I haven't been replying to various questions about staffing and how we
accession cases so I thought I would include it all in this message.  

We use Cerner as our LIS.  We have support staff who are responsible for
registration of all cases that have not been previously registered,
accessioning of all cases, and distributing the samples to Histology or
Cytology.  Case load:  23,200 Surgical cases (31,400 separate specimens),
~950 Intraoperative Consultation procedures, 51,000 PAPs, 3500 Non-GYNs,
and145 Bone Marrow specimens in calendar year 1999.  We also did 60 Medical
and 65 Forensic autopsies (Our county coroner hires forensic pathologists to
do these but our hospital provides a morgue assistant for each case).  

We rotate our support staff into Cytology prep where they prepare Non-GYN
fluids, Thin Prep PAPS (now at 75% thins vs. traditional smears), stain, and
label all Cytology slides using the Cerner system.  We do not currently have
bar code labels for slides but do have bar code labels for our specimen
containers and requisitions which are generated through Cerner each time we
accession a case.  

			FTE breakdown:  

AP Support:  	6.0 FTE Medical Transcription/Secretary (help to register
when needed as well as transcribe)
		7.6 FTE AP Support  (also includes 4 morgue assistants who
do all other duties as well)
		1.0 FTE Support Service Supervisor
Histology:	7.6 FTE Histotechnologists (1 MLT, 1 OJT, 5 HT, 1HTL)
		1.0 FTE Histology Supervisor (HTL) 
Cytology:	5.9 FTE Cytotechnologists
		1.0 FTE Cytology Supervisor
Administration:	1.0 FTE Manager
Professional Staff:	8.0  Pathologists
			3.0  Pathologists' Assistants (2 MS, 1 OJT from a
Cytotech)
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Renee Seiler [SMTP:horalka@iopener.net]
> Sent:	Wednesday, June 21, 2000 7:29 AM
> To:	histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject:	specimen accessioning
> 
> Hello, I have been reading with interest on all the feedback about
> entering specimens, and am totally flabbergasted that a) you have
> secretaries and transcriptionists who WILLINGLY do this and b)those who
> have a computer system STILL use logbooks--hello, let's save some trees
> here!  Yes, use manual entry when the system goes down, but the whole
> purpose of a computerized system is to let the computer and only the
> computer assign numbers.  I have used both Sunquest and Meditech and have
> worked in labs where everyone from the lab assistant to histotech to
> cytotech to path assistants to pathologists will accession specimens, but
> NEVER the office people!
> Renee Seiler, Rose Medical Center, Denver CO, USA
> 
>