Summer 2024 Newsletter
ASMH Newsletter • Volume 29 Issue 2 • Summer 2024
President's Message
Greetings ASMH Members,
With immense pride and enthusiasm, I step into the role of President of ASMH. As we begin this journey together, I am excited about the opportunities that are in store for our organization this coming year.
My vision is to sustain a valuable and strong organization of professional leaders that oversee the growth of the Mohs technical profession. This can be achieved through collaboration, education, and empowerment of the Mohs technical profession. We can deliver the highest standards of professionalism to improve patient outcomes through a community of professionals committed to the Mohs profession.
My strategic pillars are advocacy, collaboration, education, and engagement of Mohs technicians throughout the nation. The plan is to increase membership and the value of the membership. How can we begin this process? Please complete this survey as we want to hear from our members! The goal is to offer the newsletter quarterly and I encourage all members to offer submissions for inclusion in the newsletter. This is how we will learn from each other. I look forward to getting to know each of you better and working alongside you to ensure a productive and fulfilling year for all of us.
Thank you to the Annual Program Committee for their hard work organizing another excellent meeting for all Mohs experience levels. A thank you to our speakers, workshop leaders, and vendors for sharing their knowledge and showcasing the latest products and equipment. This was the first year that ACMS and ASMH collaborated and was well received by both organizations, and I hope this collaborative and collegial effort continues.
I would like to extend a thank you to Lindsey Riggs for her hard work and dedication as the President from 2022-24, and welcome our new 2024 board: Vice-president Angelic R. Maden, Secretary/Treasurer Rodney Barber, Past President Lindsey E. Riggs, Director Zipporah A. Cassidy, Director Stephanie S. Petrow, Director Tonya K. Woodard, and ACMS representative Kishwer S. Nehal, MD.
Our next Annual Meeting will take place on May 16-17, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Save the date for another outstanding educational program, networking opportunities, and the exchange of knowledge with your colleagues. Please consider presenting!
ASMH’s Mohs Technician Training Program continues to move forward. This program is intended to promote a higher national standard for our profession. It offers customized training to Mohs techs in need of improving or honing their skills and technical knowledge. If you or your Mohs surgeon are interested, please contact the ASMH office.
Your involvement at any level—maintaining your membership, attending our Annual Meeting, volunteering for one of our committees, contributing a newsletter article, presenting at our Annual Meeting or pursuing a leadership role—is crucial. Whether you are new or seasoned in our field you can discover the enriching opportunities that ASMH provides. I encourage you to get involved and invite others to as well.
To our current and new members, thank you. Your continued support and participation are invaluable. Together we will further enhance ASMH as a vital resource for all members. Thank you again for allowing me to lead ASMH. I look forward to meeting you all.
Best regards,
Camille McKay, BSHCA, M.Ed., HTL
President, ASMH
October 2024 Advanced Mohs Technician Training
Registration for the next ASMH Advanced Mohs Technician Training Program is now open. Training will take place at Avantik Academy Mohs Training Campus in Pine Brook, New Jersey on Thursday, October 10 - Friday, October 11. Advanced Mohs Tech training offers a customized, hands-on learning experience. Upon completion, trainees will be able to claim 12 CEUs through the National Society for Histotechnology and will receive a certificate of completion from the ASMH/ACMS. Register today.
Mentorship: Passion or Necessity?
Camille McKay, M.Ed., BSHCA, HTL, CLT
ASMH President
Recruiting qualified professional Mohs staff is an arduous task. Once recruited, hospitals have trouble retaining their professional staff. Throughout the entire healthcare profession, professionals are aging out and retiring, and there is a struggle within the healthcare system to find professional replacements. While researching the topic of mentorship, as a healthcare manager, I carefully designed a pilot program to lead a team of Mohs technicians to mentor new staff while collaborating and communicating with our physician team, the Mohs surgeons.
The goal of the program was to provide a curriculum as a facilitator to the mentor/coach and guide them on how to effectively collaborate with their mentee while teaching them the skills of becoming a Mohs technician. The responsibility of being a facilitator of this model of training program is to support both beginner coaches and beginner technicians. The plan is to do this by first being certain that both the mentor and the mentee are comfortable with the curriculum and tools being used to develop this process. All parties involved in this process must feel comfortable communicating with the person they have been partnered with. Another responsibility of the facilitator is to communicate with the mentor how to be “in tune” with their mentees’ needs and to allow them to be comfortable asking questions. This process also involves a great deal of patience and guidance, to succeed. The mentor must be able to communicate both positive and negative feedback with the mentee.
The facilitator of such a program begins this process by requiring a relationship based on trust, clear communication, and an emphasis on supporting the needs of both the mentee and mentor. One last responsibility was providing the right support to the mentor and mentees, so this process could be effective and seamless, allowing the mentor to approach me with whatever tools and support they might need from me, the Mohs surgeons, or the institution.
My role as an advocate for this profession has been a passion of mine for over twenty years. The Mohs technical staff are trained professionals who require both a license and certification to practice their profession, however, they are sometimes forgotten because most people do not understand what their role in the institution is. Mohs technicians do not directly work with patients, so it is a struggle within the healthcare organization to explain what their role is to senior leadership. As an advocate, I assumed a role to educate others as to what Mohs surgery is and what a Mohs technician does. Moving forward, my philosophy statement would begin with trust, collaboration, communication, support, teamwork, motivation, and inspiration; all of which equals success.
Building a mentorship program is done through thoughtful planning and a high commitment level to the Mohs technician team. Providing guidance and patience to both the mentors and mentees will lead to a successful mentorship training program.
Woe, the Wedge Specimen
Robert Tagliaferro, HT (ASCP)
There may be a time now and again when the Mohs surgeon will bring in a “wedge” specimen. This is a pie-shaped piece of tissue from the outer ear, the nasal flare, the upper or lower lip, and possibly an eyelid. The specimen’s appearance may be intimidating at first. Most Mohs histotechnicians are slightly perplexed as to how to tackle this specimen.
The main area of concern with this specimen is the two excised margins. This is the only area of interest to the Mohs surgeon. It may be hard to first wrap your head around what to do with this specimen. I, like most individuals, can relate things to food items, so I try to visualize the specimen as a thick slice of pepperoni pizza. The outer crust is the outer epidermal portion. The bottom crust is the inferior epidermal section. The pepperonis are the tumor islands and the cheese and sauce is the dermal matrix. The two cut sides of the pizza slice are the surgical margins.
To process this specimen, you cut down the middle of the slice of pizza from the center of the crust almost to the very tip (as if you were going to share the slice of pizza with someone else). Take the two halves and pull them apart so the two surgical margins are now at one level horizontal plane. It should look like an inverted bowtie. The tissue can now be inked, embedded, and sectioned for staining.
Take your time the first few times you try this technique. The more times you process a specimen like this, the more confident you will become, and a quicker turnaround time will be realized making the Mohs surgeon happy - and we like when the Mohs surgeon is happy. There may be other variations to this technique, but this method is a great starting place.
Member Resources
Volunteer for a Committee
Interested in volunteering with ASMH? Willing to offer your talents to help strengthen the society? We want you! Click here to submit an interest form.
ASMH Online Bibliography
The ASMH bibliography is your resource and we strongly encourage you to explore it. Efforts will be made to keep the articles up to date and relevant to current best practices while keeping the scope wide enough to interest the broadest of minds. It is our intention to cover subjects ranging from basic lab techniques, Mohs embedding, cryotomy, routine and immunohistochemical staining, lab safety, ethics and work flow. This is a continually evolving project that will be guided by your feedback, suggestions and more importantly, your contributions, so please share interesting articles and send topic suggestions to info@mohstech.org.
Go to the bibliography to find new COVID-19 resources: Laboratory Biosafety & Coronavirus Disinfection in Histopathology.
Showcase your ASMH membership in your online profile
Members are encouraged to download and use this graphic in your email signature, on your social media profile or added to your professional online presence. Please remember that you may not, in any way, alter, manipulate or change this graphic. Contact info@mohstech.org should you have any questions about proper use.
Note to ASMH newsletter readers: Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise throughout this e-newsletter, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the American Society for Mohs Histotechnology. The views and opinions of authors expressed do not state or reflect those of the American Society for Mohs Histotechnology.