1. State of the Department 2016 “Striving for Excellence”
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Bruce Smoller, MD, Chair

2. New Leadership Cabinet
Anatomic Pathology:
Education:
Brendan Boyce, Vice Chair
Scott Kirkley, Vice Chair
David Hicks, Director, Surgical Pathology
Linda Schiffhauer, Associate Director, Residency Program
Christa Whitney-Miller, Associate Director Surgical Pathology
Affiliated Hospitals:
Clinical Pathology:
Tamera Paczos, Director
Neil Blumberg, Vice Chair
Administration:
Victoria Zhang, Associate Director, Clinical Labs
Larry Ross, Program Administrator (starts June 1)
Majed Refaai, Associate Director, Clinical Labs
Research:
TBD

3. Clinical Mission
Anatomic Pathology
Clinical Pathology
Affiliated Hospitals

4. Anatomic Pathology Personnel New faculty:
Luis De Las Casas– Director, Cytopathology
Caroline Dignan - Director, Autopsy
Hiroshi Myamoto– Director, GU Pathology
Michael Drage– GI Pathology
Aaron Huber – GI Pathology
Rupal Mehta – Neuropathology, Autopsy

5. Anatomic Pathology
Personnel
Moved on:
Wendy Cao - NYU

6. Surgical Pathology specimen numbers

7. Surgical Pathology
Using TeamViewer technology to share cases between HH and SMH
Provides access for case consultation as well as for consensus conference, improving service across both campuses

8. Autopsy
Turnaround time: mean 62 days, but only 46% in < 60 days (CAP standard is 90% within 60 days)
Number of cases: 189
Working with faculty leadership, pathology assistants and residents to streamline process to better align our turnaround time with the high quality of our final reports

9. Clinical Pathology Personnel New faculty:
Yi Ding, MD, PhD– Molecular Pathology
Nicole Pecora, MD, PhD – Microbiology

10. Clinical Pathology Departing Faculty Members:
Nancy Wang – retiring 6/30/15 – will stay on to help out with coverage as needed through December
Laurie Milner – retiring 10/3/15

12. Inpatient Venous Access Team implementation on 6 units, improving quality and reducing errors

14. Blood Bank Accomplishments:
Current project designed to reduce blood usage during surgery
Strong Stars received by 11 staff members
Moved to irradiate red cells on demand – improved patient care!
Implemented an “Ever Better Board”
Began billing for professional services
Renee Bowen (reference lab supervisor) identified a novel technique for dealing with serologic interference – published with Dr. Schmidt

15. Cytogenetics Laboratory
Hosted the NYS Regional Cytogenetic meeting
Newly certified in cytogenetics:
Min Guo
Karissa Khamsouk
Added a new platform for plasma cell enrichment – increases FISH detection rate for multiple myeloma
Huge increase in urovysion testing (detect bladder cancer)
Developed new competency assessment forms and sharing them with all divisions

16. Molecular Diagnostics
NY State just approved testing for TERT promoter mutations – used to classify brain tumors and other tumors
Only lab in NY approved to do this test
Also approved for TP53 mutation testing used in treatment decisions for CLL patients, but also will find utility with other cancers

17. Microarray Laboratory
Developed a new array chip targeting pathogenic genes in constitutional diseases
Developed a digital tracking system of all DNA stored in the lab
All staff members now trained in and performing the clinical trials procedure involving isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from cell preparation tubes (CPT) for cryopreservation

18. Specimen Management Service (SMS)
Highlighted in LEAN training development program for its Ever Better Board (9 such boards in place within the department!!!) Holly Harrington Smock and Brandon DeLorme are featured on the LEAN announcement and blog posting!!!

19. Hematology Implemented: New Sysmex automation line
TEG and Platelet Mapping assays

20. Chemistry Implemented: A20 Osmometer
Wescor Cholorchek chloridometer (sweat test)
FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test – occult blood)
Working with Ob/Gyn to bring in new test for identifying premature rupture of fetal membrances (Actim PROM)

21. Microbiology Implemented: Mycoplasma PCR (was a send-out test)
Expanded automated susceptibiity testing to include yeast and S. pneumoniae
Flu/RSV testing STAT
COBAS Ampliprep
New PCR tests for EBV and HSV
Co-testing of HPV and PAP smears
Testing for trichomonas in urines from women
Norovirus PCR testing

22. Microbiology Post-doctoral program re-certified
Sponsored two students through Teen Health and Success Partnership

23. Automated Laboratories
Employee Engagement Staff Committee:
Standardize pipets in labs (reduced number of tips requiring purchase)
Created volunteer call-in lists for weekends/nights
Created signage with contact numbers for waste pick-ups
Obtained large monitors for key lab areas such as DI, Diffing
Obtained new mouse pads for the area
Worked with CLSS to replace “old” computers

24. Toxicology Moved from Tier III to Tier II – congratulations!
Successfully implemented 8 staff suggestions from Ever Better Board
16 Strong Stars received by Lab this year!

25. Ridgeland Road Workload increased 25% with no increase in personnel
Implemented new ESR and Sysmex instruments, along with middleware in hematology and chemistry sections
Mentored series of MCC students
(Laurie Wolfe leading this effort)
Hosted Advanced User Coagulation Class for second year

26. Affiliated Hospital Pathology Division
New faculty:
Tamera Paczos, Division Director

27. Affiliated Hospital Pathology
Current:
Strong West (Brockport)
St. James (Hornell)
Wyoming
FF Thompson
Pending discussions
Auburn
Geneva
Noyes (Dansville)
Jones (Wellsville)
Arnot Ogden

28. Affiliated Hospital Pathology
FF Thompson Hospital
Laboratory consolidations
Additional pathology attending support
Unifying automated analyzer platforms

29. Strong West Received CAP accreditation January 2016
Added Outpatient and Interlakes Oncology testing to its book of business

30. Affiliated Hospital Pathology
Interlake Batavia Site awarded NYC CLEP Lab license – also implemented on-site lab testing at this site
Strong West received CAP accreditation after September inspection
Implemented Reference Laboratory services at Wyoming and St. James Hospitals

31. All Outpatients – our departmental outreach program

32. Quality and Compliance
Completed over 70 internal audits
Participated in 5 NYSDOH inspections, 3 CAP inspections and 6 external client audits

33. Research Mission
Extramural funding
Miscellaneous news items

34. Research Mission Faculty Rupal Mehta, neurobiology
Nicole Pecora, molecular microbiology

35. New grants Brendan Boyce – 2 R01’s x 4 years
Arch Perkins – R01 x 4 years, R21 x 2 years
Richard Burack – R21 x 2 years, Lymphoma Research Foundation grant
Zhenqiang Yao – Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester grant x 1 year
Lianping Xing – R01 x 4 years, Lymphatic Malformation Institute grant, R21 x 2 years
Victoria Zhang – American Association of Clinical Chemists grant
Rupal Mehta – K08 x 4 years
Sherry Spinelli/Neil Blumberg – Phillip Morris x 2 years

36. Other extramural funding
Andrew Evans – Wilmot fellowship
Jennifer Findeis-Hosey – “Strollin’ for the colon” grant – to further her work in Lynch syndrome

37. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology annual meeting (3/16)
17 abstracts accepted for presentation:
Participating residents and fellows:
Mary Barrett, Nisha Patel, Shana Straub, Sohaib Abu-Farsakh, Diana Agostini-Vulaj, Sapna Patel, Amber El-Halaby, Chad Hudson, Sashica Cheris, Hani Kateri, Asif Shahab, Laura Bratton (13)
Participating faculty members:
Jerome Jean-Gilles, Guang-Qian Xiao, Raul Gonzalez, Jennifer Findeis-Hosey, David Hicks, Xi Wang, Richard Burack, Janice Spence, David Zhou, Bradley Turner, Ping Tang, Paul Rothberg (12)
Participating technical assistance:
Loralee McMahon, Qi Yang

38. Research
Biobanking:
Established contractual arrangement with Indivumed:
Expenses entirely theirs
Tissue split 50/50 after clearance from surgical pathologist on call
Specimen freezers on site
Tissue available via protocol for all URMC personnel for research
David Zhou named Director, URMC Biobank

39. Research Mission Publications (very crude estimates):
Approximately 210 in

40. Research mission Works in Progress forum
Idea suggested at Faculty Retreat
Faculty members applying for funding (intra- or extramural) present their preliminary work in an informal setting designed to improve the ultimate application and funding success rates
Presented works in progress:
Richard Burack
Phil Katzman
Andrew Evans

41. Annual Research Day (June 13)
Expanded program this year:
Oral presentations from 9 residents and 9 graduate students
Integrated program to stimulate “cross-fertilization”
All residents given entire day “off” to attend program
Faculty attendance strongly encouraged
Competition for residents with awards given by judges
Separate day for combined research “advertising” within department – faculty presented their work (posters) at a reception with residents and graduate students in hopes of more “cross fertilization” (April 20)
Huge attendance – all residents and graduate students attended

42. Education Mission
Medical Technologists
Cytotechnologists
Medical Students
Residents
Fellows
Graduate Students
Faculty

43. Medical Technology Program
Ended our affiliation with Rochester General Hospital
Developing our own program with first class to begin in 2017
Vicki Roberts leading the development project
Far along in negotiations with various Deans and other groups at URMC
First class anticipated for 2017

44. Cytotechnology Program
Donna Russell appointed inaugural Director of Cytotech Training Program in conjunction with program at Daemen College and Roswell Park Cancer Institute

45. William B. Hawkins Award
Departmental awards given to either Pathology year-out students or to graduating URMC students who emulate Dr. Hawkins’ Excellence in Medicine
2016 Award Winner:
Benjamin Louis Mazer

46. ACGME Training Programs
All received re-accreditation without citations for maximum length of time
Approved for new program in transfusion medicine/blood banking

47. Departmental News Residency Match: Filled 4/4!!!!
Roula Katerji – University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine
Alexandra Danakas – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Mushal Noor – Kind Edward Medical University
Cynthia Reyes-Barron – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

48. Departmental News Incoming fellows: GI – Meenal Sharma
Cytopathology – Michael Magguilli (URMC)
Hematopathology – Chad Hudson (URMC)
Breast – Kerry Nagee – Univ. Florida (Jacksonville)
Blood bank/transfusion medicine – Tanmay Sahai (Boston University)

49. Residents and Fellows Fond farewells:
Bibiana Steinbauer – Univ. Florida (Jacksonville)
Michael Maggiulli – URMC cytopathology
Chad Hudson – URMC hematopathology
Meenal Sharma – URMC GI pathology
Amber El-Halaby – Rochester Regional Health
Mary Barrett – Dermatopathology, Boston University
Laura Bratton – TBD

50. Resident kudos Shana Straub – new Chief Resident
Sachica Cheris – new Associate Chief Resident

51. Incoming graduate students
Andrea Amitrano,  SUNY Geneseo
John Bachman,  Penn State University
Felicia Gilels,  SUNY Stony Brook
Courtney Kellogg,  RIT
Olivia Marola, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT
Made 9 offers and got 5 accepts which is on par with the rest of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. Congrats to all!

52. Education
Faculty
Faculty mentoring program with monthly monitoring and Chair oversight
(I, too, have a URMC mentor with whom I meet weekly!)
Formal annual faculty evaluations to provide feedback and planning for future

53. Education Visiting Speakers: Chin-Lee Wu – Mass General Hospital
Michael Drage – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Liang Cheng- Univ. Indiana
Syed Hoda – Cornell University

54. Clinical Trials Banner year in all ways!!!!
FY 2017 – will make > $1million margin (expected)
Debts to pay down but ultimately will result in an additional revenue stream for the department
Kudos to Dan Ryan for having the foresight and perseverance to make this come to fruition!

55. Department Faculty Retreat
Held in October 2015:
Four working groups developed list of priorities for department leadership to pursue
Outcomes from retreat (so far)
New support for faculty for clerical work, on-boarding and research endeavors
New structure for prioritizing IT projects within the department
New research working conference to provide input for researchers
Formal structure to Affiliated Hospital division
Rotational exams for residents to provide assessments and identify those at risk earlier

56. Faculty kudos
Victoria Zhang was promoted to Associate Professor of Pathology

57. Faculty Kudos Elected positions:
Ping Tang – President-elect, Chinese American Pathologists Association

58. Staff kudos (Microbiology)
Pam Mortensen retired after > 40 years

59. Retirement
David Strong left us to become the CEO of a private company that performs clinical trials
We wish him all the best and thank him for his many years of service to the department and to URMC

60. Staff kudos Employee engagement survey: Labs with 100% participation:
Regional toxicology
Clinical trials logistics
Flow/bone marrow
Autopsy
Neuropathology
Microarray
Out patient lab – Ridgeland
Blood bank
Lab client services
Clinical labs billing
Tissue typing – clinical labs

61. Staff kudos – supervisors who improved a tier!
Barb Meikeljohn
Angie Roman
Aimee Kievitt
Jenny Scherdin
Mike Facik
Jason Thomas
Judy Miller
Joe Marino
Diana Scott
Stacy Mariano
Bill Andrews
Priya Selvanayagam
Debbie Jesien
Angela Busacco
Billie Briscoe
Linda Crandall

62. Staff kudos LEAN certificate winners: Julie Marini Jeff Varley
Christine Reilingh
Morgan Daniel
Christine Cahill
Julie Marini
Jeff Varley
Mike Lum
12 others completed all classes and are working on certification projects

63. Staff kudos (Chemistry and Hematology)
Strong Stars:
Geoffrey Harris
Joan Drader
Melissa Sullivan (3)
Danielle Hewitt
Perky McDaniel (2)
Kim Gaesser
Noel Krzesinski (2)
John Patamisi
Marcia Sawnor (2)
Coleen Harvey
April Ayrhart (2)
Jim Villone
Ky Tran
Anita Parkhurst
Crystal Baggatta
Patrick Reilly
Lisa Brodner
Jan Vecchio
Jesse Laurey
Brittney Bullers

64. Staff kudos (Microbiology)
Debra Jesien – promoted to Chief Supervisor
Jose Carlos Gallegos
Diane Rafter
Other promotions:
Lindsay Ryan
Bhameenee (Diya) Rughoonundon
Mary Tolomay
Mattew Britt
Staci Sekaz
Patricia Munding
Maria Humphreys
Megan Klein
Kelly Pierce
Baltazaar Calunod

65. Staff kudos (Cytogenetics)
Strong Stars:
Erin Wyatt
Connie Yahn
Michele Heckler
Christine Reilingh

66. Staff kudos (Ridgeland Road)
Strong Stars:
Maryanne Bongiovanni
Kelley Brewer
George Conte
Erika Ramirez
Manisha Stappenbacher
Laurie Wolfe

67. Staff kudos (Ridgeland Road)
Pathology ICARE Guiding Coalition Committee – Tia LaBarge and Melissa Sullivan joined Vicky Roberts and Liz Peterdy representing pathology on the Hospital ICARE committee
Erika Ramirez joined this committee in late 2015 and is now creating Ridgeland Rd. Lab Showcase poster for the departmental poster session

68. Staff kudos (Cytopathology)
Strong stars:
Mary Beth Kearns
Shawn Evans
Mary Ann Rutkowski retired after 38 years at URMC
Donna Russell – presenting at the 19th International Congress of Cytology in Yokohama, Japan
Shawn Evans – presenting at Second Kress Family Esophageal Carcinoma meeting in Toronto, CA

69. Toxicology kudos
Carol Schulz retired (but still working part time)

70. Staff kudos Completed MBAs at Simon School: Elizabeth Jackson
Geoffrey Harris
Erin McNeil-Szostak

71. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week
April 25-29
Daily Puzzle Contests
Poster day – Meet YoUR Lab
Gift day
Quality Day Presentation
Bagel Day
Dress down day
Breakfast/Lunch day

72. Zoo night
Department held its first Employee Appreciation Night at the Seneca Park Zoo in August
More than 600 attended
Many of the animals cooperated with fun shows
Planning repeat event for August

73. URMC volunteer activities
Medical Career Day at SUNY Brockport:
Bradley Turner
Amanda Martin
Diana Agostini-Vulaj
Sachica Cheris

74. Global Outreach
Vietnam – multiple lectures, designing program for Vietnam Derm telepathology (Bruce Smoller)
Maimoona Ramaswamy signed on to help with laboratory improvement in conjunction with histotechnologists from Baylor College of Medicine
Kenya – Xi Wang returned from trip there with proposal to provide prolonged rotations for pathologists in Kenya to study pathology in our department
Haiti – Andrew Evans, Loralee McMahon, Jerome Jean-Gilles

75. Physical Plant Phase I: Move some laboratory activities to Bailey Road
Clinical Trials and outpatient testing that is currently based at Ridgeland Road
Consolidation of Molecular Genetics program including labs from SMH and from Ridgeland
Microbiology
Floor plans developed by Medical Directors with the help of support staff

76. Physical Plant Phase II
Involves moving more labs to expanded Bailey Road facility
Portions of cytopathology
Portions of surgical pathology
Mass Spectrometry
Others
Dates for project still uncertain

77. Departmental kudos
UR Medicine and UR Labs were selected as finalists for this year’s Greater Rochester Quality Council Awards
Blood Management Team – Silver Medal for Team Excellence
Cytology LEAN program – Gold Medal for Operational Excellence
Congratulations!!!!!

78. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Financials-March_2016
FY 2016 BUDGET
Revenue
Expenses
PRACTICE PLAN
$ ,301,150
$ ,224,650
CLINICAL TRIALS
$ ,211,450
$ ,670,950
MARCH_2016 ACTUAL YTD
SMD
Budget
Balance
$ ,750
$ ,560
$ ,190
FY 2016 ACTUALS
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
YTD Total
838,696
902,591
862,699
912,710
1,102,003
839,479
993,975
906,316
879,055
8,237,524
(665,377)
(708,923)
(826,989)
(761,609)
(790,896)
(751,760)
(902,644)
(728,744)
(811,981)
(6,948,921)
Margin
173,319
193,668
35,710
151,101
311,107
87,719
91,331
177,572
67,074
1,288,603
589,410
496,173
708,645
365,470
394,406
192,118
390,254
360,919
446,682
3,944,077
(269,726)
(272,928)
(270,076)
(285,618)
(262,811)
(302,076)
(254,390)
(254,473)
(910,818)
(3,082,916)
319,684
223,245
438,569
79,852
131,595
(109,958)
135,864
106,446
(464,136)
861,162

79. Philanthropy
Developed quarterly newsletter to build sense of community
Held URMC Pathology reception at 2016 USCAP
Visiting with URMC Pathology alumni
Faculty members who contributed in :
Neil Blumberg
Dan and Charlotte Ryan
John Bennett
Karen Bentley
Bruce Smoller

80. USCAP annual meeting First annual URMC departmental reception
Approximately 50 attendees including:
Current residents (all present attended)
Current faculty members (all present attended)
Past residents
Past faculty members
Potential future faculty members
Friends of the department including:
Rebecca Johnson (Executive Vice President, American Board of Pathology)
Other department Chairs
Jennifer Hunt, Victor Prieto
Nationally renowned surgical pathologists
Laura Lamps (Chair, Education Committee, USCAP)
Kum Cooper (U Penn)
John Hart (U Chicago)

81. Philanthropic Goals To develop an endowed Chair
To develop an Endowed Professorship (Education)
To develop a program for sustained funding for resident research and travel
To develop an endowed lecture series to support several outside speakers each year
To name the new Pathology Building (the holy grail!)

82. Thank you to all for a terrific year
“Striving for Excellence”