Fw: Board of registry

From:"marvin hanna" <mhanna@histosearch.com>


-----Original Message-----
From: John Ryan <ZJPR01@sleh.com>
To: Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu <Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Date: Monday, September 11, 2000 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: Board of registry


Dear Mary,

When I started in Histology in 1967 the pay rate was $2.50 per hour and that
was with a degree.  The reason the salary was and in many cases still
remains so low is that the educational requirements for the profession have
not kept pace with the technology.  The changes coming from the BOR only
require an Associate degree for the HT not a Bacculaureate degree which is
required for the HTL.

Until the educational requirements are changed and the profession demands
only certified HT(ASCP) staff the salary will not change.  Salary is
pressured by supply and demand and as long as hospitals are willing to hire
uncertified staff at low wages and the rest of us are willing to train these
people there is no need to improve the salary structure.

Over the past 20 years there have been massive new technologies introduced
into the profession of Histology but in many institutions the "HT" were
unable to handle them and these new procedures then became the province of
the Medical Techhnologist who have a BA or BS degree rather than the
histotech. With the future including genetic technology from the Genome
Project the need for better educated HT and HTL histology professionals is
required.  There will always be the need for routine paraffin and H&E
staining as this is the backbone of histology but the advancements require
us to keep up.

I realize that there is a staff shortage (I have a position one also), but
that is no reason to continue at the same level that we have been at since
1949 when the HT(ASCP) began.  Times have changed and we must change with
it.

I think the change is past due and hope that the time will come when only
certified HTs and HTLs will be hired in hospitals.  I also believe that we
need to do everything that we can to promote the opening of accredited
schools to properly train and equip the HTs and HTLs for the future.

jryan@sleh.com
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
Houston, TX





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