew M. Davis, M.D., Associate Professor of General Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at the UM Medical School will lead the project.

This project is one of 104 grants announced by the Gates Foundation for the first funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations, a five year $100 million initiative to help scientists around the world explore bold new solutions for health challenges in developing countries.

Davis will work with other UM experts in vaccines and economics on the project. The idea is to link biotech companies and researchers in the industrialized world with vaccine manufacturers in developing countries to enable the transfer of new vaccine technologies from one phase and place of vaccine development to another. Priority will be given to vaccines against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrheal diseases, and pneumonia.

In another advance, the University of Michigan Health System implemented the UM-CareLink computerized provider order entry system in the University Hospital and the Cardiovascular Center. Even before the system was completed, there had been a 29 percent reduction in medication errors and a 40 percent cut in time between ordering and administrating urgent medications.

In addition, UMHS received a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to provide comprehensive pre-clinical health curricula worldwide via the Internet. The University of Michigan, the Open Society Institute, and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research are providing financial support.

The UM Medical School is leading the project and working with the UMHS schools and partner institutions in Africa at the University of Cape Town and the University of Ghana. A key part of this effort will be to convert existing educational materials into Open Educational Resources available online. The Medical School and the Schools of Public Health and Dentistry will provide materials for the pilot.

In the state and federal government sector, Michigan’s Department of Community Health’s (MDCH) Office of Public Health Preparedness is overseeing projects through CDC’s funding of $24 million made available for pandemic influenza preparedness. The state of Michigan received more than $2 million for projects.

MDCH will provide the oversight to three projects. The first project involves expanding the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR). The MCIR All Hazards Enhancement Project developed through MDCH’s Bureau of Epidemiology will expand the registry to achieve timely reporting, data aggregation, and data exchange in the event of an influenza pandemic.

The second project is using a new electronic PHIN compliant electronic mortality reporting system developed through MDCH’s Bureau of Local Health and Administrative Services to exchange mortality data with federal partners and then integrate this data into existing disease reporting systems.

The final MDCH project developed through Spectrum Health of Grand Rapids is working on a set of planning and operations guidelines to identify and provide essential healthcare if it becomes necessary to care for large numbers of hospitalized and home bound patients during a pandemic.

The Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research part of the NIH Roadmap Clinical and Translational Science Award created the Pilot and Collaborative Grant Program with $5 million in funds. The program looks for proposals promoting the development of novel solutions to improve patient and community health outcomes. In addition to clinical and translational research, proposals are accepted on health services studies, outcomes or policies that test new interventions, and proposals relevant to developing new methods or best practices.

The types of grants available in this program include seed grants, pilot grants, collaborative grants, clinical trial planning grants community-university research partnerships, health disparities research, and research on ethics projects."

API Scholarships for Medical Technology Students Announced

The American Proficiency Institute (API) recently announced a new $10,000 scholarship program for medical technology students.   In introducing the program, Dan Edson, API President, explained, "We are looking for future, visionary leaders of the profession. Because of the nationwide shortage of medical technologists, we hope these scholarships will promote the field for future laboratorians."  Junior- and senior-level medical technology students are encouraged to apply. 
Visit www.api-pt.com.

Upcoming CAP Foundation Grants—October 1st Deadline

The CAP Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization for pathologists and residents-in-training. The Foundation’s research, training, and leadership development grants and awards benefit promising pathology researchers, advance technology innovations, develop new pathology leaders, and provide humanitarian aid related to pathology. We urge you to invest in your future by taking advantage of the grant opportunities listed below.

How to Apply

For additional descriptions, eligibility requirements and guidelines for completing an application, visit the CAP Foundation Web site. You can also send an email, or call          800.323.4040       extension 7324 for more information.

Grants for Advanced Training

Advanced Training – General Elective
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $2,000 per month to support travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To support travel and living expenses for the training period.

Advanced Training Elective in Molecular Diagnostics
Sponsored by:  Abbott Molecular
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $2,000 per month to support travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To support travel and living expenses for the training period.

Advanced Training Elective in Molecular Diagnostics for Individualized Cancer Treatment Decisions
Sponsored by:  Genomic Health
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To provide additional exposure to advanced molecular diagnostics techniques and quantitative testing (e.g., PCR, ER, PR, Her2).

NEW – Advanced Training Elective in Molecular Pathology
Sponsored by:  Sakura Finetek USA, Inc.
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To provide a rotation aimed at pathology residents and fellows in training who are interested in learning cutting-edge technology used at high throughput surgical pathology departments.

Advanced Training in Pathology Informatics
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation and McKesson Provider Technologies
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To offer background and experience to pathology residents to introduce and implement advanced informatics technology in the clinical laboratory. This elective must be completed within May 1 – August 31, 2009.

NEW – Advanced Training Elective in Translational Diagnostics
Sponsored by:  Ventana Medical Systems
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To gain additional exposure to novel antibody and probe development, new machines, technology, partnerships for developing companion diagnostics and related areas. This elective must be completed by December 31, 2008.

Conference Travel Awards

2009 Lab InfoTech Summit (March 16 - 18, 2009, Las Vegas, NV)
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation and the Pathology Education Consortium

Award Amount:  Recipients will receive complimentary registration and will be reimbursed up to $1,000 for travel expenses.

Purpose:  To attend a conference focusing on information technology for the clinical laboratory.

Grants for Quality Assurance

John H. Rippey Grant for Laboratory Quality Assurance
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $10,000

Grants for Research Projects

Scholars Research Program
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation and Seracon Diagnostics Company
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Up to $12,500 for six months and up to $25,000 for one year.

Purpose:  To provide funding for translational research in pathology.

NEW – Scholars Research Cervical Cancer Fellowship
Sponsored by:  Hologic Health
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $25,000

Purpose:  To allow a principal investigator to address a research question that focuses on the current FDA approved screening of women from age 30+ (HPV in conjunction with a PAP test.)

Research in Telepathology – Nikon
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation and Nikon Instruments
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $5,000 to cover expenses incurred during the grant period, and for travel to attend a national meeting to present an abstract/paper summarizing study results.

Purpose:  To further developments in and use of information technology for the practice of pathology.

Research in Telepathology – Olympus
Sponsored by:  CAP Foundation and Olympus America
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $5,000 to cover expenses incurred during the grant period, and for travel to attend a national meeting to present an abstract/paper summarizing study results.

Purpose:  To further developments in and use of information technology for the practice of pathology.

The CAP Foundation Announces Four New Grant Opportunities for the Fall

The deadline for all grant applications is October 1, 2008. Applications and additional details will become available in mid-August  on the CAP website.

NEW – Scholars Research Cervical Cancer Fellowship
Sponsored by:  Hologic Inc.
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  $25,000

Purpose:  To allow a principal investigator to address a research question that focuses on the current FDA approved screening of women from age 30+ (HPV in conjunction with a PAP test.)

NEW – Advanced Training Elective in Molecular Diagnostics for Individualized Cancer Treatment Decisions
Sponsored by:  Genomic Health
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To provide additional exposure to advanced molecular diagnostics techniques and quantitative testing (e.g., PCR, ER, PR, Her2). The elective will take place in a state-of-the-art laboratory located in Redwood City, California. Recipient will work under the direction of Dr. Frederick Baehner, Director of Immunohistochemistry Cancer Center Core Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco and pathologist at Genomic Health.

NEW – Advanced Training Elective in Translational Diagnostics
Sponsored by:  Ventana Medical Systems
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses

Purpose:  To gain additional exposure to novel antibody and probe development, new machines, technology, partnerships for developing companion diagnostics and related areas. Residents will work under the direction of Dr. Eric Walk, Medical Director of Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson, Arizona.

NEW – Advanced Training Elective in Molecular Pathology
Sponsored by:  Sakura Finetek USA, Inc.
Deadline:  October 1, 2008

Award Amount:  Allowance provided for travel and living expenses.

Purpose:  To provide a rotation aimed at pathology residents and fellows in training who are interested in learning cutting-edge technology used at high throughput surgical pathology departments. The elective will take place at University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, and Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Two additional locations will be announced at a later date.

Learning and Telemedicine in Rural Communities

Good news for rural communities - the United States Department of Agriculture has just announced that $128 million dollars will be available to improve medical care and education in rural areas:

"Telemedicine and distance learning are the foundation on which the quality of education and health care in rural America can and will improve," Dorr said via a video teleconference with health care providers in five states over a USDA-financed telemedicine network. "With these systems in place, rural residents will be able to take advantage of the wide variety of health care services and education programs available now and into the future."

Medical care professionals will be able to improve their skills via distance learning programs. Also, telemedicine will help people from rural communities get help from medical specialists that would otherwise be too far away to help - through video conferencing and other means, patients can be examined remotely.

Following the recent announcement about Canada's distance learning program for future immigrants, it seems that governments are finally starting to embrace online education as the powerful tool it can be.