“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will remember, involve me and I’ll understand.” – Confucius

We have all encountered the difficulties in educating, training and re-training employees to work in a Quality and efficient way in the Histology Lab. I think we can agree that there are many obstacles and reasons why this continues to be a struggle. I believe one of the biggest hurdles is our diversity. Now, do not misunderstand me, I think diversity is important and I am a supporter, but Histology is not staffed with classically trained employees that have the same education path or a standardized procedure, protocol and technique education or training. This type of diversity creates many challenges and it will take all of our efforts to overcome them. That said what can we do today to assist in the advancement and promotion of the science of Histotechnology and most importantly, provide the needed replacements for the baby boomers (I happen to be one)?

With the advent of healthcare changes looming, laboratory testing and Histological preparation and technique will become ever more important in providing the increasing amounts of data that will allow our pathologist partners to provide a diagnosis. So, what needs to be done to train and produce the Histotechnician and Histotechnologist for the next 20 years? How do we first convince and then train the new millennial generation to work in the field of Histotechnology, while constantly trying to meet their demands for input, interaction and stimulation?

With the trend by all our companies to reduce the education dollars for us to access traditional continuing opportunities, what do you see as the alternatives? Who do you see as the primary providers of this essential information? How interactive will the material need to be? Is the internet the answer? I think time is running out and we must rethink, redesign and reconsider our education requirements and needs. Where do you get you continuing education?

Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road. - Stewart Brand
There is a technology that has been used in the Histotechnology for many years that is preparing to explode and promises to change all our lives - Digital Imaging. This technology will transform the Pathologists daily [...]

The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. - Bill Gates
The Histology Lab, as we know it today, is rapidly being transformed and consolidated to create the [...]

It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.-Alan Perlis
The Histology Automation Revolution is coming! the Histology Automation Revolution is coming!
For the past ten years, we in the field have been told to watch for the technology rider to gallop to our labs and announce that new automation is here. The [...]

“The three purposes of thinking: To solve problems, To create opportunities and To enrich the human condition.” - Abraham Lincoln
I recently had the opportunity to visit the wonderful country of South Africa and found that it does not matter whether you are in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Johannesburg or for that matter, any part of this great [...]

“If you think of standardization as the best that you know today, but which is to be improved tomorrow, you get somewhere.” – Henry Ford
The first step of Standardization in Histology, not just in a single lab, was taken when it was decided to use one fixative for routine specimens, 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF). [...]

Greetings! I recently attended the 34th Annual National Society for Histotechnology Symposium/Convention and I have been thinking just what did I gain from this particular experience. I have participated in many NSH Conventions in the past, but this meeting really seemed to me to be the push towards CHANGE.