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2010 Press Releases

2009 Press Releases

AACC Announces Audioconference on Advances in Celiac Disease Testing & Treatment
Washington, DC, November 24, 2009 – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces an audioconference on Celiac Disease: Advances in Testing and Treatment to be held on January 20, 2010, at 2:00pm EST. The audioconference will last 90 minutes.

AACC Announces Audioconference on The Laboratory's Role in Managing Hospital-Acquired Infections
Washington, DC, November 9, 2009 – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry announces an audioconference on The Lab's Critical Role in Managing Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) to be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 2:00pm (EST).  The audioconference will last 90 minutes.

AACC Expands Global Patient Education Network - Lab Tests Online Launches in China and France
Washington, DC, November 5, 2009 – In Beijing and Paris today, AACC launches newly translated versions of its award-winning website, Lab Tests Online, providing people in China and France with access to free, non-commercial, peer-reviewed information on laboratory testing in their native language. The Chinese version of the site is the first in Asia, while the French Lab Tests Online is the ninth to go live in Europe.

AACC Announces Results Of 2009 Elections For Board Of Directors
Washington, DC, October 29, 2009 – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces the results of the elections recently held for the 2010 President-Elect, Treasurer, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee. The eight successful candidates will take up their positions on January 1, 2010.

AACC Announces Audioconference on hsCRP and The Assessing of CVD Risk
Washington, DC, August 10, 2009 – AACC announces and audioconference, JUPITER and Beyond: The Future of hsCRP in Assessing CVD Risk, on October 7, 2009 at 2:00pm (Eastern).  The audioconference will last 90 minutes.

AACC Announces Audioconference on Vitamin D Testing  
Washington, DC, August 5, 2009 – AACC announces an audioconference, The ABCs of Vitamin D Testing, on September 17. The audioconference commences at 2:00 pm (Eastern) and will last 90 minutes (including a 15-minute Q&A session).

AACC Reports Strong Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo 
Washington, DC, July 31, 2009 —AACC held its 2009 Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo July 19-23 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL, in conjunction with the Canadian Society for Clinical Chemists.  The Annual Meeting featured some 200 educational sessions covering the latest developments in laboratory medicine and attracted over 18,000 physicians, scientists and others involved in laboratory medicine in hospitals, universities, and private laboratories. 

Premiere Health Site to Be Translated in China: Lab Tests Online-China to Launch in November 
Chicago, IL, July 22, 2009 – AACC announced an agreement today with the Chinese Society of Laboratory Medicine (CSLM) for the development of a Chinese version of Lab Tests Online, AACC’s award-winning patient resource for information on laboratory testing.  CSLM expects to launch the new site in November.

Redesigned Lab Tests Online Improves Access for the Blind 
Chicago, IL, July 20, 2009 – After 9 years and more than 200 million pageviews, AACC formally unveiled a redesigned Lab Tests Online at its 61st Annual Meeting for clinical laboratory scientists being held in Chicago this week.  The new design, which will be rolled out to other Lab Tests Online versions around the globe, retains the same ease of navigation that earned the site accolades as “a masterfully simple page” when it launched in 2001.  The update introduces several important changes to the award-winning website, which provides patients with details on a wide range of laboratory tests.

Rebranded Lab Tests Online Emphasizes the “Medicine” in Laboratory Medicine
Chicago, IL, July 20, 2009 –  After 9 years and more than 200 million page views, AACC formally unveiled a rebranded and redesigned Lab Tests Online at its 61st  Annual Meeting for clinical laboratory scientists being held in Chicago this week.  The new branding includes a new logo based on an ancient symbol of medicine that is commonly used by major medical organizations around the world.

Lab Testing Instrumental for International Anti-Doping System 
Washington, D.C., July 16 2009 – Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the sporting world is well aware of the current problem with doping and performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).  We’ve all heard the allegations: Barry Bonds and his BALCO connection in major league baseball; Floyd Landis in cycling’s Tour de France; and numerous disqualifications in last year’s Beijing Olympic Games.  Did they?  Didn’t they?  The controversies continues to swirl.

AACC Announces Lab Tests Online’s First Executive Editor
Washington, D.C., July 15, 2009 – In response to the growing number of Lab Tests Online websites worldwide, AACC announced that D. Robert Dufour, MD has been named to the newly created position of Executive Editor for the global network.  Dr. Dufour is a 9-year veteran of Lab Tests Online, an award-winning patient information website, and an original member of the site’s Editorial Review Board.  He has served as the Board’s editorial liaison to the international collaboration for the last five years.  AACC made the announcement at the start of its 61st Annual Meeting for clinical laboratory scientists which is being held at the McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL July 19 – 23.

AACC Announces Press Briefing on Why Toxicology Testing Takes Time To Indentify Cause of Death
Washington, D.C., July 10, 2009 – Forensic toxicology is the post-mortem testing for lethal and/or foreign substances in body fluids and tissues, and it can be a very time-consuming process.  The media has reported that Michael Jackson’s death certificate was issued on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 without listing a cause of death; his brain, or part of it, was being retained for testing;  and initial indications are that it may take several weeks to determine the cause.

AACC Announces New Certificate Program to Strengthen Laboratory Professionals’ Management Skills
Washington DC, June 15, 2009 – AACC and its Management Sciences Division announce a Clinical Laboratory Leadership & Management Certificate Program: an online program designed to strengthen and develop laboratory professionals’ existing management skills. 

AACC’S Clinical Chemistry Journal Reports New Tests for Rapid Detection oF H1N1 Influenza Cases
Washington, D.C., May 14, 2009  – In recent weeks, the media has been focused on the emergence in Mexico of a new human influenza A virus, H1N1, and the potential international health threat that it poses.  The severity of the human disease remains unclear, with most cases outside of Mexico having a mild clinical course.  However, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the most severe influenza pandemic currently known, was also mild at the time of its initial emergence and only acquired virulence during the second wave of human disease during the winter season. Molecular tests for the detection of the H1N1 virus are urgently required.

AACC Announces Webinar on Weathering The Storm: Surviving and Succeeding in Today’s Economy
Washington, D.C., May 11, 2009  – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry presents a webinar on June 24 on Weathering the Storm: Surviving and Succeeding in Today's Economy.  The webinar starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern) and will last 60 minutes.  The webinar is part of AACC's Executive Thought Leadership Series supported exclusively by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.

Consensus Guideline Reached For Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
Washington, D.C., April 6, 2009 – ARUP Laboratories and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announced March 31 that a consensus guideline for a key laboratory method called qPCR (or quantitative polymerase chain reaction) was published by a group of international scientists representing the medical and research fields.

Researchers Examine Promise Of Personalized Medicine In Guiding Warfarin Therapy
Washington, D.C., March 30, 2009 – In the April issue of Clinical Chemistry, a series of articles looks at the emergence of personalized medicine and pharmacogenetic testing for guiding warfarin therapy.  The issue at hand is whether new genetic-based tests offer clinically useful information that augments the traditional testing and biometric data used to determine drug dosing and efficacy in patients.

AACC Announces Audioconference on Autoverification of Lab Results
Washington, D.C., March 12, 2009 – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces an audioconference on Leveraging Autoverification for Greater Lab Efficiency to be held Wednesday, April 22 at 2:00 pm (Eastern). The audioconference will last approximately 90 minutes.

New Lab Tests Help Optimize Antiplatelet Therapy
Washington, D.C., March 10, 2009  – AACC is pleased to present an audioconference on The Lab’s Role in Optimizing Antiplatelet Therapy: A Personalized Medicine Approach on April 2, 2009.  The audioconference starts at 2:00pm Eastern (U.S.) time and will last 90 minutes.

AACC Devotes February Issue Of Clinical Chemistry Journal To C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Washington, D.C., February 24, 2009  – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry devotes the February 2009 issue of its flagship journal Clinical Chemistry to discussing C-Reactive Protein (CRP).  Around 50 percent of myocardial infarctions and stroke occur among apparently healthy men and women with low or normal cholesterol levels. The key to this enigma may be CRP which, studies suggest, may be a better predictor of cardiovascular events than LDL (bad) cholesterol.

AACC, APHL, and The CDC Announce Infectious Disease Conference
Washington, D.C., February 9, 2009  – AACC, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention are pleased to co-sponsor a one-day conference on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The Lab's Changing Role in Managing Infectious Diseases will be held at the Omni Hotel, CNN Center in Atlanta, GA.

AACC Announces Webinar on Diagnostic Data Management
Washington, D.C., February 9, 2009  – In recent years, America’s health care systems has been characterized as fragmented and expensive, and even unsafe.  Part of the solution to these problems is the greater integration of health care data which offers the prospect of waste reduction; improvements in quality, patient safety and communications; and automated performance measurement.  Expansion of health care IT efforts was a major feature of President Obama’s election campaign and now of his economic stimulus package.

AACC announces Latest Adavances in Chronic Disease Conference
Washington, D.C., February 6, 2009  – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and the United Kingdom’s Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB) announce a 11/2-day conference on the Latest Advances in Chronic Disease to be held May 6-7, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Newport Beach, CA.  The UK element of the conference will be held September 3-4, 2009 at the Royal College of Pathologists in London, UK. 

AACC Announces 41^st Annual Oak Ridge Conference
Washington, D.C., February 3, 2009  – AACC announces its 41^st Annual Oak Ridge Conference, Frontiers in Clinical Diagnostics, to be held April 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency, Baltimore, MD. The conference will focus on emerging technologies that will become the next generation of clinical diagnostics: Novel Point-of-Care Devices, Next Generation DNA Sequencing, Advances in Molecular Imaging, and Microfluidics-Based Diagnostic Devices.  During these two intensive days, scientists from both academia and industry will present the latest developments in diagnostic devices.  

Lab Workforce Council Elects New Leadership Team
Washington, D.C., February 2, 2009 –  The member organizations of the Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce (CCCLW) have elected Susan Gross, the representative of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), to a two-year term as Chair of the CCCLW.  She replaces Paula Garrott of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), who had chaired the coalition for the last three years.  Ms. Gross works for UCSF at  San Francisco General Hospital.  

2008 Press Releases

AACC Announces Two Audioconferences for December 2008
Washington, D.C. November 13, 2008 – The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces two audioconferences being held in December 2008:  PSA Update: Implementing New Screening Guidelines, Meeting Analytical Challenges on December 3 and Hemoglobin A1c: New Uses for Today and Possibilities for Tomorrow on December 9.  Both audioconferences start at 2:00 pm EST and are expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

AACC and Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Announce Major Award and Educational Initiative
Washington, D.C., October 15, 2008 –  AACC and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement under which the Association will receive a grant to undertake educational training and development in clinical laboratory medicine in resource limited countries worldwide. 

Laboratory Measurements in Chronic Kidney Disease
Washington, D.C., October 1, 2008 – AACC announces a webinar addressing Laboratory Measurements in Chronic Kidney Disease on November 2, 2008 at 2:00 pm (Eastern).  The webinar will last approximately 50 minutes.

Scott May Joins AACC as Vice President, Policy and Programming
Washington DC, September 16, 2008 — Robert Scott May joined AACC on August 27 as Vice President, Policy & Programming.  Scott succeeds Pamela Nash who remains with AACC as Executive Director of the Van Slyke Foundation, AACC’s philanthropic program.

AACC Annual Meeting Sees Record Setting Press Coverage
Washington DC, August 18, 2008 – AACC’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, received unprecedented coverage from national and local news outlets. These news stories highlight the value of clinical laboratory science and show how this field is clearly more important than ever in personal healthcare.

 Online Expands Global Collaboration With Portugal Agreement
Washington DC, June 30, 2008 – The Portuguese Society of Clinical Chemistry (SPQC) has agreed to develop a Portuguese version of Lab Tests Online, the award-winning patient education website developed in the United States by the laboratory community and produced by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). 

Lab Tests Online Wins Communicator Award Of Distinction
Washington, D.C., June 24, 2008 – Lab Tests Online was among the organizations honored in the 2008 Communicators Awards, announced by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA). 

Appropriate Laboratory Usage: 10 Ways to Reduce Unnecessary Testing
Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008 – AACC announces an audioconference on Appropriate Laboratory Usage: 10 Ways to Reduce Unnecessary Testing.  The audioconference will take place on Wednesday, September 24 at 2:00pm (Eastern) and last approximately 90 minutes. 

AACC Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo to Highlight Advances in Laboratory Medicine
Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008 – More than 20,000 clinical laboratorians, physicians, research scientists, and other health care professionals gather July 27-31 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC for the 2008 Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC).  The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for journalists to bring themselves up-to-date on the latest in laboratory medicine. 

AACC 2008 Clinical Lab Expo Largest Ever
Washington, D.C., May 20, 2008 – AACC’s Clinical Lab Expo at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC is confirmed as being the largest ever, even exceeding the record-breaking numbers in 2007 in San Diego.  With only a few booths remaining, the Expo is on track for more than 650 exhibitors in over 1,800 booths including 50 companies exhibiting for the first time. 

Improving the Reporting of Critical Results II
Washington, D.C., April 8, 2008 –  The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) presents an audioconference Improving the Reporting of Critical Results II on June 10 at 2:00 pm (Eastern US time).  The audioconference will last 90 minutes.

Larry A. Broussard, PhD, DABCC, FACB, assumes the presidency of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry on January 1, 2008
Washington DC,  February 19, 2008 - Larry A. Broussard, Ph.D., DABCC, FACB, Professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans, assumed the presidency of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) on January 1, 2008.

Five cutting edge Plenary Sessions will highlight the AACC’s 2008 Annual Meeting
Washington DC,  February 8, 2008 - Five cutting edge Plenary Sessions will highlight the AACC’s 2008 Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo to held in Washington, DC 27-31 July at the Washington Convention Center.  These educational sessions provide a unique opportunity to hear from world leaders in the areas of science, medicine and technology.

Translating Proteomic Discoveries into Clinical Diagnostics
Washington DC,  February 5, 2008 - The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) presents a conference on Translating Proteomic Discoveries into Clinical Diagnostics to be held May 9-10, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt, Seattle, WA.

40th Annual Oak Ridge Conference - Breakthrough Technologies for Clinical Diagnostics
Washington DC,  January 15, 2008 - AACC presents the 40th Annual Oak Ridge Conference - Breakthrough Technologies for Clinical Diagnostics to be held April 17 - 18, 2008 at The Fairmont, San José, CA.

Going Green and Saving Green: Creating a More Eco-Friendly Lab
Washington DC,  January 14, 2008 - On February 13, 2008, AACC presents an audioconference Going Green and Saving Green: Creating a More Eco-Friendly Lab.  The audioconference begins at 2:00 pm (Eastern) and will last 90 minutes.

2007 Press Releases

Genomic Technologies at the Interface of Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Washington DC, December 3, 2007 - AACC announces its 21st annual San Diego Conference which will be held at Loews Coronado Bay Resort and Spa on March 25-26, 2008.  This year, the topic is ‘Genomic Technologies at the Interface of Diagnostics and Therapeutics’ which will examine how molecular and genetic tools can be the catalyst of synergy in the combined field of diagnostics and therapeutics/drug discovery.

Amsterdam Automation Conference
Washington, D.C., November 20, 2007  - The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) presents a 2-day conference on Laboratory Automation on March 13 - 14, 2008 at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

First Round of Lab Tests Online Globalization Complete - Translated Versions launched in Hungary and Italy
Washington, DC, October 10, 2007 — Two new versions of Lab Tests Online launched in the last two weeks, marking a successful end to a year of global expansion for the award-winning patient education site.  The new sites provide Hungarian and Italian translations of the highly praised information on medical laboratory testing.  Four other versions of the site, one each in Spanish, German, Polish, and Australian English, launched earlier in the year.  A British version went online in 2004.

New Developments in Alternative QC      
Washington, DC, October 01, 2007 —On December 6, 2007, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry presents an audioconference on New Developments in Alternative QC.

Spectra Laboratories Is Newest Supporter of Public Service Website   
Washington, DC, September 13, 2007 —AACC announced today that Spectra Laboratories, a leading provider of laboratory services in the renal industry, has endorsed Lab Tests Online as its latest sponsor.  As a public service from AACC and the the medical laboratory community, Lab Tests Online has become one of the premier health sites on the web

Making the Case for the New Cancer Diagnostics
Washington, D.C., August, 27, 2007 — On Friday, November 2, 2007, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) present a one-day conference Making the Case for the New Cancer Diagnostics. 

Combining Cardiac Markers and Imaging to Improve Patient Outcomes
Washington, D.C., August 16, 2007 — On Thursday, October 4, 2007, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry presents an audioconference on Combining Cardiac Markers and Imaging to improve Patient Outcomes. 

Defeating Performance-Enhancing Drugs Must Go Beyond Testing
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Testing alone will not put an end to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, according to a presentation today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. Drug-testing experts say it will take a cultural change among athletes and society to stop the use of anabolic steroids, EPO, human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing substances that have plagued the sports world and seriously tainted last year's Tour de France.

Novel Method for Measuring Glucose Meter Accuracy Could Lead to Better Patient Outcomes
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Keeping hospitalized patients' glucose concentrations within a defined set of parameters, often referred to as “tight glycemic control,” significantly improves patient outcomes. Consequently, many hospitals have implemented glycemic control programs that use point-of-care (POC) glucose meters to monitor patients' glucose levels.

Clinical Laboratory is Key to Positive Outcomes in Assisted Reproduction
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — The world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown of England, will celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday later this month. Since she came into the world in 1978, the field of fertility medicine has progressed by leaps and bounds to the point where a single sperm can be introduced into an egg with a very fine needle. Assisted reproduction technologies (ART) are now relatively common procedures for couples who can't conceive by natural methods, and laboratory testing plays an important role in ensuring that fertilization procedures are performed at the optimal time and that fertility drugs are properly dosed.

Premiere Health Site Reaches Patients in Multiple Languages
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Lab Tests Online , a premiere healthcare website that provides lab testing information to patients and their families, has embarked on an ambitious effort to bring its free, award-winning content to non-English speakers. Translations of the top-ranked patient education site have been launched in Spanish, German, and Polish in three successive months this spring, and new sites in Hungarian and Italian are expected to go live by the end of the year.

Lab Tests Online Collaborators Reach 1 Million Users a Month
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Lab Tests Online, the award-winning site on medical laboratory testing developed through a collaboration of more than a dozen laboratory associations, now reaches an average of one million visitors per month. The site, which has garnered praise from reviewers and users, is among the top ten most popular Patient Education sites, as ranked by Alexa, a web information company that measures Internet traffic.

Ninety-Eight Percent of U.S. Newborns Now Receive Screenig for 20 Different Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases
San Diego, CA, July 15, 2007 — Recommendations published last year by an influential group called for the adoption of a uniform panel of genetic conditions for which all newborns should be screened, and state programs are now responding. The recommendations, published by an expert panel assembled by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the American College of Medical Genetics, called for states to mandate screening for 29 conditions. As a result, 98% of U.S. newborns are now being screened for at least 20 disorders or diseases, while 83% are being screened for more than 30 conditions.

Obesity Pandemic Renews Concerns Over Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — According to the CDC, approximately one-third of Americans are now considered to be obese, putting them at a greater risk of developing hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and a variety of other illnesses. Once regarded as an energy “storage depot,” adipose tissue (body fat) is now considered a separate body organ that can produce biologically active molecules.

Preliminary Data From New Study Strengthen Correlation Between Glucose and Hemoglobin A1c
San Diego, CA, July 15, 2007 — Measurement of glycohemoglobin—specifically the A1c adduct (HbA1c)—is widely used in patients as a monitor of long-term glycemic control and as an indicator of a need for change in insulin therapy. In addition, two large prospective, randomized trials—the Diabetes Complication and Control Trial and the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study—established a direct relationship between HbA1c concentration and the risk of diabetic complications.

The American Association for Clinical Chemistry's 59th Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo
Washington, DC, July 13, 2007 — The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is holding its 59th Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo July 15-19, 2007 at the San Diego Convention Center.  The meeting attracts more than 20,000 physicians, scientists, and others involved in laboratory science and medicine, and includes educational sessions where leading physicians and scientists present the latest information on a wide range of topics.  Included in the program each day is a Plenary Session featuring a nationally recognized leader from clinical practice, research, business or public policy. 

New Guidelines Recommend Offering Chromosomal Abnormality Screening to All Pregnant Women
San Diego, CA, July 13, 2007 — For almost four decades, prenatal screening for Down syndrome (DS) has been an important component in the care of pregnant women. And for the past 20 years, these screening efforts have focused on biochemical markers in maternal serum, most notably the second-trimester “triple screen,” which has been the standard of care in prenatal chromosomal screening for over a decade.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta to Speak at AACC Annual Meeting
Washington, DC, July 12, 2007 — Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent at CNN, will address the subject of Medicine and the Media on July 16 at 1:30 p.m. during the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) being held at the San Diego Convention Center. A press conference and question and answer session will follow Dr. Gupta's speech.

Can a Healthy Diet Prevent One-Third of Cancer Deaths?
Washington, DC, July 10, 2007 — The science of tailoring a person's diet to the individual's genetic makeup may be the key to reducing cancer risk and influencing tumor behavior, according to a presentation today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry in San Diego. Known as Nutrigenomics, the burgeoning science is examining the role that a number of genes and genetic variations play in the relationship between diet and cancer.

Dr. William Evans Heads List of AACC Award Winners
Washington, DC, June 22, 2007 — On July 15, The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) will honor 12 scientists for their outstanding achievements at its annual awards ceremony. AACC President Gary L. Myers, PhD, and representatives from sponsoring companies will present the awards at the association's 59th annual meeting, which is being held in San Diego CA.

The Expanding Role of HIV Testing in Healthcare Settings
Washington, DC, May 30, 2007 — In September 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated recommendations for HIV testing in healthcare settings. The goals of these recommendations are to foster earlier detection of HIV infection, to identify and counsel people with unrecognized HIV infection and link them to clinical and prevention services, and to further reduce mother/infant transmission of HIV.

Lab Tests Online-PL Launched At Warsaw Health Conference
Washington, DC, May 21, 2007 — Lab Tests Online-PL formally launched on Friday during a Warsaw conference on laboratory testing in the Polish healthcare system, held under the auspices of the Polish Minister of Health, Prof. Zbigniew Religa.

Improving the Reporting of Critical Test Results
Washington, DC, May 17, 2007 — On Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at 2:00 pm (Eastern), the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) presents an audioconference on how laboratories can improve the reporting of critical results.

Media Invited to Attend
Washington, DC, May 17, 2007 — Members of the press are invited to attend and cover the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), which attracts 20,000 physicians, scientists and other professionals interested in laboratory science and medicine. The meeting includes over 200 educational sessions where leading physicians and researchers will present the latest information on a wide range of topics including cancer diagnostics, genetic testing, cardiac care, stem cell research, prenatal screening, drug testing in sports, diabetes/glucose testing, patient safety, nutrition, infectious diseases, and personalized medicine.

Current Issues in Prostate Cancer Testing
Washington, DC, May 16, 2007 — On Wednesday at 2:30 pm (Eastern), the American Association for Clinical Chemistry presents an audioconference on the important issue of testing for prostate cancer.

Premiere Health Site for Patients Now in Spanish
Washington, DC, May 1, 2007 — Lab Tests Online, the award-winning patient information website, is now available in Spanish. Like the original English-language version, the new website provides detailed, peer-reviewed information on a wide range of laboratory tests in a noncommercial format.
En Espanol

Chemical Disaster: Is Your Lab Prepared?
Washington, DC, March, 28, 2007 — On April 25, 2007 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (Eastern), AACC is offering an audioconference to help you prepare your laboratory to manage chemical disasters including terrorism.

The Cardiac Spectrum: Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, and Management
Washington, DC, January 31, 2007 — The conference is designed for those who need to stay up-to-date on the dynamic field of cardiac disease testing, including laboratorians, physicians, industry reps, consultants and those in related fields. AACC invites members of the press to attend the conference at no charge.

Lab Tests Online Rated Best Healthcare Website
Washington, DC, January 29, 2007 — Dorland Healthcare Information has identified Lab Tests Online as one of the best healthcare websites of 2007, and is including the site in its just-launched Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide.

2007 Annual Meeting Press Releases

Defeating Performance-Enhancing Drugs Must Go Beyond Testing
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Testing alone will not put an end to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, according to a presentation today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. Drug-testing experts say it will take a cultural change among athletes and society to stop the use of anabolic steroids, EPO, human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing substances that have plagued the sports world and seriously tainted last year's Tour de France.

Novel Method for Measuring Glucose Meter Accuracy Could Lead to Better Patient Outcomes
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Keeping hospitalized patients' glucose concentrations within a defined set of parameters, often referred to as “tight glycemic control,” significantly improves patient outcomes. Consequently, many hospitals have implemented glycemic control programs that use point-of-care (POC) glucose meters to monitor patients' glucose levels.

 Clinical Laboratory is Key to Positive Outcomes in Assisted Reproduction
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — The world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown of England, will celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday later this month. Since she came into the world in 1978, the field of fertility medicine has progressed by leaps and bounds to the point where a single sperm can be introduced into an egg with a very fine needle. Assisted reproduction technologies (ART) are now relatively common procedures for couples who can't conceive by natural methods, and laboratory testing plays an important role in ensuring that fertilization procedures are performed at the optimal time and that fertility drugs are properly dosed.

Premiere Health Site Reaches Patients in Multiple Languages
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Lab Tests Online , a premiere healthcare website that provides lab testing information to patients and their families, has embarked on an ambitious effort to bring its free, award-winning content to non-English speakers. Translations of the top-ranked patient education site have been launched in Spanish, German, and Polish in three successive months this spring, and new sites in Hungarian and Italian are expected to go live by the end of the year.

Lab Tests Online Collaborators Reach 1 Million Users a Month
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — Lab Tests Online, the award-winning site on medical laboratory testing developed through a collaboration of more than a dozen laboratory associations, now reaches an average of one million visitors per month. The site, which has garnered praise from reviewers and users, is among the top ten most popular Patient Education sites, as ranked by Alexa, a web information company that measures Internet traffic.

Ninety-Eight Percent of U.S. Newborns Now Receive Screenig for 20 Different Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases
San Diego, CA, July 15, 2007 — Recommendations published last year by an influential group called for the adoption of a uniform panel of genetic conditions for which all newborns should be screened, and state programs are now responding. The recommendations, published by an expert panel assembled by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the American College of Medical Genetics, called for states to mandate screening for 29 conditions. As a result, 98% of U.S. newborns are now being screened for at least 20 disorders or diseases, while 83% are being screened for more than 30 conditions.

Obesity Pandemic Renews Concerns Over Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
San Diego, CA, July 17, 2007 — According to the CDC, approximately one-third of Americans are now considered to be obese, putting them at a greater risk of developing hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and a variety of other illnesses. Once regarded as an energy “storage depot,” adipose tissue (body fat) is now considered a separate body organ that can produce biologically active molecules.

Preliminary Data From New Study Strengthen Correlation Between Glucose and Hemoglobin A1c
San Diego, CA, July 15, 2007 — Measurement of glycohemoglobin—specifically the A1c adduct (HbA1c)—is widely used in patients as a monitor of long-term glycemic control and as an indicator of a need for change in insulin therapy. In addition, two large prospective, randomized trials—the Diabetes Complication and Control Trial and the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study—established a direct relationship between HbA1c concentration and the risk of diabetic complications.

The American Association for Clinical Chemistry's 59th Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo
Washington, DC, July 13, 2007 — The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is holding its 59th Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo July 15-19, 2007 at the San Diego Convention Center.  The meeting attracts more than 20,000 physicians, scientists, and others involved in laboratory science and medicine, and includes educational sessions where leading physicians and scientists present the latest information on a wide range of topics.  Included in the program each day is a Plenary Session featuring a nationally recognized leader from clinical practice, research, business or public policy. 

New Guidelines Recommend Offering Chromosomal Abnormality Screening to All Pregnant Women
San Diego, CA, July 13, 2007 — For almost four decades, prenatal screening for Down syndrome (DS) has been an important component in the care of pregnant women. And for the past 20 years, these screening efforts have focused on biochemical markers in maternal serum, most notably the second-trimester “triple screen,” which has been the standard of care in prenatal chromosomal screening for over a decade.

2005-2006 Press Releases

Lab Tests Online Wins Weekly Link Award
Washington, DC, December 21, 2006 — Lab Tests Online, the web's premiere resource for patient information on laboratory testing, has won the Weekly Link Award for the week of December 10-16.

Advances in IVD Allergy Testing
Washington, DC, December 6, 2006 — Seasonal, environmental and food allergic reactions can range from the merely annoying to a deadly episode for the affected patient. Lab-based in vitro testing can play a key role in confirming clinical suspicions and tailoring treatments.

Emergency Preparedness: What Your Lab Needs to Know
November 15, 2006 — Recent events have made it necessary for all laboratories to develop an emergency plan for both natural and man-made disasters. Emerging infectious diseases, acts of terrorism and severe storms have made all of us acutely aware of the need to have a comprehensive plan and to be prepared to use it.

The 6th Biennial Lab 200X Conference
San Diego, CA, September 28-29, 2006— This forward-looking conference focuses on coming changes in laboratory medicine in the areas of science, technology and management. It will be held September 28-29, 2006, at the Wyndham San Diego at Emerald Plaza, San Diego, California.

Autoverification in the Clinical Laboratory — Making It Work for You
Washington, DC, June 23, 2006 — Traditionally, post-analytic review of laboratory test results has consisted of a technologist at a computer terminal comparing results on the screen with the instrument results printed on a sheet of paper. This manual review is time consuming, fatiguing, and often done after results have been available for a significant period of time.

Youngs's Effects Online Adds European Effects in Merger with Nils Tryding's Drug Effects in Clinical Chemistry
Washington, DC, July 12, 2006 – Young's Effects Online is a “dashboard” to the peer-reviewed literature on the effects of drugs, diseases, pre analytical conditions and herbs on clinical laboratory tests.  It represents the life work (30+ years) of one of the world's leading laboratory physicians, Dr. Donald Young, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania.

AACB, AACC, APFCB and IFCC Present: Laboratory Medicine into the Future: Planning for Tomorrow's Technology
Cairns, Queensland, Australia, May 29-30, 2006 — This first–ever joint meeting of AACB, APFCB, IFCC and AACC will be a forward-looking conference designed to help leaders in the clinical laboratory and diagnostics industry understand how emerging laboratory technology and the changing clinical laboratory environment will shape laboratory medicine in the near future. Leading experts from throughout the world will analyze key trends and present practical strategies to successfully answer these challenges.

American Association for Clinical Chemistry Names Edwina F. Szelag “2006 Point of Care Coordinator of the Year”
Washington, DC, May 24, 2006 —The American Association for Clinical Chemistry's (AACC) Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division (CPOCT) named Edwina F. Szelag “2006 Point of Care Coordinator of the Year.”

MPO: Early Prediction of Cardiac Risk and Implications of Diagnosis
Washington, DC, May 17, 2006 — Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is the latest cardiac biomarker to be cleared by the FDA for use in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac patients. This exciting audioconference will look at the latest literature from leading cardiac experts, which suggests that MPO not only offers rapid diagnosis of myocardial infraction, but can also help physicians predict which patients are at risk of future adverse cardiac events, before they occur.

AACC Announces: The 21st International Symposium “Refining Point of Care Testing Strategies for Critical and Emergency Care”
Washington, DC, May 1, 2006 — This conference takes an in-depth look at Point of Care Testing (POCT) as the critical element in improving the emergency care of critically ill patients. This 21st international symposium will be held September 28-30, 2006 at the Loews Le Concorde Hotel in Québec City, Canada.

A Primer on the Evidence-Based Approach to Medicine
April 26, 2006 — Lab Tests Online,  the premiere online resource for information on medical laboratory tests, is pleased to announce the posting to its website of a primer on evidence-based medicine.

AACC, ACB, and NVKC present the third annual: Laboratory Automation: Advanced Tools for Improving the Practice of Medicine
Okura Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 16-17, 2006 — In just two days participants will know how to make smart decisions about all of their automation projects. The updated 2006 program includes sessions that will help improve management of all aspects of the laboratory. Based on popular demand participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops where, through case studies, they will hear how fellow laboratorians have successfully leveraged and implemented automation to meet their toughest challenges and improve operations.

The 6th Biennial Lab 200X Conference
Washington, DC, February 1, 2006 — This forward-looking conference focuses on coming changes in laboratory medicine in the areas of science, technology and management. It will be held September 28-29, 2006, at the Wyndham San Diego at Emerald Plaza, San Diego, California.

Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapy Association Latest to Join Lab Tests Online
Washington, DC, December 29, 2005 — AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) is the newest partner to join the professional collaboration behind Lab Tests Online (www.labtestsonline.org), the award-winning patient education Wweb site for laboratory testing information. AABB is the seventeenth professional laboratory organization to support the editorial development of the site.

Public Health Labs Join Lab Tests Online
Washington, DC, October 5, 2005 — The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is the latest medical laboratory organization to join Lab Tests Online (www.labtestsonline.org), the patient education Web site for laboratory testing information. With monthly traffic averaging more than 600,000 visitors, Lab Tests Online is the laboratory community's most visible contribution to personal health management. Sixteen laboratory organizations now support the site.

AACC Presents: Focus on Patient Safety: Effective Tools for Improving Lab Processes
Washington, DC, September 21, 2005 — Our experts will share with you how to effectively apply process-improvement strategies in order to develop a culture of patient safety. Participants will learn how the principles of failure analysis, risk assessment, and process control can not only help ensure that patients receive proper care, but also help eliminate wasted time, materials, rework, and errors.

2006 Annual Meeting Press Releases

Beyond Herbals: The Toxicology of Plants
Chicago, IL, July 26, 2006— Plant ingestion accounts for 5% of US pediatric poisonings. Children are not the only victims of plant poisonings – adults and household pets also suffer from exposure.

New Drugs to Treat Diabetes
Chicago, IL, July 25, 2006—Insulin that is inhaled before each meal and an injectable drug that causes weight loss and is derived from the saliva of a Gila monster are just two of several new drugs to treat diabetes. More than 20.8 million children and adults in the US, or 7% of the population, have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Tackling Chilhood Obesity: One Company Attacks the Epidemic Among Children of Employees
Chicago, IL, July 25, 2006—Concerned that 34% of employees children ages 5-18 were found to be either obese or at risk for obesity when they were weighed at Well Child visits in the company's clinics, Quad/Graphics (West Allis, WI) created QFIT, a multidisciplinary obesity intervention program for children and adolescents who are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight. QFIT is part of Quad/Graphics's Quad/Med, a fully-self insured health care program that provides primary and some specialty care – including pediatrics – on site at company facilities. Quad/Med has slashed health care costs while improving wellness.

Reinventing Company Provided Health Care:In-House Primary Care Clinics Improve Employee Health
Chicago, IL, July 25, 2006 —While other companies are struggling to contain health care costs, one of America's biggest printing companies, Quad/Graphics, has created a new model for health care: a fully self-insured health care system for employees that has slashed the company's health care costs, reduced morbidity and absenteeism and demonstrably increased employee wellness. The total cost of care for Quad/Graphics employees is 20% below the benchmark for Midwestern companies. Quad/Graphics spends about $6,500 per employee on health care, compared with its mid-Western peers, who spend over $9,000 per employee on average.

From Reproduction to Menopause: How Can Women Know When it is time to stop Birth Control?
Chicago, IL, July 25, 2006—Women wondering whether their reproductive years are over should ask their doctors to order hormone tests to help assess their fertility. Hormone testing can also help to determine whether a woman will benefit from hormone replacement or other treatment to offset the symptoms and effects of various stages of menopause. Menopause can begin anytime after age 35, although it usually starts sometime in a woman's 40s. The menopausal change is slow and usually takes two to five years to complete. During peri-menopause, a woman's menstrual cycle may become irregular, leading her to believe that her fertility is over, but it is often still possible to become pregnant during peri-menopause.

Lab Tests Online At 5 Years: A Global Standard
Chicago, IL, July 24, 2006—AACC's Lab Tests Online closes out its fifth year this week as the emerging global standard for patient information on laboratory testing.

Media Invited to Cover
July 23, 2006—Members of the press are invited to attend and cover the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), which attracts 20,000 physicians, scientists and others interested in laboratory science and medicine. The meeting includes more than 200 educational sessions in which leading physicians and scientists will present the latest information on a wide range of topics, including: genomics, cancer diagnostics, hormone replacement therapy, patient safety, evidence based medicine, personalized medicine and proteomics.

Newt Gingrich to Give Address about Global Health in Chicago on July 24 Speech to be given at AACC Meeting; News Conference Opportunity to Follow
Washington, D.C., July 18, 2006—Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has made a name for himself as a tireless advocate for substantive change in the way health care is delivered in the U.S. On Monday, July 24, Mr. Gingrich will address the issue of “Global Health and the Importance of Medical Research and Scientific Discovery” in a presentation at Chicago's McCormick Place exposition center. A brief media-only press conference will follow the speech, which begins at 1:30.

Doctor In Your House – High Tech Health Care Via Telehealth Systems; Electronic Monitoring At Home Reduces Doctor & Hospital Visits, Costs
Chicago, IL, June 24, 2006—A recent study of patients with congestive heart failure who were monitored at home via an innovative new technology called telehealth demonstrated that patients using the system reduced their use of health care resources by 41%. Physician office visits were reduced 43%, emergency room visits decreased 33% and hospitalizations were down 29%. Telehealth uses electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support “long distance health care”. This study and others demonstrate that telehealth monitoring may provide patients and the medical community with a successful, cost-reducing method of managing health problems among the burgeoning number of elderly patients in America, including those with diabetes, congestive heart failure and other chronic conditions. (Congestive heart failure is the “first-listed” diagnosis among hospitalized patients in America and approximately 5 million cases of congestive heart failure account for related costs of about $25.8 billion. Reducing hospital and doctor visits among those patients could save billions.)