Current Activities
Ethiopia
Technical Assistance: January 21 – March 21, 2008
ASCP consultant, Dr. Lekidelu Taddesse-Heath spent two months in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia providing technical assistance to the National Reference Laboratory in preparation for JCI accreditation. She worked with laboratory staff on quality assurance, quality control and drafting standards and SOPs. In follow-up to Dr. Taddesse-Heath’s work, ASCP consultant Roland Guidry is currently spending over two months providing additional technical assistance in preparation for international accreditation. Dr. Taddesse-Heath and Roland Guidry are working primarily with staff at CDC-Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI). Mr. Guidry and Dr. Taddesse-Heath will continue providing Technical Assistance in Ethiopia throughout the year, in hopes of an initial JCI accreditation assessment of the National Reference Laboratory at the end of 2008.
South Africa
Phlebotomy Training: January 21 – February 1, 2008
Following the success of the two Phlebotomy trainings in neighboring Swaziland, ASCP’s colleagues in South Africa requested phlebotomy training sessions for 100 medical technologists from labs throughout the country. In collaboration with CDC-South Africa and St. Mary’s Hospital, ASCP staff member Shannon Heard traveled to South Africa on January 21 to coordinate the training with two veteran ASCP consultants, Karen Brown and Cathy Robinson. Over the course of ten days, ASCP facilitated four three-day trainings in both Durban and East London, South Africa.
Swaziland
Basic Lab Operations, Chemistry and Hematology Training: February 12 – 23, 2008
February 12 – 14, ASCP will be piloting its new Basic Lab Operations Training (BLOT) for twenty laboratorians in Manzini, Swaziland. The Basic Lab Operations Training was created using the CDC task-based guidelines for best laboratory practices. The training is interactive and allows participant involvement by using creative hands-on teaching techniques, e.g. puzzles, dartboards and interactive lab maps. These interactive learning experiences will help participants retain the valuable knowledge. ASCP consultants Barbara McKinney and Anna Murphy, will be serving as facilitators. ASCP staff members Shannon Heard and Beth Schumacher will provide staff support.
After BLOT is complete, ASCP Consultant Amy McGranahan will join Anna Murphy, Shannon Heard and Beth Schumacher to conduct a Chemistry and Hematology training for twenty laboratorians.