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What's New?
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Art captures Science as Army/Navy research men meet to view deadly viruses with one of the first electron microscopes in the US. The physical principles of electrons and lenses in Electron Microscopes parallel those of photons and lenses in Light Microscopes, but magnifications of over a million times are feasible. Titled 'Electron Microscope #17, Oil on Canvas', 1943, by Carlos Andreson, this unique painting was a gift of Abbott Laboratories to the US Navy Art Collection (88-159-Q). 
 Save the date for the second lecture in the series Benchmarks for Quality in Ultrastructural Pathology. The live meeting/video teleconferences will continue on Tuesday, February 14, from 11:00AM to 1:00 PM (Eastern Time) with a presentation on Electron Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Non-neoplastic Renal Disorders by David N. Howell, MD, PhD, Durham VA and Duke University Medical centers. Category 1 ACCME continuing medical education credits are available for physicians and ACCME-NP for all other staff participating in the series; pre-registration is required for credits. Full details on registration and meeting connections have been emailed to all VA Diagnostic Electron Microscopy facility directors and staff. Non-VA participants should contact Judy.Crowder1@va.gov for registration forms and/or additional information. The series was initiated following discussions during the first VHA National Electron Microscopy (EM) Program Video Conference Call (Summary), held in April 2011. The first lecture in the series was on Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia by Eric Wartchow, Colorado Children's, Denver.
!! A SharePoint site is now available for submission of the Annual Report on diagnostic EM facility activities--https://v6infoshare.v06.med.va.gov/programs/diagnosticem. Four sites successfully submitted their reports electronically for FY 2011. All facility directors have been pre-registered for access to the site. Support staff who may be uploading reports or images can also be given access to the site. Use of the site for report submission is encouraged for this reporting year. Feedback and comments welcomed. Contact EM QA/QM Coordinator for access or questions (Edoris.LeFurgey@va.gov).
The Annual EM Report Form for the FY 2012 Reporting Period is being revised and will be available electronically on the Diagnostic EM SharePoint site. Look for it on the SharePoint site in mid-summer. Report due date will be October 19, 2012.
Two Electron Microscopy technical training programs are valuable staffing resources for VA EM programs seeking to fill vacancies. Selected students in the EM Program at Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI, have the opportunity to do a research project with Madison VA EM Program Director, Dr. Terry Oberley, before they graduate. The San Joaquin Delta College Electron Microscopy Program, Stockton, CA, also offers EM certification and an associate arts degree for students.
Minutes of the February 26, 2011 EM Program review group meeting. The meeting was held last year in conjunction with USCAP in San Antonio, TX. For the scientific session Eric Wartchow, The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO, presented an excellent review of Ciliary Dyskinesia.
Microscopy Meetings, Conferences and Workshops - The biennial XVI meeting of the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology will take place in Regensburg, Germany, August 6-10, 2012. This meeting is focused exclusively on application of electron microscopy in pathologic diagnosis and research of human diseases. Plan now for abstract submission and meeting participation. Information and calendars about other current EM meetings and conferences are available from the Microscopy Society of America. Courses available and schedules at EM teaching facilities may also be obtained on the EM links web page.
Canadian pathologists have tested this approach in platelet dense-granule deficiency diagnostics with promising results (Am J Clin Pathol 131:671-675, 2009).
EM Retention requirements are on page 44 of VHA HANDBOOK 1106.01 (Oct. 6, 2008)*
*See example memorandum for appropriate turn-in of EM documents, blocks, slides exceeding retention times.
Check out the TEM cases page. John G. Guccion, M.D., EM Director of the Washington DC Program, contributed a set of twelve interesting cases for your review. In addition a series of SEM/TEM and x-ray microanalysis cases submitted by the Durham EM Program are now available.
The Society for Ultrastructural Pathology has an index of interesting EM cases for review on their web site - SUP Index of EM cases.
Generic Electron Microscopy processing procedures for Kidney biopsy, Tissue and Nerve biopsy are available for review and possible modification for local use. To see examples of generic processing procedures for EM Kidney biopsy, Tissue biopsy and Nerve biopsy click on the underlined links. As other generic procedures are added they will be available on the Generic Procedures page where the above biopsy specimen procedures are listed.
Some CAP inspectors may interpret that Diagnostic EM Programs should have external evaluations of their cases twice a year, rather than the annual review. This question was presented to the CAP accreditation division by Michael Brophy, National Enforcement Officer. See the question and response by CAP (CAP question).
Information on setting up sharing agreements - Need to bring in some additional money to support your EM Program? See the Sharing agreement section for more details.
Please share your good ideas and suggestions with other EM facilities. If you have any ideas or recommendations to share which save time, resources or effort in producing diagnostic EM reports for our patients, please send that information to us for possible addition to this web page. Potential examples include microwave processing procedures, EM specimen submission information/criteria or forms for use by referring facilities, etc.
Please e-mail Edoris.LeFurgey@va.gov with your comments and suggestions.
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