Louri Caldwell, Chief Histotechnologist, College of Veterinary Medicine, 
University of Georgia at Athens, writes:

>>In this lab, all techs are to qc their own slides. They know what the  
tissue looked like in the block - if the slide isn't of quality - they are to 
redo it before it leaves the lab. If a recut comes back - it is first brought 
to my attention - then given back to the tech that originally cut it, who is 
to redo it STAT. That way - not only is the tech able to learn from their 
mistakes - they are to redo it as a STAT so as not to further 
inconvenience or delay the pathologist. This also serves to add an additional 
burden on the tech of having to add this stat to their own workload. This has 
substantially decreased the amount of recuts requested.<<

You probably wouldn't get there ahead of me - if I get an unsatisfactory 
slide, first thing I want to do is look at the paraffin block - since usually 
I find that I'm the one responsible for the crappy result anyway. (Hey, gimme 
a break, I've only been in this business for 38 years, still learning.)

The small pathology services in which I do most of my locum tenens work are 
usually desperately in need of quality assurance programs. It always 
infuriates the many conscientious histotechnogists on Histonet when I say 
this, but I'm going to say it again - most of the