Annual Report 2019
Christine Nielsen
Message from the CEO
2019 was a great year for CSMLS. This year, we developed a special focus on what you, as members, truly want and need from us in order to be successful in every stage of your career. We listened to your questions, your concerns, your comments, your words of thanks. We conducted surveys to get your unfiltered opinion. We never stopped listening to you. Why? Because we are always changing to make sure we meet your needs.
Throughout the year, our actions were shaped by the desire to be your source for success. We transitioned to computer-based testing, helping students enter the workforce through a secure, leading-edge exam system. We created new resources, such as the Ethics on Demand Card Game and the Resource on Indigenous Health, to provide you with reliable information to guide your professional decisions. In Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and in lab tours across the country, we stepped in to hear your concerns and relay your message to policy makers when the future of your profession felt uncertain. CSMLS will continue to listen to your needs and work to meet them, but with the success of 2019, we are excited to evolve alongside our membership and the profession into the new decade.
Maria Klement
Message from the President
I had a wonderful year as the 2019 CSMLS President, and it was an honour to represent the thousands of medical laboratory professionals who make up our membership. What I might remember most about my time as President was the privilege of meeting so many of our members and people from the medical lab community across Canada and around the world.
Enjoying the sights and getting to know so many people in Fredericton, NB, during LABCON2019 and then while representing Canada at the IFBLS Chief Delegates meeting in Australia gave me a sense of camaraderie. I found it striking that the global medical lab community is facing a similar crisis in the human health resource shortage, and this only strengthened my desire to advocate for the profession. From speaking to Global News on Lobby Day to giving MP Elizabeth May a tour of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital lab, I was glad to share our message and advocate on behalf of members.
I am proud of our profession, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity to share the work we do. Of course, we could not do this work without members’ investment, and we are obliged to provide the best value for members’ financial contributions. I encourage you to download and review the financial summary you will find below.
CSMLS Mission: To advance the medical laboratory profession through certification, education and advocacy.
To stay true to our mission, we focus our efforts through these four values:
Strategic Plan
Our four-pillared strategic plan guides the Board of Directors and staff to make decisions that align with the organization’s common goals. The four pillars help keep us focused on the best interests of members for the present and the future.
Empower medical laboratory professionals to succeed in a dynamic and challenging work environment.
Make CSMLS indispensable to our members at all stages of their careers.
Advocate for solutions within the health care system on behalf of the medical laboratory profession.
Be the acknowledged leader for certification in medical laboratory science across Canada.
2019 Board of Directors
Maria Klement
President
Lisette Vienneau
Past President
Nancy Bergeron
Vice President, Director
Joël Rivero
Director, AB, NT & NU
Patricia Verbeke
Director, MB & SK
Krista Urchenko
Director, ON
Kal Randhawa
Director, BC & YT
Lucie Alain
Director, QC
Greg Dobbin
Director, Atlantic
Danielle McLennan
Director, Bilingual
Year in Review
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National Medical Laboratory Week took place April 21–27. This year, CSMLS launched the We Are Lab series, a set of videos and accompanying website to show not only the diversity of the lab and how each professional is part of patient care, but that medical laboratory professionals are skilled, compassionate and innovative. The videos had more than 129,000 views and the website had 4,342 visits.
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We continued our partnership with Canadian Blood Services and its national blood donation program, Partners for Life, with our Adopt-a-Donation Centre events held during Lab Week. These events allow members to spread awareness of the profession and its role in the donation process, letting donors know how med lab professionals ensure patient safety at every step. 2019 saw impressive figures, as 39 CSMLS members participated, 34 units of blood were collected and 17 new donors signed up.
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To provide the tools and resources med lab professionals can use to help raise awareness for the profession, the “Be a Lab Advocate” web page was added to the CSMLS web site. Resources such as the “In the Lab” video series and Jason Tetro’s 5Es of Science Communication are available to help members teach the public about the importance of the lab to patient care.
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Board members and staff went to Ottawa for the annual Lobby Day and held 37 meetings, where we discussed initiatives to address the labour shortage of MLPs in Canada. CEO Christine Nielsen and President Maria Klement held a joint press conference on Parliament Hill. Global News did an in-person interview at a local lab with Maria Klement.
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Volunteers joined CSMLS to host a luncheon at Queen’s Park to educate Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament about the role and importance of the medical laboratory profession. Many MPPs stopped by, including Minister of Health Christine Elliott.
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President Maria Klement met with the BC Finance Committee to discuss the need for regulation in the province as well as governmental support to address the shortage of MLPs.
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Eight laboratory tours were hosted with MPs who participated in Lobby Day. From former Green Party leader Elizabeth May to Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, we initiated conversations about the value of the lab to patient care with some of the top federal decision-makers.
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In response to the cancellation of the Edmonton Hub Lab, CSMLS held an Open Forum in Edmonton and CEO Christine Nielsen and Joël Rivero, Director of Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, held a press conference, calling on the provincial government to invest in Alberta medical lab facilities. We continue to work with provincial stakeholders and government officials to help ensure the profession has a voice in changes to the province’s healthcare. The story received extensive media coverage in print, radio and live television.
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CEO Christine Nielsen attended the National Liberal Caucus holiday party, emphasizing the importance of legislative support to the profession with members of the caucus and other attendees, as well as sharing a photo with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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In partnership with BD Canada, CSMLS hosted the 2nd annual Ontario Phlebotomy Symposium at the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. More than 100 people joined the symposium, learning about developments and best practices in the field of phlebotomy.
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LABCON2019 took place at the Fredericton Convention Centre in Fredericton, NB, where we welcomed 339 delegates, 74 exhibitors/vendors, and 49 speakers. The event also hosted 32 lab leaders as part of the Managers’ Intensive Program.
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CSMLS partnered with University of Alberta on a project to facilitate medical laboratory participation in the Choosing Wisely (CW) initiative. Working to compile CW Canada recommendations that relate to the lab, we are creating educational tools to help practitioners influence the use of the recommendations.
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The CJMLS readers survey was distributed to ensure our publication is valuable to members. Responses were overwhelmingly positive, with 97% agreeing that the journal keeps them up to date on the medical lab profession.
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Season 3 of the award-winning podcast The Objective Lens was released, with 10 new episodes on topics from gender diversity in the lab to working alone, to help keep members well informed of current lab issues and trends.
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Three live learning events were conducted across Canada:
- Now What? Create the Right Career Opportunities for You
Hamilton, ON - June 13
- Syphilis Gone Wild!
Winnipeg, MB - May 8
- Transfusion Medicine: What Will the Future Bring Us?
Vancouver, BC - May 9
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The new online resource “Resource on Indigenous Health” was launched in June, connecting members with tools and resources on Indigenous culture, health, terminology and statistics.
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The Mental Health Toolkit was expanded, adding resources on mental health for students and for educators.
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All four certification exams successfully implemented the new computer-based testing platform through one annual exam cycle. Our examination processes are now at the forefront of best practices for high-stake exams.
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MLT General and MLA practice tests were created and made available to exam candidates, after a pilot study demonstrated the benefit of a practice test to those challenging the general Medical Laboratory Technologist Exam.
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Adding to highly-requested ethics resources, CSMLS created the Ethics on Demand articles and Ethics on Demand Card Game to help members prepare for and navigate ethical dilemmas in the lab.
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To help members be successful in a changing profession, the following courses were updated:
- Microanatomy 1
- Microanatomy 2
- Introduction to Platelet Structure and Function
- Introduction to Immunohistochemistry: Principles and Overview
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To better represent the changing membership, a new Board of Directors position was created and filled. The Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) Director is a new position that represents our MLA members across the country.
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The following members were appointed to the Board of Directors as elected by the membership:
- Lynn Courteau – Director, Bilingual
- Kim Alkalay – Director, Alberta, Northwest Territories & Nunavut
- Greg Hardy – Director, Atlantic
- Allie Shields – Director, MLA
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Joël Rivero was elected by members of the Board of Directors into the role of Vice President, with succession to President in 2021.
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With regulation being implemented across Canada, many provinces have secured right to title and/or right to scope, maintaining a registry of members online. To avoid confusion about CSMLS certification and membership status and regulatory body status, CSMLS membership voted in favour of a bylaw amendment to eliminate publication of the public roster and the removal of title designation from member cards.
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The following Position Statements were revised and released:
- CSMLS Certification and Entry-Level Requirements for Medical Laboratory Assistants
- CSMLS Certification and Entry-Level Requirements for Medical Laboratory Technologists
- Medical Laboratory Professional Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Rural and Remote Communities
- Patient Portals for Laboratory Based Health Information
- Point of Care Testing
- Quality Work Life Environments for Medical Laboratory Professionals
- Social Media Use by Laboratory Professionals
- The Use of Standards in the Medical Laboratory
- Whistleblower
- Accreditation of Medical Laboratories Science Education Programs
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Following a generous donation by Gaman J. Modi, recipient of the CSMLS Gold Medal in 2004 and distinguished fellow and honorary CSMLS member, a new award was established: the Gaman J. Modi Award of Excellence. The award aims to celebrate and recognize members who consistently demonstrate the 3Cs (commitment, competence and compassion). It was awarded to Curtis Martin and Roseanna Southcombe.
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CSMLS launched the diagnostic cytology technologist national survey to monitor employment concerns specific to the profession and determine potential evidence-informed steps to support cytologists in the future.
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Lab Tours
CSMLS Board members and staff completed another year of advocacy in the laboratory. Throughout the year, CSMLS continued its commitment to advocate for medical laboratory professionals by facilitating lab tours for Members of Parliament (MPs) in their local riding laboratories. Every year, we facilitate several lab tours to give MPs an in-depth look at the importance of the work done in the lab and its effect in health care.
These tours not only allow CSMLS to raise concerns about the present and future state of the profession, they also show government representatives the important work performed by our medical laboratory professionals and their indispensable role in Canada’s health care system.
MP Elizabeth May, Saanich Peninsula Hospital, Saanichton, BC
MP Erin O’Toole, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON
MP Mel Arnold, Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Vernon, BC
MP Wayne Long, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Oulton College, Moncton, NB
Senator Percy Downe, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown, PEI
MP Bev Shipley, Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital, Strathroy, ON
2019 Award Recipients
CSMLS is proud to offer many grants, scholarships and awards as a benefit to our members. These financial benefits are provided to help members continue their professional development, aid students in their education and recognize those who have shown excellence in the profession. Congratulations to all grant, scholarship, and awards recipients. Find the full list of 2019 recipients below.
Congratulations to all grants, scholarships and awards recipients.
AR Shearer Award
| Kim Stephenson |
Sheila Jean Moffat |
BD QA Project Award (Sask Health)
BD Young Leader Award
EV Booth Award
Founders Fund INT'L
| Athena De Marco |
Samira Ahmed |
Founders Fund MLA
Founders Fund MLT
| Brad Collignon |
Marcene Campbell |
Maria Roussakis |
| Prashant John |
Vanessa Gray |
Gaman J Modi Award
| Curtis Martin |
Roseanna Southcombe |
Leadership Development Institute - CMART
| Jordana Archer |
Kendra Soukeroff |
Sally Abou-Zeki |
Lab Leader attended Fredericton LABCON
| Christine Granley |
Elijah Chan |
Jessica Theriault |
| Julia Acker |
Rachel Acil |
Student Scholarship
| Lauren Kapteyn |
Kim Ahn Tran |
World Medical Fund
2019 CSMLS Volunteers & Key Contributors
We are thankful for those who generously contribute their time and expertise for the benefit of the medical laboratory profession. The Society’s existence and growth are built on the support of volunteers and contributors who willingly give to the profession.
| Alexander Sio |
Allison P. Belfall |
Amanda D. VanSpronsen |
Amanda M. Cocca |
| Anas A. Gharra |
Andre Caron |
Andrex Lee |
Anna E. Haasen |
| Anne P. Rigg |
Audrey Elaine Saxton |
Bernard W. Hartung |
Brad M. Hann |
| Brady Rose |
Brendan O'Briend |
Brian D. Timmons |
Brittany P. Waring |
| Carolyn L. Hallett |
Carolyn McCarville |
Catherine Bodroghy |
Catherine J. Fraser |
| Catherine Mary Swiderek |
Chee-Yuen Meaney, ART |
Chelsea E. Busby |
Cheri Burant |
| Christopher J. Ward |
Claire Cascadia Hilscher, ART |
Colin Power |
Conor A. Porter |
| Corey J. Murray |
Danica Evering |
Daniel Beriault |
Danielle Legauard - White |
| Danielle N. McLennan |
Danni Zhang |
Darcy R. Gara |
Dawn C. Trethewey |
| Deborah C. Bonderud |
Denise J. Evanovitch |
Donna O'Neill |
Eileen Laura Reid |
| Elijah Chan |
Elizabeth D. Officer |
Enza Pascale |
Evelyn Moreau |
| Fadila Kacimi |
Felisa Rosenberg, ART |
Frederick T.S. Wong |
Glen M. Johnston |
| Greg Doiron |
Gregory Dobbin |
Gregory Hardy |
Hansika Deepak |
| Heather Ann McMullen |
Heather D. Kyle |
Heather Mauthe |
Helene M. Goulding |
| Holly Jones-Taggart |
Irene R. Campo |
Isaac Aliche |
Ismaila T. Amusat |
| Ivan Aditya |
Jana T. Cole |
Janette Ohler |
Jennifer L. McCulloch |
| Jennifer McPhee |
Jennifer S. O'Leary |
Jessica Lacasse |
Jingwei Chen |
| Joanna Sin |
Joël G. Rivero |
Johane Arsenault |
John E. Soltys |
| Josephine Schuurman |
Joshua M. MacDonald |
Joyce T. Forson |
Judy Tran |
| Julia Acker |
Kalwinder Randhawa |
Kara L. Garnett |
Karen Anne Moffat, FCSMLS(D) |
| Karen M. Matejka |
Karen Moore |
Katherene Ogbulafor |
Katherine Chorneyko |
| Kathy Chun |
Kelly Marie Foley |
Kendra J. Soukeroff |
Kenneth Wong |
| Kevin Joseph Barnes |
Kim Alkalay |
Kimberly E. Deydey, ART |
Kimberly Lee Wheelans |
| Krista M. Patriquin |
Krista Urchenko |
Kristi Lew |
Laurie L. Hart |
| Leslie Cameron |
Linda R. Kappel |
Lisa Marie Kendrick |
Lisa R. Mantifel |
| Lisa Purdy |
Lisette Vienneau |
Lucia Del Carmen Cueva |
Lucie Alain |
| Lydia Elizabeth Keczem |
Lyne Nadeau |
Lynn Courteau |
Ma. Catherine Y. Ancheta |
| Manuel Giraldo |
Marcela R. Navarro |
Marcy S. Fournier |
Maria A. Klement |
| Maria Roussakis |
Marie-Lyse Arseneau |
Mario J. Dumouchel |
Marion R. McChesney |
| Mark Ballantyne |
Mark Bernhardt |
Mark James Hawkins |
Marlene Rebizant |
| Mary Allison Shields |
Mary Ann Golba-Bylhouwer, FCSMLS (Hon) |
Meagan Homer |
Melanie R. Couture |
| Melissa J. Walsh |
Melissa S.M. Mikl |
Melode Lou Banks |
Michele L. Sykes |
| Myriam Lepine |
Nancy Delaney |
Nancy C. Lemelin |
Nancy J. Bergeron, ART |
| Noelle Frances Cater |
Patricia C. Longpre |
Patricia L. Verbeke |
Peter Bridge |
| Phillip P. Morehouse |
Rajesh R. Ramoutar |
Randi L. Hayes |
Rania Elhalabi |
| Rebecca Ma |
Roberta A. Martindale |
Robin Thompson-McAvoy |
Roger Boyle |
| Rose-Marie Miniou |
Roxana C. Villatoro |
Roxanne N. Suchan |
Ruth Bresson |
| Ruth Creaghan |
Samira A. Ahmed |
Sana R. Chaudhry |
Sandra L. Marontate |
| Sangeeth E R Rajkumar |
Sara H. McAleer |
Scott MacDonald |
Serge-Pierre Tremblay |
| Shannon M. Korosec |
Shannon Morris |
Sharon Breau |
Shawn Ingersoll |
| Sheila M. Woodcock, FCSMLS(D) |
Sonia Daigle |
Stephanie M. Eccles |
Stephanie Taylor |
| Stephanie V. Fenech |
Susan H. Findlater, ART |
Susanne Marie Folco |
Sydney Redpath |
| Tamara Chambers-Richards |
Tanya Martin |
Tara Hupaelo |
Tarnnumjahan M. Sayed |
| Terence M. Litavec |
Tricia Lynn VanDenakker, ART |
Uchenna Nnadi |
Vaishali V. Patel |
| Valentin Villatoro |
Victoria E. Massey, ART |
Vincenza Cinzia Pascale |
Wendy R. Bryan |
| Wesley T. Nishi |
William R. Younger |
Wyman Mar |
Xiaoquan Li |
| Yaroslav Sokolskyy |
Yves Goudreau |
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Donors to Grants, Scholarships and Awards
CSMLS is grateful for the generosity of the following supporters of the CSMLS Grants, Scholarships and Awards. Thanks to their financial contributions, we are able to continue to support our members’ professional and educational development.
| Amanda VanSpronsen |
Ashley Sullivan |
Belva Raftopoulos |
Benie Tagala Constantino |
Brenda Soutar |
| Chelsea Kwasny |
Chris Eric Bibby |
Christine Nielsen |
Dana Stark |
Derek Winterton |
| Elias Kalouche |
Eric Jansen |
Frederick Wong |
Gaylene Scott |
Giandeep Khepar |
| Goldie Fagan |
Jacqueline Anne Spain |
Jahangir Abdi |
Jason Noonan |
Jennifer O'Leary |
| Jessalynn Martin |
John Rogers |
Judith Ann Pateman |
Kristin Juenke |
Laura Smy |
| Lina Sabbagh |
Lisette Vienneau |
Lynne Brushett |
M.E. Johanne Lamarre |
Malachi Cruz |
| Margot Beverly Newton |
Mélanie McLean |
Mhari Robertson |
Michael Ashbee |
Michael Waters |
| Mitchell Goldsack |
Nancy Scott-Langille |
Ossayed Al Awor |
Patricia Rodgers |
Paula Steeves |
| Ruth Farrow |
Ryan Wilson |
Shukri Hirsi |
Susan Yvonne Childs |
Suzanne Cormier |
| Sylvia Schmidt |
Tarnnumjahan Sayed |
Tatiana Sochirca |
Wesley Nishi |
Winnifred Donovan |
National Voice
As the national voice of Canada’s medical laboratory profession, CSMLS represents the needs and concerns of medical laboratory professionals when working with laboratory and health care-related organizations. CSMLS Board of Directors, staff and volunteers attend meetings, conferences and events on behalf of CSMLS members and the entire medical laboratory profession. Here is a sample of where your voice was heard in 2019:
- Health Action Lobby (HEAL)
OTTAWA, ON
- EQual Working Group– Competency ProfilesSubcommittee
TELECONFERENCE
- Canadian Coalition for PublicHealth in the 21st Century
TELECONFERENCE
- Ethics Workshops –Grand River Hospital &St. Mary’s Hospital
KITCHENER, ON
- Accreditation Canada Technical Committee
TELECONFERENCE
- 360° Communication Through Simulation– Touchstone Institute
TELECONFERENCE
- Student Presentation – British ColumbiaInstitute of Technology
BURNABY, BC
- Conference Board of Canada – Roundtable on Immigration
VANCOUVER, BC
- Choosing Wisely Poster Presentation & Engaging the Nationin Our Health Human Resource Shortage Presentation–KnowledgeLab 2019, Clinical Laboratory ManagementAssociation
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS
- Ethics Presentations – BD Symposium
with BCSLSSURREY, BC; NANAIMO, BC
- Bridging Program Visit and Presentation – Michener Institute
TORONTO, ON
- Student Presentation – University of Alberta
WEBINAR
- Ethics Presentation – Eastern Ontario Regional LaboratoryAssociation
OTTAWA, ON
- Health Action Lobby (HEAL)
TELECONFERENCE
- Lobby Day
OTTAWA, ON
- MPP Luncheon
QUEEN’S PARK, ON
- Accreditation Canada Advisory Council
TELECONFERENCE
- MLA Student Presentation – Oulton College,
NBWEBINAR
- Presentation – Anderson College’s 4th Annual Scientific Day
TORONTO, ON
- Student Presentation – Michener Institute of Education at UHN
TORONTO, ON
- Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century (CCPH21)
TELECONFERENCE
- Organizations for Health Action (HEAL)
TELECONFERENCE
- CAP-ACP Council – Canadian Association of Pathologists(Association canadienne des pathologistes)
NIAGARA FALLS, ON
- CSA Technical Standard Committee – Fumehoods
NIAGARA FALLS, ON; TELECONFERENCE
- Student Presentations – Anderson College
TORONTO, ON
- International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS) Chief Delegates Meetings
BRISBANE, AU
- Alberta: Open Forum
EDMONTON, AB
- Accreditation Canada Technical CommitteeReport
TELECONFERENCE
- Lab tour with MP Elizabeth May, Saanich Peninsula Hospital
SAANICHTON, BC
- MLT program visit at Oulton College with Federal Minister of Health, Ginette Petitpas Taylor
MONCTON, NB
- Meeting with NDP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)
EDMONTON, AB
- Meeting with Alberta Deputy Minister of Health
EDMONTON, AB
- Quest Diagnostics presentation: Challenging Lab Utilization Practices with the Medical Laboratory Profession at the Forefront
VIDEOCONFERENCE
- Fume Hood TSC Content Development Meeting
TORONTO, ON
- Australian Institute of Medical Science Conference (AIMS) presentations: Generational Communication and Simulation in Canadian Medical Laboratory Science Education
GOLD COAST, AU
- LabCANDx Stakeholder Meeting & Advocacy Training
TORONTO, ON
- Saskatchewan Society for Medical Laboratory Technologists (SSMLT) Fall Conference presentation: Professionalism and Social Media
REGINA, SK
- Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) AGM
OTTAWA, ON
- Simulation Canada (Sim-One) AGM
TELECONFERENCE
- Mental Health for All (MH4A) Conference poster: CSMLS Mental Health Toolkit
TORONTO, ON
- Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) presentation: HHR Call to Action
VICTORIA, BC
- OPTMQ Provincial Meeting
DRUMMONDVILLE, QC
- British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science (BCSLS) Congress presentations: Code of Ethics and HHR Call to Action – 18 Months Later
NEW WESTMINSTER, BC
- Anderson College Program Advisory Committee Meeting presentation: HHR Call to Action
TORONTO, ON
- Canadian Phlebotomy Technicians Group Inc.
TELECONFERENCE
- Nova Scotia College of Medical Laboratory Technologists (NSCMLT) Education Day
DARTMOUTH, NS
- Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) presentation: Adventure in Mentoring: Learn from our failure
VANCOUVER, BC
- Newfoundland and Labrador Society for Medical Laboratory Science (NLSMLS) 2019 Fall Symposium
ST. JOHN'S, NL
Previous Years