POLQM Quality Conference Weekend Workshop held May 31- June 1, 2008

"An opportunity for all those interested in quality for the modern medical laboratory." 
The Program Office has completed a successful workshop in Laboratory Quality over the weekend May 31-June 1, 2008.  During this sunny first weekend in June, 85 participants from across Canada, the United States, and Europe attended and participated in the stimulating and engaging session.  The workshop was linked to the Canada’s hosting of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 212 on Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems  in Vancouver.   International experts attending the ISO meeting including Robert Michel (Editor-in-Chief, the Dark Report), Donald Powers - USA (Risk Management), John James - UK (Laboratory Safety), David Burnett – UK, Orna Dreazon – Israel (Accreditation) and Luci Berte  - USA (Quality Management) shared the podium with national experts Michael Moss -BC (Streamlining Automation), Gregory Flynn- Ontario (Accreditation), Sheila Woodcock – NS (Quality Management).  Additional breakout groups on Risk Management (Donald Powers), Lean Activities (Peter McLellen-BC), Quality Indicators (Michael Noble – BC), and Root Cause Analysis (Deborah Griswold and Susan Thomas) kept the participants engage and enthused.  The meeting was brought back to the core message of Patient Safety by Dr. Douglas Cochrane (BC Council on Quality and Patient Safety).
This rare opportunity was rated as excellent by all attenders.
The success of the workshop strongly points to the opportunity of repeating the workshop, perhaps as soon as next year.

Speakers Photographs
>>page 2 Participants, Workshops

Dr. Rick Hegele,
Head, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC welcomed over 80 participants at the Opening of the conference.

Robert Michel
The Dark Report
the Keynote Address speaker

Dr. Michael Moss, speaker
Streamlining Laboratory Processes

Dr. Donald Powers, speaker
Risk Management Tools for the Medical Laboratory

Lucia Berte, speaker
Internal Auditing the Quality Management System

Dr. Michael Noble with morning speakers May 31
John James, Robert Michel, Dr. Michael Moss, and
Dr. Donald Powers

Dr. Michael Noblepresenting David Burnett with an Eagle. A similar gift was given to each speaker.

Dr. Michael Noble thanking
Dr. Douglas Cochrane, speaker Quality and Patient Safety

Dr. Greg Flynn in conversation with
Dr. Cochrane

Dr. Michael Noble with Dr. Orna Dreazen, David Burnett, Dr. Greg Flynn, and Sheila Woodcock morning speakers June 1 - Standards, Accreditation, and Regulation of Medical Laboratories