ADVANCE Outlook: Lab Professionals : Professionalism

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Michael Jones — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:22:00 GMT

There’s a scene in the 60s-era AMC series “Mad Men” that involves a pregnant woman smoking and drinking while her friend’s child runs around with a dry cleaning bag over her head. All of this happens in the space of about a minute, and there are so many...(read more)

Bridging the Gap

Michael Jones — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Teamwork and technology are quickly replacing the concept of the one-man show. A recent news briefing noted on the major differences between Baby Boomer Physicians and even the doctors of Generation “X” versus the new hires of Generation “Y,” but who...(read more)

International Teams Compete to Interpret Three Families' Genomes

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:39:00 GMT

Forgive my lapse into high school-speak, but this is waaaaaaay cool. A news release from Boston's Children's Hospital explained that the hospital is leading a contest to interpret the DNA sequences of three children with rare conditions whose cause remain...(read more)

Conference Brings Genetics Straight to Consumers

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:14:00 GMT

Too often medical consumers overlook laboratorians when considering who their care providers are. It's the same old story - out of sight, out of mind. So it struck me as a forward-thinking concept when I read about an upcoming Consumer Genetics Conference...(read more)

From ‘Big Brother' to a Hospital Debacle: A HIPAA Nightmare

Valerie Newitt — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:05:00 GMT

Few Americans are aware that the TV hit "Big Brother" first debuted on Dutch television. The diminutive Netherlands has made some bold moves in television-land. For example, there was "De Grote Donorshow" ( The Big Donor Show ) broadcast in 2007. The...(read more)

A Story to Tell?

Lynn — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:10:00 GMT

It’s true that as one ages, one also gets wiser. I value the knowledge shared by peers and truly appreciate them sharing experiences—good and bad—when, for example, we’re initiating an enterprise-wide or department-specific project. If you have a story...(read more)

Has ‘Lean' Affected You?

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:51:00 GMT

How has "lean" impacted you personally? I'm not talking about frozen Lean Cuisine dinners, or lean months during a national recession. I'm talking about lean concepts ... a lean mindset. I've done quite a few interviews across the years with facilities...(read more)

Penn’s Amazing Achievements

Lynn — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:46:00 GMT

The ADVANCE team toured the wonderful laboratories at University of Pennsylvania/Penn Medicine last week. I wanted to help spread the word of some of their significant achievements. For example, a new treatment for leukemia, called CART 19, has proven...(read more)

Can Social Media Change Healthcare IT Landscape?

Lynn — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:37:00 GMT

According to Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, it can. That was his message at the recent HIMSS conference in Las Vegas, NV. “The main critique of Twitter initially was that it wasn’t useful,” he told attendees. He then shared numerous stories of how...(read more)

Are Laboratorians Feeling the Love?

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:24:00 GMT

A Valentine’s Day question: Does your lab get an adequate dose of “love” from your facility, the healthcare industry or the general public in response to the huge role diagnostics play in patient outcomes? Most likely it’s a case of out of sight, out...(read more)

Do You See What I See?

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:17:00 GMT

Laboratorians see things that most human eyes never encounter. The world through the lens of a microscope can be packed with medical diagnostic information, as well as indefinable beauty set against a backdrop of Lilliputian proportions. The National...(read more)

Your Comments Count

Lynn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:20:00 GMT

I’d like to personally thank you for all of your comments on our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn). It’s so rewarding to start a discussion on LinkedIn, for example, and immediately receive thought-provoking responses that, in turn,...(read more)

Moral "Do," Legal "Don't"

Valerie Newitt — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:11:00 GMT

Following the legally-binding or "approved" method doesn't always feel "right." Case in pont: Gholson Lyon, a physician and researcher at the Center for Applied Genomics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, was leading a study on Ogden Syndrome, a...(read more)

Exciting Changes Ahead

Lynn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:44:00 GMT

A new year is a great time to reflect on past experiences and resolve to achieve new successes. That’s the approach we’re taking with the print edition of ADVANCE for Medical Laboratory Professionals . From its new monthly frequency to its expansion of...(read more)

Exam Authors Wanted

Matthew T. Patton — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:09:00 GMT

ADVANCE is seeking authors for its Learning Scope continuing education series. These peer-reviewed articles are produced in cooperation with the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and appear in print and online. We are seeking articles containing...(read more)