About
The American Society for Mohs Histotechnology (ASMH) is a membership organization of 450+ skilled technicians who process the slides used to determine the amount of tissue removed during the Mohs micrographic surgical procedure used to treat skin cancer.
The ASMH is an ancillary group to the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS), which is a membership organization of fellowship-trained skin cancer and reconstructive surgeons specializing in Mohs surgery. The ACMS, founded in 1967 by Dr. Frederic Mohs, serves as the voice of the specialty, promoting and advancing the highest standards of patient care through fellowship training, research, education and public advocacy.
The accurate processing of slides has always been at the crux of a successful Mohs surgical procedure and Dr. Mohs wanted all Mohs surgeons to have access to well-trained staff available to support successful outcomes for all patients. In 1990, Dr. Mohs decided to address the need for Mohs technicians to have access to a standardized training program, and at his urging, Michael Hetzer, BS, HT (ASCP) became the technical program director for this training. The success of the program, in addition to the clear need for a professional organization devoted to the continued development and education of Mohs technicians, prompted discussions in 1992 about how this Mohs “technical club” would progress. In September 1994, Hetzer and other Charter Members formed the American Society for Mohs Histotechnology. The first Annual Meeting was held in 1995.
Since its inception, the ASMH has upheld the importance of training, collaboration and consistency, and has worked in conjunction with the American College of Mohs Surgery to ensure that the high standards set by Dr. Mohs continue to be met. Because of the close and important interaction between surgeon and technician, it is a requirement of membership in the ASMH that technicians must work for an active ACMS member. The ASMH remains dedicated to networking, educational programming, and information exchange related to the field of Mohs histotechnology.