November 2007 - Posts

Is Being Frugal Going Out of Style?
November 29, 2007 7:33 PM by Matthew T. Patton

It seems that when airlines issue vouchers for flight cancellations or overbookings, the vouchers aren't easily redeemable online. When my connecting flight from Dallas was overbooked to San Antonio for the ASCLS CLEC meeting, American Airlines was seeking Read More...

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Taking Responsibility
November 29, 2007 9:50 AM by Amanda Koehler

The CDC recently announced none of the airplane passengers who flew with TB-infected lawyer Andrew Speaker have contracted the disease. This should be a sigh of relief, knowing the 250 people who boarded a flight from Atlanta to Paris in May are safe Read More...

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The Global Warming Debate
November 21, 2007 9:00 AM by Amanda Koehler

When I started working for ADVANCE , one of my first story assignments was to write about global warming and its effect on deforestation and parasitology. I was excited for this assignment because the topic had always interested me and I wanted to learn Read More...

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Holiday Coverage
November 20, 2007 10:47 AM by Kerri Penno

Many people in our office, myself included, will be traveling tomorrow to visit friends and family for Thanksgiving. I grew up in Massachusetts and will be heading up north for a long weekend. While Turkey Day often sneaks up on me, and it usually takes Read More...

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A New Record
November 13, 2007 2:19 PM by Kerri Penno

CNN is running an Associated Press story about Chlamydia. Apparently, more than 1 million cases of the sexually transmitted disease were reported in the U.S. last year: the most cases ever reported for an STD. And it doesn't stop with Chlamydia. Rates Read More...

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Still Recovering
November 12, 2007 12:13 PM by Matthew T. Patton

Many of you still write to ask how my cousin Spc. Chase Matthews is doing after he was injured in Iraq earlier this year. I wrote an editorial called "When War Hits Home," appearing in our June 18 issue (p. 4). The answer is "great!" In fact, as I write Read More...

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Bookmark This: The Fritsma Factor
November 12, 2007 12:08 PM by Matthew T. Patton

George Fritsma , MS, MT (ASCP), lab practitioner, associate professor and author, recently launched an online, interactive hemostasis resource known as The Fritsma Factor . Designed for laboratory practitioners to share information and knowledge, the Read More...

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Write Your Reps
November 8, 2007 10:31 AM by Kerri Penno

San Diego has been selected as the site of the demonstration program for competitive bidding for clinical laboratory services. ASCLS recently sent out a call to action, stating the program "will destroy the hospital outreach and small laboratories in Read More...

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What Keeps You in the Profession?
November 8, 2007 12:46 AM by Matthew T. Patton

We received a comment today that reads: "After 14 years of being a medical technologist, and all the crazy hours I have had to work, and all the overtime I worked, I still enjoy what I do. I could not think of another profession which gives me the same Read More...

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Vaccine Breakthroughs
November 7, 2007 2:43 PM by Amanda Koehler

As I mentioned before, I have been learning so much about the wonderful work you all do over the past few months. I really enjoyed writing the immunology/serology supplement for the Oct. 22 issue. It was interesting learning about all the new vaccines Read More...

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More Thoughts on Conference Season
November 6, 2007 12:35 PM by Matthew T. Patton

As Kerri mentioned in a previous blog entry , it's pretty much high travel season here at ADVANCE . We like to hit as many lab meetings and conferences as possible. Although we can't make it to every meeting, I feel like we do a pretty good job (with Read More...

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