PSCLS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2001

Present:  Loretta Nemchik, President:  Sandy Neiman, Secretary;  Mary Gourley, Treasurer;  Patsy Bering, Parliamentarian;  Scott Aikey, Cindy Evans, Judy Hoover, Bill Hunt, Mary Ann McLane, Eileen Molecavage, Allison Nield, Brooke Slick, Sharon Strauss, Sandy Toloczko

I. Call to Order:  Meeting was called to order at 10:37 a.m.

II. Introductions were made.  Parliamentarian was identified.  A quorum was ascertained.

III. Approval of Agenda:  McLane requested that three items be added to New Business, i.e. ASCP
   By-Laws;  PSCLS</R> Response to September 11, 2001; and PSCLS Host Liaison to 2003 ASCLS
   Meeting.  Nemchik added items.

Motion 1. Hunt moved to accept the agenda as amended.  McLane seconded and motion passed.

IV. President's Report:   Nemchik submitted printed report of recent activities accomplished by her.  Nemchik noted recent Election Board Votes that were introduced and passed via e-mail.

Motion 2. Hunt moved to contribute $500 to MTASCLS (Montana).  Strauss seconded and motion passed.

Motion 3. McLane moved that that Valley Forge Scanticon be approved as the site for the Annual PSCLS Meeting in May.  She also attached the contract.  Gourley seconded and motion passed.

Nemchik also asked members to check the leadership directory and advise those present of any corrections.

V. Secretary's Report:  Minutes of Spring Board of Directors' Meeting, May 20, 2001, were presented.

Motion 4. Hunt moved to approve the PSCLS Board Meeting Minutes dated May 20, 2001.  Strauss seconded and motion passed.

VI. Treasurer</R>s Report:  Gourley distributed detailed report.  She commented that:
    A) Membership dues just made it.
    B) Interest did well.
    C) The Advance publication was very generous to us in their donation.

Gourley noted that two scholarship CD's valued at $8,000 each will mature in December.Discussion ensued.

Motion 5. Strauss moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors direct the treasuerer to place $6,000 of the two maturing CDs into the checking account and the remaining $10,000 into a new CD or bond - whichever is recommended by Merrill-Lynch.     McLane seconded and motion carried.

Motion 6. McLane moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors accept the Treasurer's Report dated August 31, 2001 and file for audit.  Strauss seconded and motion carried.

VII. ASCLS/Region II Update:  Report by Scott Aikey.

A. Florida meeting was last week.
B. ASCLS Budget:  Fiscal year ends at end of August.  Not yet audited.
        -- $4,400 profit
        -- $60,000 outstanding accounts receivable - yet to be received.
C. Chrono-Lab CD:  35% royalty for ASCLS.  Doing well selling them.
D. CLEC:  Not doing well budget-wise.
E. ASCLS considering collaborating with other organizations and sharing office space perhaps in DC area.
        -- AACC, etc.
        -- AMT cannot afford our sites for meetings.
F. DIGISCRIPT is unhappy with web.
G. COLA approached us to purchased POL education material:  microscopy and CLIA88 compliance.
H. Abbott has approximately $100,000 for us to work with CLMA at next legislation day. CAP wants to work with us on same.
I. Membership:  6,000 members renewed.  Possible option to offer PF2 level to industrial lab techs.
J. Montana has spent $12,000.  No current update.
K. ASCLS Today article reports on ASCLS support of New York City victims.  Vendors also contributed.
L. Editor of ASCLS Today, May Jane Rutherford, now having surgery.  David Thrash will be temporary editor for about the next three editions.
M. Continuing Education programs on the web are not selling.
N. Summit on Personnel Shortage - ASCLS Task in Recruitment and Marketing:  We now need Summit II.
O. Medicare Reimbursement Meeting:  A fly-in meeting was to be held September 11,  2001.  Hoover drove to Washington, DC for meeting.

P. Graduate marketing program students to work on plans for our career recruitment and membership marketing.  Proposals from different areas will be useful.
Q. FDA Roundtable:  Elissa Passiment will represent us.
R. PBS 28 minute video on Career Recruitment.
S. Position Papers needed:
        a. Public Health Issues (e.g. terrorism)
        b. CLIA </Q>88 Waived Test Guidelines
        c. Current Red Cross (or FDA?) Policy:  If a professional is not trained by the Red Cross, he (she) cannot work in the event of a crisis (September 11).
T. Texas Proposal:  CLS journal prints only credentials of NCA - none other.  Issue tabled until next year.  Hoover suggested polling other professional journals (AABB, ASM, etc.) to see how they list authors.

U. Region II needs more revenue.  Hunt suggested Double the Assessments. Gourley replied, Pennsylvania could afford it but Delaware could not.

VIII. Student Forum:  Student representatives will send out surveys to programs for input as to future student programs.

IX. Committee Reports
A. Annual Meeting:   Aikey presented Statements of Income and Expenses from 2001 Meeting.  We made profit of $3,000.
    McLane is very impressed with the Valley Forge Scanticon.  She thanked everyone for their electronic vote and support of the site and contract.  PSCLS will work with PSSAMT and PABB to co-sponsor the meeting.

Motion 7: McLane moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors approve the  contractual agreement with PABB for the 2002 Annual Meeting. Seconded by Strauss.  Motion carried withe one abstention.

Motion 8: McLane moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors approve the  contractual agreement with PSSAMT for the 2002 Annual Meeting.  Seconded by Hunt and carried.

Evans remarked that she has stayed at the Scanticon with another organization and the facilities are excellent.McLane remarked that we need at least $5,000 scholarship to cover expenses.  This is  the first meeting that will have no exhibit hall.  We must impress vendors with the facts that all attendees will receive their information (not just those who would have passed  through the exhibits hall) and that they will save money by not sending representatives. McLane will e-mail the list of vendors to board members so that members can identify those vendors  that they deal with and approach them.  Also, new vendor names may be added. We must remind attendees that $90 per day includes breakfast and lunch.

Motion 9: Strauss moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors approve the  proposed budget for the 2002 PSCLS Annual Meeting.  Nemchik seconded and motion carried.

B. Awards:   No report.

>C. Bylaws are okay but regulations under committees may be changed because we don't have representatives from all districts on our board.The concurrent Board of Directors and House of Delegates meeting held last Spring was  a temporary trial occurrence.  It needs to be looked at.

D. File Custodian:  Hunt is still keeping documents.

E. Career Recruitment:  No report.  Nemchik will ask Phyllis Gotkin if more funding needs to be channeled to the Education Scientific Assembly.

F. Con Ed Assistanceship:   Official printed report presented by Bering.

Motion 10: McLane moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors approve the Dolbey Scholarship for 2001-02 to be $1500.  Seconded by Neiman and carried.

Motion 11: Hunt moved that the Mercedes Cole Scholarship for the 2001-02 fiscal year award be set at $1000.  Seconded by Strauss and carried.

Motion 12: Hunt moved that the Keener Scholarship Fund for the 2001-02 fiscal year to be set at $4000.  Strauss seconded and motion carried.

G. Education Scientific Assembly:    Neiman reported on June meeting.  New Philadelphia programs are proposing 5-year CLS/MT Programs to include management.

H. Federal Government Liaison/PAC:   No report.

I. Finance:  No report.

J. Leadership Development:  No report

Meeting recessed from 12:45 p.m. to 1:55 p.m.

K. Membership Development:   September list:  330 total.   150 members lapsed - although  renewed members have not yet been processed.   October</R>s list should be more accurate - need to phone people in October.  Nemchik has set our goal for membership to increase  membership by 10 percent.  This means 30 new members.

L. Newsletter:   No formal report.  Evans needs articles by October 5, 2001.  Next issues deadlines:  January 1, 2002 and March 1, 2002.

M. Nominations:   As president, Nemchik cannot be Nominations Chair.  A new chair must be appointed .  January 15, 2002 is ASCLS</R> deadline for nominations.  McLane will run  for Region II Director.

Motion 13: Gourley moved that the PSCLS Board of Director nominate Mary Ann  McLane for position of ASCLS Region II Director.  Motion seconded by Hunt and it carried.

N. PACE:  Toleczko provided written report.  Hints on writing objectives were enclosed.

O. State Government Liaison:   No report.  See New Business for Licensure Survey.

P. Web Master:   Inova Reference Laboratory used PSCLS information in their patient
    education brochure.  PSCLS was cited as a source.

X. Chapter Updates
A. Delaware Valley:  Formal report presented.
B. Lehigh Valley:  Need to decide on continuing M.J. Eckenrode memorial lecture.
C. North Central:  No report.
D. Northeast:  Is planning a Fall dinner meeting.
E. Northwest:  No report.
F. South Central:  No report.
G. Southwest:  No report.
H. Susquehanna:  No report.

XI. Old Business:

A. Handbook is on the PSCLS website for members</R> approval of revisions.  E-mail vote to be taken by the end of October.

XII. New Business:

A. Licensure Survey:  Nemchik sent out 329 ballots.45% = 148 returned ballots; 134 voted yes, 14 voted no, 43 volunteered to help - we need to contact them to work for licensure. What should the next step be? Hoover questioned if the other organizations are still committed to licensure (CLMA,  AABB, etc.).Nemchik will send out a form letter to the 43 who offered to get project started.

B. Children</R>s Miracle Network Calendar:  Nemchik purchased 20 from ASCLS.

>C. ASCP By-Laws Change:  American Society of Clinical Pathologists to American Society of Clinical Pathology.  McLane sent a letter to ASCP reprimanding them for not including clinical laboratorians as voters and not requiring continuing education for membership. McLane is questioning the meager number of those participating in the informal survey. Laboratorians have been paying thousands of dollars and do not have a voice in the organization.

D. Response to September 11, 2001 Tragedy:  McLane asked the board if it wants to send  monies to victims of the disaster.  Neiman suggested that donations be directed to the Pennsylvania victims of Flight 93.  Bering will contact Representative Santorum to direct the funds.

Motion 14. McLane moved the PSCLS Board of Directors send a donation of $400 to a fund to supplement the victims from the flight which crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.  Monies to be taken from O & A.In lieu of direct support, the monies are to be sent to the American Red Cross.  Motion seconded by Strauss and carried.

E. PSCLS Host Liaison to 2003 ASCLS Meeting:  A PSCLS member should be helpful to ASCLS to provide the </S>flavor</T> of Philadelphia to the national members.

Motion 15. Gourley moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors appoint Loretta Neimchik and Bill Hunt as the Pennsylvania liaisons to the ASCLS Steering Committee for the 2003 meeting in Philadelphia.  McLane seconded and the motion carried.

F. St. Agnes Hospital Problem:  This could be a licensure issue.  Who are the personnel? Are they certified?  Credentialed by whom?

XIII. Announcements:  Nemchik announced that the Winter Board Meeting will be held on January 5, 2002 at Reading Area Community College.  Snow date - January 19, 2002.

XIV. Adjournment:

Motion 16: Molecavage moved that the PSCLS Board of Directors Meeting of September 29, 2001 be adjourned.  Seconded by Hunt and carried.   4:35 p.m. meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandy Neiman
Secretary