Announcements
Our 2024 Impact Summary Is Here!
We are proud to share our 2024 Impact Summary, showcasing the progress we’ve made toward our mission: Improving health care by building accurate, accessible and enduring diagnostic services in resource-limited areas.
Laboratory medicine is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment, and every initiative we undertake is driven by one goal: ensuring patients receive the highest quality care. This year, we supported 20 labs across 9 countries through our EQA program to enhance diagnostic accuracy, worked to expand our LIS program to strengthen lab operations, and continued providing Continuing Education for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Professionals through our PaLM Ed program ,to build stronger, more reliable diagnostic systems.
This report reflects the dedication of our team, partners, and supporters in making high-quality diagnostics a reality for those who need it most.
Read the full report here
Thank you for being part of our journey!
Meet Our New LIS Operations Technical Lead: George Kwaku Darko!
We are thrilled to welcome George Kwaku Darko as our LIS Operations Technical Lead. George is an accomplished Medical Laboratory Scientist with over a decade of experience in clinical laboratory practice. His expertise in quality management, health systems research and laboratory operations makes him a valuable addition to our team.
George holds a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and the University for Development Studies, Ghana,. He is also a World Health Organization (WHO)-certified Malaria Microscopist.
Throughout his career George has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving diagnostic services. He spearheaded the first ever Quality Management System at the Northern Regional Hospital Laboratory in Tamale, Ghana, a groundbreaking initiative that significantly enhanced laboratory operations. His leadership in this project earned him recognition as the hospital’s Quality Improvement Focal Person, where he successfully implemented the 5S Kaizen methodology under a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-sponsored project.
Beyond the laboratory George has contributed to innovative healthcare delivery solutions. As a training and onboarding specialist at FlyZipline Ghana Limited, he played a pivotal role in using drone technology to deliver blood, vaccines and medical supplies to remote healthcare facilities. He trained and onboarded over 200 health facilities, improving access to critical medical resources in underserved communities.
Currently George is pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Health Systems Research and Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). His professional interests center on enhancing quality improvement in diagnostic services and leveraging technology to strengthen healthcare systems.
Outside of work you can find George on a road trip or enjoying a football game.
Join us in welcoming George to the team! We can't wait to see the incredible impact he will have in this role!
Announcement: Victor Lee’s Retirement
It is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of our co-founder, Dr. Victor Lee. After a distinguished career in pathology and an unwavering commitment to our global initiatives, Dr. Lee will be stepping down from our Board of Directors.
Victor, a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, has been a cornerstone of our organization since its inception. In addition to his private practice at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California, Victor played a pivotal role in our early efforts. He was among the first volunteers for the Kenya project and has significantly contributed to our initiatives in Madagascar, Bhutan, and Nepal. Over the past 20 years he has served as Secretary/Treasurer of PO, a role that is essential to keeping our organization running smoothly.
While we will deeply miss his guidance and presence, we are excited for him as he embarks on this new chapter in his life.
Please join us in celebrating Victor’s remarkable career and wishing him a fulfilling and joyful retirement! We extend our heartfelt gratitude for his many years of service and dedication!
Welcome Our Newest Leadership Team Member, Benjamin Owusu, PhD!
We are excited to announce that Dr. Benjamin Owusu has joined Pathologists Overseas as our newest member of our leadership team!
As the Technical Director of Labcorp’s Atlantic Division Regional Laboratory (ADRL) and Center for Esoteric Testing (CET), Ben brings a wealth of expertise. With a strong background as a board-certified Clinical Chemist and Biomedical Scientist, Ben completed his post-doctoral clinical fellowship at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His dedication to advancing health and well-being is evident through his experince in global health initiatives, including ASCP’s efforts to improve cancer diagnostics in Ghana.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Ben enjoys playing soccer and exploring his passion for architectural design.
We are thrilled to welcome Ben to the Pathologists Overseas team and look forward to the innovative contributions he will bring to our organization.
Please join us in welcoming Ben!
Pathologists Overseas y Fundación Garrahan se han asociado para presentar el Curso LQMS en español para 2024
Curso sobre Calidad en Laboratorios de Anatomía Patológica en español para Latinoamérica - 2024
El curso ha sido adaptado por las Dras. Jeannette Guarner y Emily Glynn (Pathologists Overseas) en colaboración con la Dra. María Teresa García de Dávila (Fundación Garrahan), para el contexto local de los participantes.
El propósito del curso es proporcionar una visión general del sistema de gestión de la calidad de laboratorio adaptado al contexto de la anatomía patológica, con el objetivo de ayudar a los participantes a lograr, mantener y mejorar la precisión y confiabilidad de los procesos de laboratorio.
Este curso se llevará a cabo a través de la plataforma Zoom, los viernes de 17:00 a 19:00 Buenos Aires (GMT-3) / 15:00 a 17:00 Bogotá (GMT-5) / 14:00 a 16:00 Ciudad de México (GMT-6). Cada sesión incluirá 1 hora de conferencia seguida de una sesión interactiva basada en casos de 1 hora. Si no puede asistir a alguna de las sesiones, las conferencias se grabarán para su visualización posterior.
Público objetivo: Patólogos (Jefes, Residentes, Becarios), Citólogos, Citotecnólogos, Histotécnicos, Personal administrativo, Biólogos, Biotecnólogos, etc.
Programa:
- Introducción a la calidad en laboratorios de AP
- Compras e inventario
- Instalaciones y seguridad
- Equipamiento
- Gestión de muestras
- Control de calidad (cualitativo y semi-cuantitativo)
- Validación de ensayos
- Auditorías
- Evaluación externa de calidad
- Normas y acreditación
- Personal
- Servicio al cliente
- Gestión de incidentes
- Mejora de procesos
- Documentación y registros
- Gestión de la información
- Organización
- Liderazgo
Fecha de inicio estimada: 9 de agosto de 2024
Fecha de finalización estimada: 4 de octubre de 2024
Este curso es presentado de manera gratuita por Pathologists Overseas. Cualquier donación recibida será destinada directamente a Fundación Garrahan, ayudando a la Fundación a continuar cumpliendo con sus objetivos.
Después de completar el formulario de inscripción, podrá ver el enlace para realizar la donación si así lo desea.
Please join us in extending a warm and enthusiastic welcome to our newly appointed President, Emily Glynn, M.D., M.P.H.!
Dr. Glynn, an Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle brings with her sub-specialty experience in hematopathology and pathology education. Her remarkable career includes notable contributions to global health, particularly through her work in anatomic and clinical pathology in Kenya.
Since joining Pathologists Overseas in 2017, Dr. Glynn has consistently demonstrated unparalleled dedication and passion for our mission through launching our education programs and optimizing our laboratory information systems program. With her visionary leadership and extensive expertise, she is poised to lead our organization towards even greater levels of impact and innovation.
Dr. Amukele will now transition into the integral roles of Secretary and Treasurer, continuing to contribute his invaluable insights and dedication to our cause.
Introducing Our New EQA Technical Lead: Dr. Cate Omosule, PhD!
We are thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our team: Dr. Catherine Omosule, PhD, who joins us as the EQA Technical Lead!
Dr. Cate Omosule brings a wealth of expertise to our team. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry and a Senior Medical and Scientific Research Fellow at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra, Ghana, Dr. Omosule has already made significant contributions to the field.
Dr. Omosule completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Her journey with Pathologists Overseas began in 2020 when she connected with Dr. Tim Amukele, and now, in 2024, she brings her expertise to the EQA team.
Join us in welcoming Dr. Cate Omosule to the team! We are beyond excited to see the incredible impact she will make in this role.
Meet Our New Program Operations Manager!
We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our team here at Pathologists Overseas: Vanessa Molina, our Program Operations Manager!
Vanessa Molina brings her extensive background in healthcare and human services to our team, with over 13 years of experience. For the past 7 years, she has dedicated herself to Indigenous Healthcare in the United States, serving the members of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
Graduating from Jamestown Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Office Technology, Vanessa is currently enrolled in a dual program at SUNY Empire, pursuing a Bachelor's in Science in Allied Health and an undergraduate certificate in Healthcare Management.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Vanessa finds joy in traveling to see live music all over the country, spending serene moments in nature, and enjoying the company of her German Shepherd. She has previously volunteered as an EMT for her local fire department and currently serves as the Volunteer and Promotions Coordinator for the local music and arts festival, Whirly Bird Festival.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Vanessa !
EQA Course
PO, in collaboration with RCPAQAP, is offering a 5-week External Quality Assessment (EQA) Course. Interested in the EQA Course? Apply here!
The EQA Course will be a 5 week course with one-hour lectures and Q & A from October 17-November 16, 2023. The course will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the first five lecturers at 12pm WAT/10pm AEDT/6am CDT and the last 5 will be at 4pm WAT/2am AEDT/ 10am CDT.
The course contains 10 lectures on various topics of EQA program and addresses important questions including how are EQA samples prepared, why it matters to understand the commutability of EQA samples, how do EQA providers establish target values and analytical performance specifications, what should labs consider when reviewing and interpreting EQA summary reports, what should labs do when there is no sufficient peer data to compare their results, when is an alternative assessment program relevant, and what are the common EQA-related challenges in developing countries. The topics also cover EQA programs in specialty areas including point of care testing, microbiology, hematology, and cytology.
Happy 2023!
Updates from Pathologists Overseas!
The past year was a busy one for PO! As an organization that is primarily concerned with supporting Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in low-and-middle-income (LMICs) countries, travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 have been particularly challenging for us. Yet we rose to occasion by enhancing remote outreach. In particular, we managed to sustain and increase our efforts in virtual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs, External Quality Assurance (EQA) and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS). These individual updates are below.
New Partnership
In 2022, we also gained a rewarding partnership with Heart to Heart International (HHI), a Kansas City-based organization that works to ensure quality care is provided equitably to medically under-resourced communities and after disaster situations both within the U.S. and around the world. In particular, HHI supports grants and human resource management for Pathologists Overseas (PO); and PO helps to fulfill and extend HHI’s mission to improve healthcare access globally.
New Staff
This year also brought new members to the PO team. I would like to introduce two new staff members who joined PO in the last quarter of 2022. These are David Ennis, our LIS Technical Lead who is based in Nigeria, and Taylor Harris, our Operations Manager who is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The addition of paid staff represents a new paradigm for PO, which has always been a volunteer-led and volunteer-run organization. However, we are evolving to meet the needs of the time and the organization. We are incredibly excited they have joined our team and look forward to a far more productive future thanks to their contributions.
Lastly, I want to especially thank the PO working group, who met weekly to work on PO projects. We would not have been able to accomplish anything without this core working group. Please join me in extending virtual or email (if you choose) appreciation to them for their commitment and hard work.
Tim Amukele, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Pathologists Overseas
Pathologists Overseas Working Group. (from top left) row 1 - Emily Glynn, Taylor Harris, row 2 - Ann Nelson, Merih Tesfazghi, row 3 - Roa Harb, Tim Amukele
LIS Updates
We installed a new Laboratory Information System (LIS) at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Zaria, Nigeria in January 2022. We partnered with local LIS expert, Kehulum Belayneh Gedefaw (Ethiopia), who worked with David to install the software and train the local staff. We could not have done this without ComProMed, who donated the LIS software, and HHI, who provided generous funding and logistical support.
David has continued to visit to follow-up on issues of power supply and connection of the LIS with the planned EMR system for the hospital. The LIS leadership will be in discussions with the Chief Medical Director of the hospital as well as laboratory directors and ABUTH IT staff to assure successful implementation of the system.
Our LIS team is working on updating and improving the process for vetting labs and developing a more robust monitoring and evaluation system. We plan to install 1-2 more LIS software in 2023.
EQA Updates
We currently have 6 laboratories enrolled in the PO External Quality Assessment (EQA) program with geographical distribution as follows: 4 in Nigeria, 1 in Malawi, and 1 in Kenya. Since 2019, we have seen significant improvements (~35% increase) in performance on EQA surveys, despite ongoing challenges these laboratories faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Submitting complete results for each survey continues to be a work in progress and likely reflects ongoing challenges with compliance, reagents, material supplies, and instrument maintenance.
The EQA program will provide a performance summary report to labs with performance descriptions and recommendations for improvement in a simplified format. We plan to recruit 3 new labs to be enrolled in the EQA program for the coming year.
Continuing Professional Development Updates
As you may already know, PO started offering continuing professional development (CPD) courses in a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic. These virtual courses are more accessible to learners in rural areas, facilitate connections with colleagues across the world, and represent a way to engage our amazing volunteer network during a time of limited travel.
In February 2022, PO partnered with BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) and ABUTH, to launch a free 8-week virtual course on pediatric and lymph node pathology for an audience in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 450 pathologists and laboratorians participated in the course, which provided approximately 12 hours of educational content. In the summer of 2022, we collaborated with the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and HHI to adapt the World Health Organization’s Laboratory Quality Management Systems (LQMS) series for a Spanish-speaking audience in Central and South America. This course spanned 10 weeks and provided approximately 32 weeks of educational content, consisting of didactic lectures and small group problem-based learning sessions.
During 2023, our CPD program plans to acquire educational software to enhance the educational experience for learners. We also plan to develop education programs for the LIS and EQA programs. Stay tuned for more courses being offered in 2023!
Learn more about EQA!
We're recording short videos every month to keep you updated on what has been keeping us busy. This month, Tim interviews Roa, who is in charge of our external quality assurance (EQA) program. She'll explain where we are at with EQA, how many labs we have enrolled, how we are mentoring them, and our future plans for growth and sustainability. If you're interested in learning more, check out the video below!
Special thanks to Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia for your continued support of our EQA program!
If you'd like to get involved with our EQA program, contact us! If you want to make a financial contribution to support our efforts, click the donate button below.
Thanks and enjoy!
Update from Tim!
Check out this video update to see what Pathologists Overseas has been up to lately!
Check out this video update from our president, Tim Amukele! We wanted to let you know what we've been up to over the past several months. Between the COVID dashboard, virtual quality management course, and our EQA and LIS programs, we've been keeping busy! We hope to make these updates a regular occurrence. If you have any suggestions or feedback, drop us a line at admin@pathologistsoverseas.com.
Thanks and enjoy!
PO and ASCP Launch Virtual LQMS Course!
We are excited to announce the launch of our virtual laboratory quality management systems (LQMS) course, an effort of Pathologists Overseas and the American Society for Clinical Pathology!
We are excited to announce the launch of our virtual laboratory quality management systems (LQMS) course, an effort of Pathologists Overseas and the American Society for Clinical Pathology! This course is based on the World Health Organization’s LQMS modules and most of the lecturers are Pathologists Overseas’ volunteers. Over the course of 10 weeks, we will cover topics such as quality control, assessments, facilities, equipment, purchasing and inventory, a special session on leadership, and many more.
We received over 600 registrants in just 72 hours, a number that exceeded our webinar platform! The majority of registered participants are pathologists and laboratory scientists in sub-Saharan Africa. All sessions will be recorded and available for free on the ASCP site. We also hope to provide additional virtual courses in the near future.
We could not have done this without the incredible support of our volunteer network! Thank you to those who made financial contributions to Pathologists Overseas and/or volunteered your time to teach in the course.This would not be possible without your generous support!
Call for Guest Blog Writers!
Pathologists Overseas is excited to invite guest writers to contribute to the Pathologist Overseas blog. Through our blog, we hope to create a body of work for those who work in, are adjacent to, or are interested in, the intersection of global health and diagnostics.
OVERVIEW
Pathologists Overseas is excited to invite guest writers to contribute to the Pathologist Overseas blog. Through our blog, we hope to create a body of work for those who work in, are adjacent to, or are interested in, the intersection of global health and diagnostics. It is our vision that the blog be representative of many perspectives, geographically and otherwise.
The blog is posted on our website and our social media channels and is also released via MailChimp to our contact list.
If you are interested in submitting a blog post, please review the details below. All submissions can be sent to admin@pathologistsoverseas.com. Pathologists Overseas will review every submission but cannot guarantee publication of every submission, depending on how well the content aligns with the requested formatting and stated mission of Pathologists Overseas.
CONTENT THEMES ACCEPTED
If you are interested in viewing previously published blogs for reference, you may view them on the Pathologists Overseas website. Pathologists Overseas will accept the below listed topics, and we also welcome pitches that are outside of the stated topics, so long as they are in some way related to diagnostics and global health.
COVID testing (particularly perspectives from resource-limited settings)
Laboratory quality assurance
Content related to the testing/diagnostics of neglected infectious diseases (NTD’s), tuberculosis (Tb), or malaria in resource-limited settings
Topics related to the testing/diagnostics of cancer and other non-communicable diseases in resource-limited settings
Laboratory or pathology stories from outside the US and Canada
FORMATTING GUIDELINES
Post length: Blog post length should fall between 300-700 words.
Images: Images are not required, but we absolutely welcome images if you choose to share them! Images must either be originals or not copy-right protected.
Citing sources: You do not need to cite sources, unless directly quoting another source.
Guidelines on links: Links to external sites or materials may be included in the blog post
Point of submission: To submit a blog post, please email admin@pathologistsoverseas.com. Your post will be reviewed, and you will receive feedback within 1-2 weeks. Pathologists Overseas will review every submission but cannot guarantee publication of every submission, depending on how well the content aligns with the requested formatting and stated mission of Pathologists Overseas.