As my term as your ASCLS-WI President comes to an end I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for everything that you have done both for our organization and for our profession this year! It was a year of firsts for many of us and a year that none of us want to repeat anytime soon. We have worked longer hours under worse conditions. We are tired, burned out and ready for ‘normal’. Our testing volumes have gone up and we stepped up. Your professionalism, dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed. I have always been proud to be part of this community, but never as much as this last year!
One good thing that came out of this year was that we were noticed! We were acknowledged as experts and our field got more attention than at any other time in my lifetime! People were talking about PCR and Antibodies. Testing and research got so much press and really highlighted the work that we all do daily. So much social media share-worthy news has been shared by many of us! Please continue to share the exciting things happening in the lab on social media using hashtags #Lab4Life, #IamASCLS, and #ASCLSWI.
Over this last year ASCLS-WI did not do the things we usually do. We did not attend Legislative Days, we had no in-person Annual National ASCLS Meeting in 2020, we had no in- person ASCLS-WI Conference. Your board has not met face-to-face. That being said, we were busy behind the scenes and virtually! We had a full delegation to last year’s ASCLS National Meeting and enjoyed a great virtual meeting! We had a FABULOUS virtual ASCLS-WI meeting thanks to the hard work and planning of our talented ASCLS-WI members Katie Golab, Ali Nussbaum, and Samantha Salm! We have had regular Board meetings and Region V meetings virtually. We are planning an in-person meeting for Region V in October as well as in-person Legislative Days in October. We are beginning to plan our ASCLS-WI in-person meeting in Madison in 2022. I cannot wait to share those hugs and sit at a table with everyone!
As I complete my term I want to encourage everyone to get involved. We have a very active, strong state society. ASCLS-WI has always been this way because of all of us getting involved. I want to encourage each of you to find some part of our profession that you are passionate about and reach out to me or any other board member to find where you can help; where you can actually contribute and make a difference. We need people to help plan our annual state meetings, we have Scientific Assemblies in each laboratory discipline that need representation, we send people to DC to talk to our legislators, we send delegates to our national meeting to be our voice, we have groups dedicated to all things Lab. There are so many places to volunteer and so many ways to get involved. Please reach out to me using my information below and I will be happy to connect you!
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Leah
Leah Narans MBA, MT (ASCP)
ASCLS-Wisconsin President 2020-2021
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ASCLS-WI Board of Directors |
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Based upon elections, here are the ASCLS-WI members who will serve on our Board of Directors in 2021-22:
- President: Elizabeth Dahlgren
- President-Elect: Hannah Baker
- Immediate Past-President: Leah Narans
- Treasurer: Michael Lukowski
- Secretary: Samantha Salm
- Executive Secretary (non-voting): Patricia Boyer
- Developing Professional Chair: Open Position
- Ascending Professional Chair: Sarah Alhakimi
- At-Large Board Members:
Kathryn Golab Mayukh Sakar
Melissa Kasper Zac Lunak
Nominations Committee: Leah Narans (chair), Jeanette Putnam, Benjamin Kaetterhenry
ASCLS-WI members are invited and encouraged to attend board meetings. Tentative dates are:
- September 18, 10 am, Teleconference
- November 13, 10 am, Grafton in person (if possible)
- February 19, 10 am, Teleconference
- April 21, Post-convention, Madison
Watch the ASCLS-WI website, www.ascls-wi.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ASCLSWI for specific information regarding dates & locations of board meetings. E-mail Elizabeth Dahlgren (Elizabeth.dahlgren@aah.org) for further information about board meetings.
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Wisconsin Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
SCHOLARSHIP FUND, Inc.
Congratulations to these recent scholarship winners!!
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Stavri Joseph 4-Year High School Scholarship winner:
Angela Cairns from Waterford; attending UW- Stevens Point in the fall
MLT Scholarships:
Hailey Burdick, Rasmussen College
Carter Englerth, Western WI Technical College
Harry Weisberg Post-Grad Scholarships:
Hannah Baker, Rutgers University DCLS Program
Hailey Westrick, Rutgers University MSCLS Program
During the 2020-21 year, more than $11,000 was awarded to scholarship recipients. All of the scholarships provided by this fund are made possible through donations from ASCLS-WI members and friends.
Our only fundraiser of the year is the Silent Auction which was canceled along with the annual state meeting. Start thinking about items you might possibly donate next year!!! And, remember that you can donate directly to the fund at any time by sending a tax-deductible check to:
Mrs. Barb Hill, Treasurer
876 Jean Circle
Oregon, WI 53575
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Congratulations to Riju Dey, the ASCLS-WI Science Fair Award winner for his project, “Discovery of Novel Dual Phosphatase Kinase Regulating Pyocyanin Secretion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.” Riju went on to take 4th place in the Cellular and Molecular Biology category at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering fair. He will be a senior at Shorewood High School in Milwaukee.
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Are you interested in getting more involved in
ASCLS-WI? Interested in learning more about what ASCLS is doing for laboratory professionals? We have an opportunity that we are hoping will happen in October 2021. We are looking for volunteers to attend the Legislative Symposium on October 25-26, 2021 at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, VA. Through this ASCLS tradition that originated in 1989, members of laboratory organizations meet with their representatives and senators on Capitol Hill as a unified front on behalf of our profession. Each year these leading organizations urge their members and leaders to come to Washington to provide a visible and informed voice, and make our concerns known inside Congress. This event may become a virtual event.
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Fox Valley Society Congratulates Haley Plachinski |
The Fox Valley chapter of ASCLS-WI awarded the Donna Jones scholarship to Haley Plachinski from UW-LaCrosse. Haley is completing her internship at St Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, WI. Lab Supervisor Ben Kaetterhenry presented this award to Haley during a morning lab huddle. |
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Three-peat PACtastic Win! |
With great pride I am pleased to announce that Region V has won the regional competition for the Political Action Committee (PAC) donation drive. For the third year in a row Region V has triumphed in the generosity of its members and its drive to support the PACs endeavors. The PAC is essential to finding and funding opportunities with legislators who can vote in favor of the laboratory. There is a constant need to identify Congress members who will support and represent the laboratory. That is why it is critical to have the funds available to support those Congress members and the PAC donation drives at the Joint Annual Meeting and the Legislative Symposium which are the main ways to raise those funds.
Thank you again to everyone who has donated in this year's PAC donation drive. Pins will be sent out to those who did not donate in person (along with the 2020 pins if you have not received them yet)! If you would still like to donate, which will be applied to next year's competition, you can do so by clicking here. Every donation counts in bringing positive legislative change for laboratories and laboratory workers!
For those interested in knowing, a majority of this year’s funds are going to the Laboratory Workforce Shortage Bill to address the mass shortage of workers in the laboratory. Sponsors and support are still being gathered (using the funds donated to the PAC) to move this bill to Congress. This is just one more way ASCLS is dedicated to decreasing the burden of the workforce shortage. To learn more visit the ASCLS Advocacy and Issues page here.
Ali
Ali Nussbaum, MA, MLS(ASCP)cm
ASCLS-WI PAC Chair
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ASCLS-WI Awards 2021
Samantha Salm, Awards Chair
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ASCLS-WI Member of the Year |
Someone who contributes significantly to the profession and society and who has, by outstanding example, inspired others: Michael Lukowski
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For continuous support of ASCLS-WI: ACL Laboratories, DiaSorin Molecular, Madison Area Technical College-College of Health Sciences, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories
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For those demonstrating leadership potential: Kathryn Golab & Hailey Westrick
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Given to members who have provided outstanding service to ASCLS & the profession:
State Award: Kathryn Golab, Melissa Kasper, Alexandra Nussbaum, Samantha Salm, Susan Stalewski
Regional Award: Kathryn Golab, Benjamin Kaetterhenry, Cynthia Koffman, Leah Narans, Ali Nussbaum, Andrea Pitkus, Samantha Salm, Susan Stalewski
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ASCLS-WI Board Service Awards |
Given to those with outstanding service to ASCLS-WI and our profession:
Kathryn Golab, Melissa Kasper, Alexandra Nussbaum, Susan Stalewski
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Board Certificate of Recognition |
Hannah Baker & John Strous |
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Virtual Convention Planning Committee |
Kathryn Golab, Alexandra Nussbaum, Samantha Salm |
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2021 Jean Bills Golden Jubilarian Award for 50 Years of Membership |
Patricia (Trish) Darnell graduated from the Medical Technology (now CLS) Program at Marquette University in 1966. She earned an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University in 1985. During clinical rotations at Milwaukee County Hospital Patricia worked weekends in Chemistry and media production during the week. After graduation she returned home to South Bend, IN and the Medical Foundation. Next, Patricia and her husband moved to St. Joseph, MI where she worked 22 years at a hospital now known as Lakeland. She started as a generalist, then Chemistry Supervisor, Lab Manager, and finally Director of a 2-hospital merger. Another job transfer for her husband took them to Jackson, MI where she was the Director at Foote Hospital. From 1999-2018, Patricia worked as an Inspection Specialist with the College of American Pathologists where she worked with laboratory professionals in 50 states and 8 countries, educating staff to address non-compliance issues.
The CLS program at Marquette instilled a love of learning in Trish and the desire to grow professionally. While in Michigan, Patricia was involved with MLT, CLS, and Masters level CLS programs. Local branch (Racine/Kenosha) and State (both Michigan and Wisconsin) ASCLS meetings have enabled Patricia to continue her quest for knowledge, participating as either an attendee or speaker.
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Congratulations to Sue Janke, winner of the 2021
ASCLS-WI Lifetime Service Award
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Sue Janke graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1963 and interned in Lansing, Michigan. She spent a year in Zurich, Switzerland and worked at the Kantonspital Zurich. Sue moved back to Michigan and then to Eau Claire. She worked at Sacred Heart Hospital for 3 years, then started teaching in the MLT Program at Chippewa Valley Technical College in 1970, retiring in 2000.
Sue joined WAMT (now ASCLS-WI) in 1968, particularly because of the continuing education at State Meetings. She held several offices in the West-Central Branch and was Secretary on the WAMT Board of Directors. In the 1990’s Sue became P.A.C.E. Committee Chairman, finding that her education background was helpful in this position. When Sue retired from teaching she continued as P.A.C.E. Chair. To this day, Sue is the one who ensures that our CE Programs at Branch and State Meetings have P.A.C.E. approval. Thank you, Sue, for your many years of dedicated service to ASCLS-WI.
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In Memoriam
Virginia R. Narlock
October 3, 1940-January 8, 2021
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Virginia (Ginny) Narlock received her B.S. in Medical Technology in 1962 and MEPD in 1981, both from UW Eau Claire. In 1991 she earned a Ph.D. in Education from UW Madison. She spent her entire career (1962-2003) at Marshfield Laboratories. Ginny served as Blood Bank supervisor from 1964 until 1975 when she went on to become Program Director for five clinical student programs at St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Marshfield Clinic.
Ginny was an adjunct faculty member at multiple 4-year universities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa as well as six technical colleges in Wisconsin. She shared her expertise in blood bank, cytotechnology, histo-technology, and phlebotomy with laboratorians at the state and national levels.
Ginny served on WAMT (a forerunner of ASCLS-WI) convention committees, coordinated Student Bowls, taught phlebotomy and educator workshops, and served as WAMT President from 1987-88. She was honored as WAMT Member of the Year in 1990. Nationally, she received the ASCP Associate Member Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, was part of the ASCP-AMS Educators Committee (1996-2002), and NAACLS Program Approval Committee (1995-2003).
Ginny is survived by her only son, Tyrone (Janet) Narlock, as well as two brothers and their families. She was predeceased by her parents and husband Don.
ASCLS-WI fondly remembers Ginny and is grateful for her contributions to our profession and society.
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American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Wisconsin | ascls-wi.org
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BadgerLab Times
Editor: Linda Laatsch Mailing Address: ASCLS-WI, 4852 N. Sheffield Ave., Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
Digital Editor: Samantha Salm
Article Submission: Articles for BadgerLab Times should be submitted in Microsoft Word format and sent electronically to: linda.laatsch@sbcglobal.net. The deadline for the spring/summer issue is May 15th, while the deadline for the fall/winter issue is October 15th.
A ll articles published represent the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of ASCLS-WI or the authors’ institutions unless specified. Microsoft ® Word is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. BadgerLab Times © is copyrighted by ASCLS-WI.
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