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ISSUE #1 VOL LXI 2009 SPRING/SUMMER

Illinois reporterI LL INOIS STATE SOCIETY OF

AMERICAN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS

President’s Letter

the

Are you marketable? In today’s economy we need to think what makes us stand out above all the rest. Besides having the knowl-edge, skills, abilities and other characteristics listed in the job description, what else makes the company take a second and third look at your resume? Can you imagine the overwhelming task of having to look at hundreds of resumes and decide who gets interviewed? Why will they pick one resume over another?

In today’s job market you have to demonstrate in your resume that you will not only do your job, but that you will excel at it. If you don’t, there are hundreds more applications to choose from. So what do you do? Make sure to list your continuing education and all the volunteer work that you do. The problem is, do you keep up with your continuing education or do you just become stagnant in your profession? Do you reach out and learn from volunteer-ing your time or do you say, “I can’t find a job!”

Recently I discussed some of the greatest pioneers in medicine during one of my class lectures. I thought about Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman Physician in the United States who worked endlessly to open a hospital for

needy woman and children. I thought about Clara Barton and how she

worked day and night to find medical supplies for the wounded soldiers in the 1800s. Neither of these woman said they couldn’t find a job. Instead, they rolled up their sleeves and took on

the challenges they faced with determination and vigor.

I challenge you to believe in yourself and to keep learning about medicine in any way you can so that you will be marketable. Don’t just look for the job - instead, believe in your profession and know that in healthcare we should be learning something new every day. Get involved and stay active. Read about new advances in medicine and stay informed.

I recently told a student who shared with me her goal of becoming a hematologist, to keep shooting for the stars and soon she will have her own galaxy. So, to all of you, start shooting for the stars and your winning attitude is what will help you attain your dream job.

I look forward to seeing everyone at our Spring Educational Seminar at North-western College in Bridgeview on Friday, May 1, 2009. Together, at ISSAMT, anything is possible!

SPRING EDUCATIONAL SEMINARREGISTRATION MATERIALS INSIDE.......................

4LEGISLATIVE NOTE...

VISIT US ONLINE AT www.il-amt.org

Nancy Gabl BBA, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), CPT (NPA)

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ISSAMT2009 OFF ICERS

PresidentNancy Gabl BBA, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), CPT(630) 903-4910nancepa2b@sbcglobal.net

Vice-PresidentFran Floyd, MT (AMT)(630) 464-3026fffloyd@sbcglobal.net

TreasurerConnie Fegan, MT (AMT)(217) 698-7687fegan@warpnet.net

SecretaryFalguni Thakkar, MT (AMT)(224) 388-5727thakkarfalgu@yahoo.com

Western District CouncillorClara Boykin, MT (AMT)(651) 644-3128claraboykin1023@msn.com

Frank Fegan, MPA, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), MT (ASCP), FACHE, (217) 698-7687ffegan@warpnet.net

2009 BOARD MEMBERS

Nancy Gabl BBA, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), CPT, (NPA)(630) 903-4910nancepa2b@sbcglobal.net

Josephine Harden, MT (AMT)(815) 874-5859

Elaine T. Miyamoto, MS, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), RHIA(815) 258-0083emiyamoto@robertmorris.edu

Ronie Rodrigo MT (AMT)(773) 702-9052ron.rodrigo@uchospitals.edu

A Note from our District Councillor

I would like to take this time to thank all the members of the Great Lakes District for their continual support of their State Societies.

If you have not done so, please take a look at the AMT website. Kathy Cilia, Director of Marketing and Member-ship has done a great job with our website. We can be very proud of the change. Please start using our logo on all correspondence. Many new items are in the works.

Mark your calendars for June 22-26, 2009 for AMT’s Educational and Business Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A great meeting has been planned for our Great Lakes District.

We are looking forward to a great turnout of our members. The location of the hotel is the Airport Hilton near the Mall of America. Join us as we have a great meeting with new and old friends of AMT. Just some of the highlights - the co-pilot that landed theplane on the Hudson will be one of our speakers, a boat cruise on Friday night and free shuttle to the Mall of America. These are just a few of the events that all attendees will be able to enjoy.

Congratulations to all the award winners for 2008. We appreciate all the hours you volunteer for your State Societies.

Electronic newsletters are still in the works. You will be hearing more later regarding this. It is the goal to move to Electronic newsletter. We continue to stress it’s up to the state society as to how they want to launch this.

My plans are to visit a couple of states this Spring and also this fall. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything.

Clara Boykin, MTGreat Lakes District Councillor1023 Dayton AvenueSt. Paul, Minnesota 55104Email: claraboykin1023@msn.comWork: (651) 999-4788 (Mon - Fri)Cell: (651) 247-3231Home: (651) 644-3128

Western District Councillor Clara Boykin, MT

Remember to check www.il-amt.org for the most current updates and scheduled events!

VISIT US ONLINE

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Mark Your Calendars!• 2009 Annual Greater Chicago Epilepsy WalkDon't miss the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago's 9th annual 5K Walk/Fun Run, taking place on Saturday, May 9 in Wheaton's Danada Forest Preserve, and Saturday, May 16 in Chicago's Lincoln Park. Registration is $25 for adults and teens 13 and older, and $15 for children ages 7-12. There is no registration fee for children 6 and under. Proceeds help fund epilepsy support and education throughout the Chicago area. For more information about the 2009 Greater Chicago Epilepsy Walk, call 312-939-8622, or

visit www.epilepsychicago.org to register online.

• AMT will be transitioning to a new membership deadline cycle for all members, depending on the date in which a member is initially certified. Please refer to the AMT website at www.amt1.org or call (847) 823-5169.

• Continuing Education Credits request forms must be turned in to AMT to receive credit. If you attended an AMT event, your continuing education information has been recorded. If you attended a non-AMT

Some of you have seen the previews or actual show on television called “wife swap .” For those who are not familiar with the show, two families swap their wives (mothers) for a period of time to see how the families adjust to their new wife/mother. Then the wife returns to her own family and many issues and problems are addressed and sometimes corrected.

How about the idea of “organ swap?”

The only difference is that once the an organ is swapped, it cannot be returned. It is being done today legally and with discretion. It is called “Paired Donor Exchange.”

Many transplant centers are jumping on board and if all the transplant centers join in, there is a good chance that organs transplanted will eventually meet up with the demand for them.

Organ SwapDavid A. Dreyfus - Rush University Transplant Education Coordinator

How does this work and how does it lead to possibly wiping out the kidney shortage? Well, you will have to come to the next ISSMAT meeting to find out.

I will be speaking at the May meeting about “Paired Donor Exchanges” and “Domino Exchanges.” In addition, I will answer any questions related to transplan-tation.Hope to see you there!!!

Student Essay By Amanda O’Hara, Northwestern College

On Friday, February 6, 2009 I attended a cadaver lab at the College of DuPage. It was from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. I was a little apprehen-sive at first, but then my apprehension turned to excitement. This would be an amazing opportunity for me to see the body structures I’m studying in my Anatomy, Phlebotomy, and EKG classes. The doctor that was hosting the lab interacted with us; asking us questions, to name body part or muscles, as well as to hold organs.

There were four cadavers, each having a different cause of death. The one had died of lung cancer, and when you felt the lung, you could feel the little nodules that had formed as the cancer developed. On another, they had dissected the heart, and I could see and touch the valves, atria, ventricles, and His-Purkinje fibers. Another cadaver, which was a 92 year old woman; had died of natural causes, had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in her abdomen. It was amazing to see how all of our internal organs fit into such a small cavity, and how the muscles and bones connect together to

allow our bodies to move so freely. We take all this for granted, its natural for us to walk and move about without having a second thought, even though the action happens so quickly utilizing so many parts. It was a wonderful experience to be able to see the inner workings of the human body.

Almost a reverse engineering lesson, it was beneficial and would be a great opportunity for other students who are taking medical classes to get the same hands-on experience that I had. It helps much more to be able to see and feel the things you’ve studied, rather than to just read about them and look at textbook pictures. Touching a cadaver is something that you will remember for quite some time. The texture is cooler, and stiffer, than our own living bodies. There’s a macabre feeling to it that stays with you after the experience has happened, and I think that it helps me remember a little more.

event, such as CPR or work-related education, then you must mail in a request form, along with a form of validation to: AMTIE 10700 W. HIggins Rd., Suite 150 Rosemont, IL 60018

Please direct questions to Paula Simoncini at (847) 823-5169 or email paula.simoncini@amt1.org.

• Deadlines for submissions to the Illinois Reporter are April 1, 2009 and September 1, 2009.

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On December 18, 2008, the Right of Conscience Rule was passed by the Bush Administration. It protects the rights of healthcare workers from providing medical care that is against their personal beliefs. Federal funds will be cut for any state or local government, or medical institution,

Legislative UpdateDo You Know What the “Right of Conscience Rule Is?”

Imagine you’re out shopping with a friend. Suddenly—and without warning—that friend has a seizure. Would you know how to respond? If you said no, you are not alone.

Studies show that two out of three people admit they would not know how to help someone during a seizure. And many who say they know the proper response would actually do the wrong thing, like putting something—a pencil or a ruler, for example—into someone’s mouth.

People with epilepsy have suffered from cut lips, broken teeth, and even broken jaws, when objects have been forced into their mouths.

Epilepsy is more common than most people realize. Today, nearly 3 million people have epilepsy, which is defined as recurring seizures. Seizures are energy surges among your brain cells—like when your lights flicker during a thunderstorm.

Although epilepsy means a person is more likely to have seizures, having a single seizure—which occurs in close to 10% of the population—does not mean that a person has epilepsy.

However, it is important to understand that “epilepsy can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time,” according to Debbie Goss, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater

Chicago, “and it is a lot easier than most people think to help someone who is having a seizure.”

Goss points out that all seizures are not the same, and that their severity and manifestation depend on how much-and which part—of the brain is affected.

“Sometimes people have muscle spasms,” she notes. “They may mumble; smell, hear or taste things that do not exist; or display repetitive behaviors. Other times, people may black out, stop speaking and stare for a few seconds. Finally, some people become uncon-scious, fall, and shake uncontrollably.”

If someone you’re with experiences this type of convulsive seizure (a tonic-clonic seizure, or what used to be known as a ‘grand mal’), stay calm and explain the situation to others. Be sure to stay with the person until the seizure ends.

Here are other do’s and don’ts for helping someone in this situation:

Do:• Cushion the person’s head and roll him or her to the side.• Remove eyeglasses, and loosen tight clothing such as a necktie or necklace.• Provide a safe environment by securing enough space for the person to move, while ensuring that they do not get into in harm’s way during the course of the seizure.

He’s Having A Seizure...What Should I Do?• Look for identification—typically a bracelet—indicating that the person has epilepsy.• Time how long the seizure lasts.• When the seizure ends, calmly tell the person what has happened and offer help.

Do not:• Put anything into a person’s mouth.• Restrain the person.

While it is not always necessary to get emergency medical assistance, you should call 911 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes. Other times to get help are when a person:• Is hurt.• Is pregnant.• Does not regain consciousness.• Seems not to breathe after one minute.• Has one seizure after another.• Asks for help.• Has no identification indicating they have epilepsy.

Once the seizure ends, the person will gradually become re-acclimated to his or her surroundings, although he or she may remain confused and in need of assistance for several minutes afterwards.

More information can be obtained by visiting the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago’s website www.epilepsychicago.org, or by calling 312-939-8622.

that violates this regulation. Visit www.il-amt.org to read more about this regulation.

For the latest legislative information please refer to our website at www.il-amt.org.

EXTRA! EXTRA!Future issues of thisnewsletter will be offered as an online

publication, beginning with the Fall/Winter 2009 issue. If you would like to continue to receive a hard copy of The Illinois Reporter, please send a request to Nancy Gabl at nancepa2b@sbcglobal.net.

ISSAMT Student Poster ContestThe topic for the poster contest is “Emergency Preparedness.” Students who enter may focus on one or more areas of emergency preparedness, including: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Posters can be a specific emergency or multiple ones, for example: Fire, Floods, Tornados, Multiple Car Traffic Accident, Snow/Ice.

Each student entrant must use a three-poster-board presentation. Judging will be based on imagination, creativity, unique design, usefulness of

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information, accuracy, and use of auxiliary materials such as photos, charts, other items.

Posters are to be entered at the May 1, 2009 Spring Educational Seminar at Northwestern College, in Bridgeview, Ill. You may personally bring your poster, or you may have someone else bring it to the meeting.

If you have assistance in preparing a poster, indicate such, and the prize (if it wins one) will be split between those who worked on the poster.

First Prize: $150Second Prize: $100Third Prize: $50

NOTE: Prizes paid in your name to your school to assist you on tuitio, books and fees. Winning posters will be announced at the Educational Seminar on Friday, May 1, 2009.

All posters become the property of ISSAMT and will not be returned to the applicant. The poster may be posted on our website or published, and applicant gives consent to this by submitting an entry.

ISSAMT is proud to recognize all laboratory professionals during National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week for their continued commitment and hard work in order to provide timely and accurate lab results that ensures quality patient care.

The Many Faces of EpilepsyHow Seizures Affect Different Parts of the Brain

Most people think of epilepsy as a single entity – a convulsion. If you ask people to describe epilepsy, the description will be something like: “When a person falls to the ground and shakes all over, maybe biting his or her tongue. I think it can last a short time or maybe it can last a long time.”

Having a seizure is perceived as a dramatic, attention getting and scary event. However, that is not the most common presentation of epilepsy. Simply defined, epilepsy is recurrent seizures.

A seizure is a disturbance of brain function due to an electrical short circuit. One can understand how an electrical short circuit could interfere with brain function by knowing that all brain function occurs by a chemical-electrical transfer of information.

So, the same way a short circuit in your hard drive within your computer or on your television set can disrupt its function, so can short-circuits in the brain disrupt normal brain function. In addition, the short circuit occurs in the same place in the brain each time so that the disruption in brain function is similar time and time again.

Therefore, whenever any recurrent, paroxysmal (coming out of the blue) and stereotypical (always the same) spell occurs, a seizure should be considered as a possible cause.

Common presentations of seizures other than convulsions include brief staring spells seen in absence epilepsy and complex partial epilepsy. In both, the patient will stare with eyes open and be unresponsive to others. These may last seconds to minutes. So, it is sometimes discovered that the child who is often thought to be constantly daydreaming and who does not respond when called by a parent or teacher is actually having seizure activity.

Absence seizures last 10 to 20 seconds and are not followed by confusion.

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However, a patient may have multiple seizures an hour.

Complex partial seizures last longer (30 to 90 seconds) and are associated with minor automatic movements such as swallowing, chewing, biting of the lips or picking at clothes. Complex partial seizures are followed by confusion afterwards.

Often, complex partial seizures or generalized tonic-clonic seizures are preceded by a warning or an aura. An aura is really a simple partial seizure. Anything that the brain can do may be mimicked by a simple partial seizure. In these types of seizures, the individual is aware of what’s happening and can remember it and report it.

The symptoms of simple partial seizures tell us what area and what side of the brain the short circuit is coming from. When a patient feels tingling that begins in the right hand and spreads to the right face, the short circuit or epileptic focus is in the left parietal area -- the area of the brain that monitors sensation in the right arm, face and leg (see diagram).

Conversely, if a seizure is manifested as repetitive motor movements (jerking) of the left arm and face, the epileptic focus or short circuit is in the right frontal area – that part of the brain that controls voluntary motor movement of the left arm and face.

As stated before, seizures may mimic anything the brain can do, even complex auditory, visual or emotional activity. A patient of mine sees an image of Wimpy (from the old ‘Popeye’ cartoons) off to the left each time he has a seizure. His seizures begin in the right occipital area that monitors, processes and remembers visual information.

Another patient hears a familiar advertis-ing jingle with each of her seizures. Her seizures arise from the temporal lobe responsible for auditory (hearing) function (see diagram). Another patient experi-ences the smell of magic marker before

each seizure. His seizures come from the limbic cortex responsible for smell and recognition of smell.

Another patient loses the ability to speak while still understanding speech. His seizure arises from the frontal language area. Finally, emotional feelings may be generated by a local short circuit in the limbic system deep in the temporal lobe.

A sudden fearful sensation and its associated physical manifestations (heart racing, dry mouth, queasy stomach) is a common aura (simple partial seizure) in a patient whose seizures arise in the limbic system.

We have all felt the above-mentioned symptoms when suddenly surprised or scared. Patients with complex partial seizures from temporal lobe epilepsy, however, will have these symptoms suddenly without a cause and they will occur repeatedly and demonstrate in the same manner.

Other complex cognitive symptoms such as déjà vu (feeling of familiarity, “been there before”) or jamais vu (familiar things are unfamiliar) are described with seizures arising from the memory circuit.

Epilepsy may, indeed, have many faces and many manifestations. Identification of the seizure type is aided today by our medical technology, including MRI, PET and SPECT scans and EEG-computerized localization of the local circuit. The most important diagnosis of epilepsy, however, remains in the interview with the patient, carefully obtaining a history of the incident from the patient and witness(es) of the episodes. If the spells are sudden and stereotypical, they should be consid-ered seizures until proven otherwise. Whatever the face that epilepsy can wear, there are many treatment options available today.

Michael Smith, MD is Medical Director of the Rush Epilepsy Center at Rush University Medical Center and a member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago’s Professional Advisory Board.

Michael Smith, MDMedical Director, Rush Epilepsy Center at Rush University Medical Center

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Registration Form

2009 Spring Educational SeminarThe Spring Program will be on Friday, May 1, 2009 at Northwestern College in Bridgeview, Ill.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.CHECK IN (breakfast provided)

8:45 - 9:00 a.m.Welcome & IntroductionISSAMT President Nancy Gabl

9:00 -10:00 a.m.Paired Donor and Domino Donor ExchangeDavid Dreyfus, Rush University Trans-plant Education Coordinator(1.0 clock hours)

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.Mitigation and Preparedness for Home and WorkDavid Gervino, American Red Cross Mitigation Program Manager(1.0 clock hours)

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Seizure Recognition, First Aid and ManagementEpilepsy Foundation, Tracy Schultz Community Education Coordinator &Jill Gattone, RN M. Ed Nurse Clinician, Director of Education at Rush Epilepsy Center(1.5 clock hours)

12:30 - 12:45 p.m. Break & Student Contest winners announced, includes door prizes and hot lunch

12:45 - 2:15 p.m. Pre and Post Analytical Phases of PhlebotomyBhagwat Thakkar, MBA, BS Biology, MT (AMT) Hematology Lead &Lab Education Coordinator Sherman Hospital(1.5 clock hours)

2:15 - 3:45 p.m. Prostate CancerAmerican Cancer Society (1.5 clock hours)

3:45 - 5:15 p.m. Cervical Cancer American Cancer Society(1.5 clock hours)

5:15 - 5:45 p.m. ISSAMT business meetingAll Members welcome!

***Total of 8 clocked hours

For further information contact:Nancy Gabl RMA, (AMT), CMA, CPT ISSAMT Presidentnancepa2b@sbcglobal.net630-903-4910 or www.il-amt.org.

Please provide the following information:

Name Registry #

Address

City State Zip

Phone number :(H) (Cell) E-Mail

Certification Discipline: MT(AMT)___ MLT(AMT)___ RMA(AMT)___ RDA(AMT)___

RPT (AMT)___ COLT(AMT)___ Student_____Other__________________

NOTE: The full registration fee includes meeting registration, continental breakfast and lunch. We are NOT able to meet any.special dietary requests.

Check type of registration: Student Fee: $10.00 ISSAMT Member’s Fee: $20.00 Non-Member’s Fee: $30.00

Make checks payable to ISSAMT and mail this form to: Nancy Gabl, BBA, RMA (AMT), CMA (AAMA), CPTISSAMT President32 Sterling CircleWheaton, IL. 60187

Fax form to 775-429-5278

ADVANCE REGISTRATION is REQUIRED TO ENSURE A LUNCH. In order to ensure food services, meeting registration must be received by April 24, 2009. Registration can be faxed to (775) 429-5278. Seating is limited. Please reserve ASAP!

DEADLINE IS APRIL 24, 2009!

The Illinois Reporter is published bi-annually. Address all communications to the Editor, who reserves the right to edit all material, if necessary. Any article appearing in The Illinois Reporter is to be assumed as representing the opinions of the author and is not to be construed as reflecting to the policy of the publication unless the article is designated. Publication deadlines for 2009 are April 1, 2009 for the spring issue and September 1, 2009 for the fall issue.

ISSAMTNancy Gabl, Editor32 Sterling Circle #107Wheaton, IL 60187

address printed here

Spring Educational Seminar Registration Materials Enclosed

Spring Educational Seminar Registration Materials EnclosedRegistration deadline April 24, 2009See page 7 for more details