ASCP’s 2006 Annual Meeting Oct. 18-22 in Las Vegas drew a record number of attendees -- 1,253 to be exact.

Pathologists turned out for the exceptional opportunity to meet Louis J. Ignarro, PhD, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work revealing the mechanisms of nitric oxide as a vasodilator.

More than 100 residents took advantage of the opportunity to network with colleagues and mentors at this year’s meeting.  They also took home some important lessons, including:

• the need for medical leadership in the clinical laboratory
• the importance of understanding the reimbursement process
• the value of a fellowship, regardless of the specialty area

Opportunities abounded to learn first-hand about ASCP’s advocacy on issues of concern to the laboratory team, including licensure, competitive bidding, medically unlikely edits, the role of pathologists’ assistants, patient safety, physician fee schedule, “condo” and “pod” laboratories, the electronic health record, direct billing, to name a few.

New horizons in digital imaging, the anatomic pathologist’s role in patient safety, a practical application of telepathology, and DNA fingerprinting for surgical pathology were among the many cutting-edge topics presented at the 2006 ASCP Annual Meeting.  Look for complete coverage in the January issue of Pathology Today.