2nd Annual Lab Quality Confab
September 24-25, 2008 | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Hilton

Lean and Six Sigma Poster Sessions:
2008 Details on Poster Sessions & Awards/Trophy Program
(See 2007 Poster Winners at the bottom of the of page)
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• Description of Poster Session Awards/Trophy Program
• Topics
• Benefits of Presenting
• Abstract Submission and Application (see above downloads)
• Submitting Multiple Abstracts, Editing, or Cancelling Submissions
• Abstract Review
• Poster Presentation

Description of Poster Sessions and the Awards/Trophy Program
Throughout the United States and across the globe, clinical laboratories are using Lean, Six Sigma, and other quality management systems and methods with great success. To foster greater exchange of ideas, successes, and “best practice” achievements, Lab Quality Confab is providing the opportunity for lab practitioners of quality management to submit an abstract of their Lean/Six Sigma project and, upon acceptance, to receive an invitation to present that project at the Poster Presentation Sessions to be conducted at the 2nd Annual Lab Quality Confab, in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 24-25, 2008.

As part of the Lean-Six Sigma poster sessions, Lab Quality Confab will present trophies and cash awards to the winners, as judged by a panel of experts. There will be two sets of trophies and cash awards. One set of trophies and cash awards will be given to winners of poster presentations dealing with projects in clinical laboratories, hospitals, and other settings. The second set of cash awards will be given to winners of poster presentations dealing with projects in anatomic pathology (AP) (histopathology) laboratories (including pathology group practices and AP firms).

These projects can address any aspect of laboratory operations. That includes pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical phases, plus service and functions like coding, billing, collections, courier & logistics, client services, and interactions with other clinical departments.

The trophies and Cash Awards will be as follows:

Clinical Laboratory Lean-Six Sigma Projects
First Place: $2,000
Second Place: $750
Third Place: $250

Anatomic Pathology/Histopathology Lean-Six Sigma Projects
First Place: $2,000
Second Place: $750
Third Place: $250

IMPORTANT NOTE: Trophies and Cash Awards will be made in the name of the organization in which the Lean-Six Sigma project was conducted. Cash Awards will be made, consistent with the policies of that organization, as well as relevant state and federal laws.

Topics
The objective of the poster sessions is to cultivate world-class collaborations among executives, administrators, and everyone working in hospitals, health systems, and clinical laboratories interested in quality management methods and systems. Poster topics should be related to specific projects which incorporated recognized philosophies, methodologies, and techniques used in quality management systems like Lean, Six Sigma, ISO, and others. Poster topics can deal with pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical work flow. Also, other aspects of laboratory operations and organizational functions that were the subject of a quality management project are appropriate. Poster abstracts should outline the problem, describe the steps taken to identify the opportunities for improvement, discuss the implementation of the project, and include the before-during-after measurements used to gauge the effectiveness of the quality management project.

Benefits of Presenting
• This is a great opportunity to present a poster displaying your laboratory organization’s quality improvement efforts to the most enthusiastic quality practitioners in laboratory medicine in the United States and across the world. Through this forum, innovative ideas will be shared with industry professionals who are actively seeking solutions and approaches to work flow redesign and process improvement that they can take back and use in their own laboratories. The new friendships and professional relationships formed as a consequence of your poster presentation will certainly be beneficial to advancing your professional skills in quality management.

• Poster Presenters will receive a 25% discount from the full $945 registration price of the two-day Lab Quality Confab (that is discounted savings of $236). This registration includes access to all sessions, business forum, exhibit hall, breakfast, lunch and the evening reception. This registration may be transferred to another quality team member in your organization who will substitute and conduct the poster presentation. Only one discounted registration will be granted, regardless of the number of presenters that will attend. Presenters are encouraged to participate fully in the conference when not presenting.

• The poster abstract will be published in the 2008 Lab Quality Confab Handbook, to be distributed onsite to all registered attendees.

• The poster abstract will be listed on the 2008 Lab Quality Confab Web site.
Abstract Submission

Please be prepared to include the following information on your submission form:
Contact information for the poster's Author, Presenter, and Public Contact

• The “Author” is the developer of the Lean-Six Sigma project that the poster displays. Please list the Author’s name, organization, address, phone, fax and email.

• The “Presenter” is the person who will be present at Lab Quality Confab 2008 to present the poster, all communication from Lab Quality Confab regarding the application and subsequent Lean-Six Sigma Poster Presentation Session materials will be sent to this person. Please list the Presenter’s name, organization, address, phone, fax and email.

•The “Public Contact” will be published in the Lab Quality Confab Handbook as the person to be contacted for further information regarding the poster presented, in lieu of the Author or Presenter (if different). Please list the Public Contact’s name, organization, address, phone, fax and email.

• It is not necessary to provide information for three different people, if the same person holds all three responsibilities.

Poster Information
• The Poster Title.
• The Poster Category (clinical laboratory, anatomic pathology laboratory, hospital, other).
• The Stage of Development of the Lean-Six Sigma Project being presented.
• An abstract explaining the poster/quality project, including its goals, and the problem or opportunity to be addressed Please submit the abstract as you would like it to be printed, Lab Quality Confab will not be responsible for editing abstract content.

Poster Session Application and Guidelines can be accessed and downloaded here. If this link does not connect you to the page, copy and paste this URL in your Web browser: http://www.labqualityconfab.com/pdfs/guidlines.pdf

Submitting Multiple Abstracts, Editing, or Cancelling Submissions
You may submit more than one poster presentation application from your organization. Edits to submitted abstracts can be made up the Friday prior to the event, with the understanding that printing deadlines for materials provided to attendees of Lab Quality Confab will come in advance of Friday, September 5, 2008.

To cancel your application, contact us by email at jillp@amcnetwork.com.

Abstract Review
A committee will review proposals and select presentations for display at the 2008 Lab Quality Confab. Presenters will receive official notice of acceptance via e-mail beginning in August, 2008.

Once selected, the presenter will receive information on the poster specifications and an information packet containing details on registration and general procedures for the poster presentation.

Lab Quality Confab reserves the right to review and approve or deny any application to present a poster at the 2008 Lab Quality Confab Poster Sessions.

Poster Presentation
Posters will be available for viewing by attendees beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 24. Posters will be presented on Wednesday and Thursday, September 24-25, 2008, in the Master Class session rooms at the Atlanta Hilton in Atlanta, Georgia. There will be two public sessions, one each day, running from 8:00 AM to 8:50 AM. Presenters will be required to be present at their poster station during these two morning sessions and should be prepared to explain their presented work to the Lab Quality Confab attendees. If multiple presenters are involved, only one need be present at a time. Lean-Six Sigma Poster Presenters interested in being judged for the trophies and cash awards will be scheduled to present for the panel of judges.

Please direct any questions to jillp@amcnetwork.com

PLEASE NOTE: As all accepted abstracts and presentations will be published and publicly accessible, please take care not to unduly expose confidential information.
Poster abstracts selected for display will be printed for distribution at the convention and posted online for public use beginning on September 24, 2008.

Congratulations to the 2007 Poster Session Winners:

Joseph Castagnaro, The North Shore LIJ Labs
First place - Clinical Lab
Laboratory 60 Minute Turn Around Time from Point of Draw to Result Release

Hans Froehling, Chi Solutions, Inc.
Second place - Clinical Lab
Reduction in Defect Rate of Expected Turnaround at Rapid Response Lab for Emergency Room Related Tests

Vince D'Mello, Mount Sinai Hospital, Pathology and Lab Medicine
Third place - Clinical Lab
A Successful Collaborative Six Sigma Project Between the Laboratory and the Emergency Department

Rita D'Angelo, Henry Ford Health System
First place -Anatomical Pathology
Lean Cultural Transformation in Surgical Pathology

Sharon Harris, Harris Methodist HEB Hospital
Second place - Anatomical Pathology
The Beginning of Change in Anatomic Pathology Using Lean Six Sigma Tools

Dave Risley & Barbara Waters, PA Labs
Third place - Anatomical Pathology
Improving Inventory Management to Increase Space - Histology