Issue link: https://ahint.epubxp.com/i/574474
12 ASHI Quarterly Third Quarter 2015 E D I T O R I A L Our entire Laboratory Medicine Department, including the histocompatibility laboratory is on the cusp of large management and operational changes A team was struck to assist in developing a plan to engage front-line staff in the process, disseminate information, and adapt change management strategies in response to feedback from stakeholders I was asked to join the Edmonton Clinical Laboratory Project Change Management Working Group This group is a multi-disciplinary committee of laboratory and associated health care professionals working together I feel honored to have been included in this team and I think that my involvement speaks to the fact that I am recognized as a cooperative and productive team player Last year I was selected to work closely with our laboratory scientist, Anne Halpin, to assist in evaluating and implementing ongoing research and development projects She gave me a great deal of autonomy in developing strategies to compare parallel methodologies; I was excited to take on this challenge I created multiple Excel spreadsheets and used many Excel tools to analyze and compare new methods to old ones and present these data to the rest of the laboratory One of the larger projects that I was directly involved in was the comparison of two different Luminex © -based screening beads from different vendors I also helped to update our method implementation tools for tracking projects within the laboratory by converting an existing word document to a more user-friendly Excel file and improving accessibility by organizing folders on our laboratory's electronic server to store them These updated spreadsheets have helped progress projects by providing a database to easily track delegated tasks to completion Working on test method implementation also allowed me to work more closely with our laboratory directors and to gain additional insight on the broader aspects of HLA testing and its role in the clinical management of transplant patients After attending the 2013 ASHI Annual Meeting, I was motivated to become involved with the society I volunteered to become a member of the Quality Assurance and Standards Committee after being encouraged by our laboratory directors and scientist The experience has been very rewarding as I have had the opportunity to provide an international technologist perspective as standards are critically evaluated and edited to reflect the requirements for all ASHI accredited laboratories By interacting with other members of the QAS team, I have expanded my knowledge of ASHI and its role in transplantation and will continue to increase my understanding of the standards and how they apply to our daily work and accreditation I am impressed by the strong commitment to volunteerism within the ASHI community and look forward to future volunteer initiatives All of these experiences inspired me to pursue a supervisory role in the histocompatibility laboratory Through a competitive process, I was selected for a permanent position as a laboratory supervisor This new role has provided me with a broader perspective and an advanced level of histocompatibility theory and knowledge of practice In addition to responsibilities mentioned above, I have been training on more of the analysis and troubleshooting for all tests performed in our laboratory as well as general laboratory quality assurance processes that enable consistent quality and efficiency In this role, I am faced with new and exciting challenges and even more opportunity to enhance my HLA knowledge by working closely with our laboratory directors that continue to provide great mentorship opportunities Every experience I have had in HLA has been rewarding and I look forward to a long future in the field Whether I am working on a case on-call, reporting results, or troubleshooting instruments, I am constantly reminded of the essential role that histocompatibility laboratories have as part of the transplant team For every aspect of testing I am involved in, our recipients move closer to hopefully receiving their long awaited transplant The constantly evolving knowledge and technology in this dynamic area of medicine is inspiring I am motivated to reach my full potential on a daily basis, to be a role model for my peers, and to continue on this journey to always remember that it is our patients and their families at the centre of all we do For me, one of the most challenging aspects of working in the field is that in deceased donation, there is an element of death as well as the gift of life Therefore, it would be difficult to continue on this career path if I did not have a mechanism to retain empathy for our deceased donors and their families I believe that while they have made the decision to donate at such a difficult time, they are likely to find comfort in knowing that their loved one has saved at least one life I recently had an immensely humbling experience when I was notified by a friend that one of our deceased donors was a member of their family The strength and courage that comes from their gift makes our donors and their families true heroes It is an honor to work in the field of HLA and transplantation and I look forward to a long career in histocompatibility Thank you for your consideration Corresponding Author Information Medical Laboratory Technologist deanna manna@albertahealthservices ca University of Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Alberta, Canada