Digital Pathology Blog

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Thoughts on HIMMS meeting

Attended the HIMMS meeting in Chicago a few weeks ago. Ole Eichorn over at The Daily Scan has a very nice report as well (with better pictures).  Enjoyed Ole's talk (one of the few related specifically to specialty of pathology).  Lot of interest among hospital IT folks about capacity, bandwidth, security, archiving image needs and compatibility between different systems as well as DICOM compliance for whole slide images in pathology.  From my perspective, they seem to understand this is technology they may need to support in their institutions and were asking very pertinent questions. 

No discusion about image resolution for clinical use, images being too large to manage or ability to serve images.  Discussion much more focused on understanding what needs to be done to support the technology.

Telemedicine was a large part of the program including the number and scale of exhibitor booths.

Can you imagine having mimes at the next USCAP meeting?

 

Harris Corporation had a booth and demonstrated their technology to move whole slide images and view them rapidly over satellite communication with BioImagene slides.  Very fast viewing of whole slide images without any tiling or pixelation with satellite communication from remote serve.

     

Apollo PACS (who have recently re-designed their website) exhibited at the meeting as well as dozens of other PACS companies.  I spoke with several and asked about what they were doing considering whole slide images in pathology.  Most had no idea what I was talking about, what a pathology slide was and what whole slide scanning or digital pathology involves.  Despite that they all said the same thing, "If it is DICOM, we can do it." 

All in all, the highlight of the meeting for me was hearing Dr. Jerry Linenger speak who gave one of the closing keynotes (Alan Greenspan gave the other).  Picked up one of Dr. Linenger's books since ("Off the Planet") and recommend if space travel interests you.

IBM and Mayo Clinic promote open-source consortium

Attending the HIMSS meeting next week.  This press release about Mayo and IBM was released in advance of the meeting but I gather we will all be hearing more about similar technlogies and initiatives as the meeting progresses through next week.

 ROCHESTER, Minn., April 2 (AScribe Newswire) -- Biomedical informatics researchers at Mayo Clinic and IBM today launched a Web site for the newly founded Open Health Natural Language Processing (NLP) Consortium. The consortium is establishing the open-source space to promote past and current development efforts, including participation in information extraction from electronic medical records.

As part of the launch, Mayo Clinic and IBM released their clinical NLP technologies into the public domain. The site, http://www.ohnlp.org , will allow the approximately 2,000 researchers and developers working on clinical language systems worldwide to contribute code and further develop the systems.

"We are inviting our international colleagues to help continue development of these valuable tools," says Christopher Chute, M.D., Dr.P.H., (http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/staff/chute_cg.cfm) Mayo Clinic bioinformatics expert and senior consultant on the project. "By making it an open-source initiative, we hope to enable wide use of these NLP tools so medical advancements can happen faster and more efficiently."

Executive War College to hold Digital Pathology Symposium

From Dark Daily:

Pathologists Soon to say Sayonara to Glass Slides!

March 26, 2009

Digital Pathology Imaging: Coming Soon to a Pathology Group near You!

Will pathologists soon say "sayonara" to glass slides? Plenty of smart money already bets the answer to that question is "yes"! Every pathologist in the United States and abroad should be watching developments in whole slide imaging and digital pathology systems. That's because digital pathology imaging is a trend with momentum-and it also has the potential to be disruptive, although probably not in the short term.

One powerful sign that digital imaging in pathology is ready to go mainstream is the take-up of digital imaging solutions and digital pathology systems by leading pathology laboratories in the United States and developed countries across the globe. These are academic and tertiary center pathology labs, along with major private pathology companies. As the pathology profession's first-movers and early adopters, it is these laboratories which set the pace for the entire profession. Their acceptance and growing use of digital imaging and digital pathology systems can be taken as evidence that the current generation of imaging and informatics technologies perform adequately.

However, there is another powerful force propelling digital imaging forward in anatomic pathology. It is the emergence of molecular assays which incorporate digital images and use either computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) or pattern recognition software to help the pathologist make a precise diagnosis. By design, these molecular tests require the pathologist to work from a digital image of the specimen. At The Dark Report's  second annual Molecular Summit on the Integration of In Vivo and In Vitro Diagnostics, conducted last February in Philadelphia, examples of these types of emerging assays were abundant.

Thus, the movement to adopt digital imaging and digital pathology systems is propelled forward by three discrete forces:

*One, acceptance and adoption of digital imaging and digital pathology by larger pathology laboratories, with the goal of assisting pathologists' work flow, improving pathologist productivity and quality, and having digital images available to share with other clinicians and to populate an electronic patient record.

*Two, as the foundation for emerging molecular assays and tests, where a digital image of the processed specimen is then assessed by computer-aided diagnosis or pattern recognition software that helps the pathologist make an accurate diagnosis.

*Three, the major vendors of anatomic pathology laboratory information systems (LIS) have already written interfaces that allow the leading digital imaging and digital pathology systems to integrate with their pathology LIS products. These pathology LIS vendors recognize that digital pathology images are now "prime time" for their larger pathology customers.

And don't forget! Last year, General Electric  and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center  (UPMC) formed a joint venture. Each ponied up $20 million to create Omnyx, LLC, which is developing whole-slide imaging and a fully digital pathology system. At the press conference announcing the formation of Omnyx last spring, GE officials stated that they expect the market for whole slide imaging and digital pathology systems to be $2 billion.

These are important reasons why every pathology practice should be tracking the profession's uptake of digital imaging and digital pathology systems. It is no longer a question of whether or not a group should acquire digital imaging capability. Digital imaging technology is now robust-and some digital systems are affordable even for two- and three-pathologist groups! Rather, today's question is "when" a pathology group will make the investment in capital and time to acquire and use digital imaging and/or a fully digital pathology system.

That is why the upcoming Executive War College on Laboratory and Pathology Management  has organized a special, one-day workshop on Thursday, April 30, in New Orleans, titled: "Saying Sayonara to Glass Slides! Everything You Need to Know about Digital Imaging and Digital Pathology Systems." At one place and in one day, you'll hear case studies from pathology groups already using digital imaging and listen to one of the leading pathology LIS vendors discuss issues and opportunities when interfacing the pathology LIS with either or both digital imaging and digital pathology systems.

Best of all, we've assembled six of the leading companies in digital pathology to introduce you to their products and discuss how they help improve the productivity of pathologists and the precision of diagnoses. Expected to participate, in alphabetical order, are Aperio Technologies, Inc. ; BioImagene, Inc. ; DMetrix, Inc. ; Milestone Medical, Inc. ; SlidePath, Inc. ; and Applied Spectral Imaging, Inc.  (invited). There will also be a special two-hour exhibition where you can meet these vendors and explore the capabilities of their products and systems.

For every pathology group practice and laboratory, this "Saying Sayonara to Glass Slides" event is the perfect opportunity! At one time, gathered in one place, you can learn from users like you, hear from the pathology IT vendors, and see the products and people from all the major companies in this fast-moving field.

Is your group thinking about investing in digital imaging or a digital pathology system? Then this is your "must attend" opportunity! Kick the tires of the major vendors. Meet the important players in this field. Learn from pathology groups already using these solutions. Best of all, there is still time to take advantage of the early bird discount on registration. Use this registration and agenda link to guarantee your place at this vital event and benefit from the early-bird discount!

Related Information:

Convergence of In Vivo Imaging and Digitized Pathology Is Under Way
 

Recent article entitled "Digital Pathology is Growing Despite Fears"
 

Dark Report: Momentum Continues for Digital Pathology
 

Brand new! Just released is a full color program agenda PDF. (or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.executivewarcollege.com/PDFs/09brochure.pdf )

Early-Bird Discount Registration now available online

Visit http://www.executivewarcollege.com

Download Full Program Agenda

Four Easy Ways to Register:
1. Register ONLINE
2. Call 800-560-6363. Our friendly staff can register you quickly and easily, as well as answer any questions you may have.
3. Fax this complete registration form to 512-264-0969
4. Mail the one page form with payment to:

THE DARK REPORT
21806 Briarcliff Dr.
Spicewood, TX 78669

It is the first time all these major players in digital imaging and digital pathology systems have assembled in one place at one time, specifically to discuss the advances in this field. It is your perfect opportunity to gather all the information you need to develop your pathology group's strategy.

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.

 

 

 

Observations from USCAP 2009 - From A to Z

Attended the USCAP meeting in Boston over the weekend.  On Saturday attended the DICOM Working Group 26 (WG 26) meeting.  A copy of the document discussed is available here. This was my first DICOM WG 26 meeting (as an observer) and my sense is they are close to getting the document into a DICOM format within a year with some assistance in the actual writing of the document in DICOM format.  The committee has certainly made great strides.  Will provide updates as more information gets released following the meeting.

On Sunday gave a talk about digital pathology at an evening seminar hosted by BioImagene along with Jared Schwartz, MD, PhD, CAP President, Mahul Amin MD, Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cedars Sinai & Ajit Singh PhD, CEO of BioImagene. 

Spoke briefly on use of pathology images in our hospital PACS, image analysis and what I am calling Pathology 2.0 - that is the use of Web 2.0 technology in the surgical pathology practice.  Blogging aside, gave several examples of using the tools of technology of Web 2.0 to harness collective intelligence in simple terms where anyone can participate, share, exchange and collaborate.

People have already moved on to Web 3.0 where anyone can innovate but that is for another post...

The meeting was well attended in record number this year with over 4,000 registrants.  I saw several excellent scientific sessions and posters with continued focus on molecular pathogenesis and less direct observation or correlation with immunohistochemistry. 

My sense of the attendance at the meeting with a large number of housestaff is a reflection of travel budgets.  I think budgets for meetings and conferences are being scaled back (including at my institution) and if given a meeting to attend, this is it. 

On the exhibit floor there were many notable products and services displayed among just over 100 vendors.  Here is a short review (in alpabetical order) of some of my observations:

Aperio showed me a demo of their SecondSlide sharing service for pathology and their application for referring and consulting pathologists to share whole slide images.

BioImagene released several new products including a family of scanners on the heels of a recent flurry of activity and press releases.  Their booth showcased several new applications including PathXchange, an online professional networking portal for pathologists worldwide.  This is another example of Web 2.0 and of course joined the community - look for my cases soon. I did not get a chance to see PathSearch, their product in collaboration with Visuvi for content based image retrieval (CBIR).

Clarient continues to bring to market innovative products and services in cancer diagnostics.

DMetrix did not exhibit at the meeting.  You can still check out their comments on other vendors over at their blog, Virchow's Pixel (great name - why didn't I think of that?)

Quest Diagnostics showcased their virtual IHC service, InScape (video link).

Lastly, SlidePath demonstrated their products for use in the clinical space, including their Digital Slide Server which is compliant with Aperio Scanscope, Hamamatsu Nanozoomer and Zeiss Mirax digital slides.

Clearly digital pathology vendors have increased their footprint at this meeting with the largest showing to date and I expect this to continue for some time at other similar clinically-oriented pathology meetings. 

CAP News

TOP STORIES CAP Electronic Cancer Checklists Now Available in XML Format The College of American Pathologists electronic Cancer Checklists are now even easier to use! The checklists, which assist pathologists in reporting over 60 common and uncommon forms of cancer, are now available in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format. The new format was chosen for its universal acceptance, its ease of use, and its ability to facilitate the sharing of structure data across different information systems, particularly via the Internet. The new XML format will replace the Microsoft Access database and should result in identical implementations, content-wise. Later in the year, these checklists will be enhanced further. New versions of over 70 checklists will be released, which will include revised and new content from the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, 7th edition (currently, the checklists reference the 6th edition). CAP STS offers educational programs and consulting services to licensees for seamless implementation and customization of the checklists. Dennis D. Reinke, MD, FCAP, receives congratulations from Yvonne Hearn, MD, FCAP, and Robert L. Breckenridge, MD, MBA, FCAP. College Names First Recipient of CAP Pathologist Spotlight Service Award Dennis D. Reinke, MD, FCAP, was recognized as the first recipient of the College's Pathologist Spotlight Service Award at the Council on Membership and Professional Development luncheon in Austin, Texas, on January, 17, 2009. He was nominated by colleague Yvonne Hearn, MD, FCAP. When presented with the award, Dr. Reinke said, "I never imagined being recognized for the work I do everyday." Read about Dr. Reinke's recognition. Learn more about the CAP Pathologist Spotlight Service Award at cap.org or send your nominations to publicaffairs@cap.org. Second Laboratory in the United States Becomes Accredited to CAP 15189SM Program Avera McKennan Medical Laboratory of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, recently became the second laboratory in the United States to earn CAP 15189SM Accreditation. This accreditation is based on the ISO 15189:2007 Standard as published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for laboratory technical competence and continual quality management, which focuses on improved patient safety and risk reduction and outlines standards for quality and competence particular to medical laboratories. For additional information on the CAP 15189SM Accreditation Program, e-mail CAP15189@cap.org. Learn more.

YOUR COLLEGE NEWS 2009 CAP Meritorious Service Awards Program—Call for Nominations Members are invited to nominate recipients for the following CAP Meritorious Awards: CAP Distinguished Patient Care Award CAP Distinguished Service Award CAP Lifetime Achievement Award CAP Outstanding Communicator Award CAP Public Service Award Award criteria as well as instructions and a nomination form are available on the CAP Web site in either Microsoft Word or PDF formats. Nominations are due on or before March 9, 2009. Recipients will be invited to accept their awards in person during CAP '09 – THE Pathologists' Meeting™, which will take place October 11-14 at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, DC. Learn more. Download the February NewsPath® Podcast and Latest Article February NewsPath® podcast on "Diagnosing Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infections," which is based on the NewsPath® article by Zsolt Jobbagy, MD, PhD, FCAP, and presented by CAP Spokesperson Noel A. Brownlee, MD, PhD, FCAP. Read the February article on the "Use of Quantitative PCR in the Monitoring of Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia," written by Jason D. Merker, MD, PhD. NEW Additions to the CAP Transformation Web Site Don't miss the latest pathologist story of Yvonne Hearn, MD, FCAP, whose recent vacation to the South Pacific gave a child a much—needed diagnosis. Now available—Mara Aspinal's CAP '08 presentation on Personalized Medicine. Also, read about the latest trend in on-line auctions for radiologist services. CAP Spokesperson Patricia A. Thomas, MD, FCAP, Featured on FOX for Black History Month in February Patricia A. Thomas, MD, FCAP, was featured on the award-winning show, Americans in Focus, which ran on the FOX Sports Network during Black History Month in February. Emphasizing the importance of overcoming obstacles and how her hard work helped her become a Harvard graduate and a pathologist, Dr. Thomas' message is a great example of transformative behavior, highlighting the success one can achieve by setting one's mind to the goal. Watch the 90-second segment, which appeared on the FOX Sports Network television programming throughout February as well as on the national FOX Sports Network Web site. Dr. Thomas is identified as a pathologist, and she is in great company! Attend Futurescape III June 12–14 in Rosemont, Illinois. Just Added—Pre-Conference Workshop Personalized medicine focuses on using new tools that will enable pathologists to generate new information for improved patient care. The advent of biomarkers, their correct interpretation, and the integration of data from disparate information systems are essential to getting the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. The CAP Foundation invites you to attend Futurescape III, Transforming Pathology: Information as a Disruptive Technology. For more information, please contact Arlene Strong at 800-323-4040 ext. 7324 or visit futurescape.cap.org. Learn more. Renew Your 2009 Membership Dues Renewing your 2009 CAP membership online is quick and easy. You can pay by credit card or check. Plus, you will receive a detailed receipt suitable for reimbursement or processing by your institution. Learn more. 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.

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES CAP ’09 Abstracts Program Consider submitting an abstract or case study. 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. Submissions to the Abstracts Program will be accepted Monday, February 2, through Friday, March 27, 2009. Visit cap2009.org for more information.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT CMS Announces Internet-Based Medicare Enrollment Available in All States and in the District of Columbia The Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) will allow pathologist to initiate, change, view, and check the status of their Medicare enrollment via the Internet. This new system is designed to be faster, easier to use, and secure. Physicians need their National Provider Identification (NPI) National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) User ID and password to use the PECOS system. More information is available on the CMS Web site. View the New and Updated Practice Management Resources The following is a list of new and updated practice management resources at cap.org/practicemanagement, and each resource is listed by practice management topic area. Coding and Reimbursement CMS NCDs - Laboratory National Coverage Determinations ICD9Data.com - A free Web site to lookup ICD-9-CM codes ICD-10 - World Health Organization's ICD-10 listing Compliance and Risk Management Compliance Issues for Pathologists – A November 2008 Practice Managers Forum audioconference. Finance/Governance/Business Operations Consolidation of Physician Practices – A paper covering issues to consider when consolidating practices.

RESIDENTS SECTION Attend Residents Forum Meeting in Boston on March 7 You can still register to attend the Residents Forum. It's easy to do by sending an e-mail to RF staff. Join your resident colleagues for the Welcome Reception on Friday evening and for the all-day Saturday session, which includes continental breakfast and lunch! For more information, visit CAP for Residents at www.cap.org. If you have any questions or comments, contact Jan Glas.

SPOKESPERSONS NETWORK IN THE MEDIA AND IN THE COMMUNITY Forensic Pathologist Stresses Importance of Recognizing Signs of Depression in Children Stephen J. Cina, MD, FCAP, spoke with reporter Bob Roberts of WBBM News Radio, a CBS news station in Chicago, Illinois, about what a forensic pathologist looks for to determine if a death is a suicide—this after a fifth grader was found dead in a Chicago-area school. Dr. Cina offered tips to help parents and teachers recognize signs of depression, even in grade school children, to prevent future tragedies. Listen to the interview on WBBM's Web site, which became available as a news story download on February 4, 2009. Learn more.

Save the Date for ATA

Telemedicine is one of the most exciting developments in healthcare and is an integral part of healthcare reform. The telemedicine and telehealth field are truly booming. From emergency rooms to physician’s offices, from the home to schools, and in the workplace, telemedicine is extending the reach of healthcare services, improving care, and reducing costs throughout the world.

Now is the time to make plans to go the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) premiere forum to be held for the healthcare industry on April 26-28, 2009 in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suites and Casino. Vital discussions will center on clinical and business issues related to telemedicine plus there will be hundreds of presentations, posters, and workshops.

More than 2400 attendees from all over the world will gather at the Conference to hear James Henry “Red” Duke, M.D. a trauma surgeon from the University of Texas Medical School give the Plenary Presentation. He will give his expert thoughts and opinions on trauma care, stress management, and how to deliver healthcare in remote and underdeveloped areas.

Dr. Duke has served as Special Assistant to the President of UT Health Science Center and holds a distinguished professorship at the UT Medical School as the John B. Holmes Professor of Clinical Sciences. He established Houston’s Hermann Hospital Life Flight operations and remains the medical director of the trauma and emergency services.

Dr. Duke is the former host of the nationally syndicated “Texas Health Reports” and hosted the former PBS series, “Bodywatch”. He has been featured on PM Magazine, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and the Buck James television series.

Some of the 2009 hot topics include discussions on new the administration, home telehealth, remote monitoring, telepsychiatry, next generation communications, future innovations in telehealth technologies, legal and regulatory issues, workforce issues, telerehabilitation, remote imaging, and managing chronic care effectively.

The ATA 2009 Exhibit showcase is a one-stop shop for telemedicine products and services. This year, the exhibit hall will feature over 160 exhibitors and 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. Vendors covering the telemedicine spectrum, the corporate world, academic medical centers, government organizations, and non–profit services will be on hand to demonstrate the latest telemedicine technologies and telemedicine solutions.

Be sure to take advantage of pre-meeting course and symposiums. Telemedicine 101 is scheduled for April 25th Telemedicine 201 has been added to the educational lineup on April 26th along with several Partner Meetings and a full day International Symposium.

Go to www.americantelemed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3486 for more information or to register.

Early Registration Discount for Pathology Visions 2009

Pathology Visions brings together members of the healthcare and scientific community to discuss real-world, practical applications and learn about the latest advances in digital pathology for research, clinical, education, IT, and veterinary pathology applications.

Next year's meeting will take place September 13-15, 2009 at the Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego, CA.

Registration is now open and attendees who register before January 31 are being offered the 2008 rate of $399.

This year's meeting will feature poster sessions new this year as well.  Click here to submit a poster or abstract for consideration.

 

I would encourage anyone interested in digital pathology to consider attending this meeting. 

 

I thought this year's meeting had an excellent program with several networking opportunities as well as multiple vendors in this space to meet with. 

 

More information is available on the meeting website at www.pathologyvisions.com or e-mail

info@pathologyvisions.com.

Brochure for Lab InfoTech Summit 2009 Now Available

From Bruce Friedman over at www.labsoftnews.com:

The brochure for the upcoming Lab InfoTech Summit 2009 to be held on March 16-18, 2009, at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas is now available. A PDF version of the brochure can be viewed here. Copies will shortly be mailed to pathologists, lab professionals, and industry representatives around the country. The conference web site will be ready to accept on-line conference registrations in about a week. Meanwhile, you can grab a first look at the lecture and workshop topics and participating faculty.

A total of 33 exhibitors have agreed to participate thus far with several more anticipated prior to the start date. This is the largest exhibition of its kind in the country. If you are considering the purchase or upgrade of your LIS, AP-LIS, lab middleware, lab portal software, or digital pathology imaging equipment, this is the conference for you. The upcoming event marks the 27th consecutive year of continuing medical education for the Lab InfoTech Summit.

From Bruce Friedman over at www.labsoftnews.com:

The brochure for the upcoming Lab InfoTech Summit 2009 to be held on March 16-18, 2009, at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas is now available. A PDF version of the brochure can be viewed here. Copies will shortly be mailed to pathologists, lab professionals, and industry representatives around the country. The conference web site will be ready to accept on-line conference registrations in about a week. Meanwhile, you can grab a first look at the lecture and workshop topics and participating faculty.

A total of 33 exhibitors have agreed to participate thus far with several more anticipated prior to the start date. This is the largest exhibition of its kind in the country. If you are considering the purchase or upgrade of your LIS, AP-LIS, lab middleware, lab portal software, or digital pathology imaging equipment, this is the conference for you. The upcoming event marks the 27th consecutive year of continuing medical education for the Lab InfoTech Summit.