Laboratorians in an Ethiopian lab

Assessment: December 4 -12, 2004
ASCP conducted a sight visit and needs assessment with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Ethiopia Office from December 4-12, 2004 to prepare for future training in chemistry and hematology. The site visit/needs assessment delegation composed of volunteers, John Snyder PhD, MT (ASCP) and Vicki Freeman PhD, MT (ASCP), Hektoen staff -Bonnie Lubin and ASCP staff,-Theresa Somrak. The group visited the CDC facilities, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), the Medical Technology Program of Addis Ababa University, the national HIV/AIDS Program of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Zewditu Hospital, a community based institution in Addis Ababa, and Black Lion Hospital, the national teaching hospital. In addition, the delegation visited a Regional Laboratory and two state of the art private laboratories. The primary Ethiopian liaisons for the project are the Laboratory Services Director of CDC Ethiopia Country Office, Dr. Yohannes Mengistu, Dr. Makonnen Gebreselassie, Head of the Regional Health Research Laboratory at CDC Ethiopia, Dr. Tsehaynesh Messele, Director EHNRI and Dr. Almaz Abebe, Ph.D., Director, Virology Laboratory EHNRI.

Laboratory Training January 10-18, 2005
The Chemistry and Hematology modules were delivered in a training workshop that took place at the Global Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 10-18, 2005. There were sixty Ethiopian trainees, including two from each treating hospital, one from each regional laboratory and a number of other participating agencies including EHNRI, Ministry of Health and the School of Medical Technology. The training program was led by a delegation from ASCP composed of ASCP consultant trainers and staff. The ASCP trainers included Marian Cavagnaro MS, MT (ASCP) DLM and Wendy Arneson MS, MT(ASCP). ASCP staff included Theresa Somrak, Project Director, Barbara Hoffman, Project Manager and Eshanthika Wijesinha, Instructional Designer.

March 2005 training participants

Laboratory Training March 21-31, 2005
ASCP conducted another round of training in Chemistry and Hematology from March 21-31, 2005. In addition, ASCP conducted training in CD4 testing from March 21-26, 2005. The ASCP trainers included Marian Cavagnaro MS, MT (ASCP) DLM, Wendy Arneson MS, MT(ASCP), Candace Golightly, MS, MLT(ASCP) and Todd Rueb, MT(ASCP). ASCP staff participating in the workshops included Theresa Somrak, Project Director and Barbara Hoffman, Manager.

Ninety students successfully completed the training and received their certificates.

Wanda Satkas, Theresa Somrak and Michele Best outside the Alert Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; February 2006

Assessment: February 6-10, 2006
ASCP conducted another sight visit and needs assessment with from February 6-10, 2006 to prepare for future training in chemistry, hematology and CD4. The site visit/needs assessment delegation was composed of ASCP consultants, Wanda Satkas, MBA, MT(ASCP), Michele Best MT (ASCP), and ASCP staff,-Theresa Somrak.

Laboratory Training March 21-31, 2006
From March 20-31, 2006, the Ethiopia Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), CDC Ethiopia, and American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) conducted two (2) one week didactic training sessions in Chemistry and Hematology for two groups of participants at EHNRI facilities in Addis Ababa. A total of sixty nine (69) laboratorians participated in the training including 36 participants the first week and 33 participants the second week. Having gathered participant demographics, it was determined that the trainees’ ages ranged from 18 to over 50 and length of experience spanned 3 months to over 25 years.

Mr. Gonfa Ayana, EHNRI with new chemistry instrumentation

ASCP instructors included Marian Cavagnaro MS, MT (ASCP) DLM, and Bette Jamieson, M.Ed, MT(ASCP)SH, Hematology; Wendy Arneson MS, MT(ASCP) and Perthena Latchaw, MS, MT(ASCP), Chemistry; and Dara Cooper representing ASCP staff. EHNRI staff Gonfa Ayana taught one module on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Dr. Aster Tsegaye taught (and co-facilitated) two Hematology modules. Mr. Gonfa and Dr. Tsegaye also assisted tremendously with co-facilitation and/or translation of the remaining modules. Following the one week of didactic training at the EHNRI facilities, each of the two groups of participants engaged in 4-5 days of hands-on training with Chemistry and Hematology instruments at the Private Laboratory Consortium Unit (PLCU) facilities.

Accreditation and TOT Assessment September 4 – 8, 2006
Lee H. Hilborne, MD, MPH, DLM, Theresa Somrak JD, CT(ASCP) (Director, ASCP Institute) and Derick P. Pasternak MD, MBA (JCI) traveled to Addis Ababa in September 2006 to discuss the feasibility of moving toward laboratory accreditation using the JCI Accreditation Standards for Clinical Laboratories. These initial discussions revolved around creating national laboratory policies and guidelines and piloting an accreditation program at a newly constructed lab on the EHNRI campus in Addis Ababa.

ASCP also used this time to prepare for a future training in Chemistry and Hematology. Training logistics were finalized and Theresa Somrak explained the fundamentals of the Training of Trainers (TOT) methodology to be used in the upcoming training.

Training of Trainers: November 13-24, 2006
In collaboration with CDC-Atlanta, CDC-Ethiopia and EHNRI, ASCP conducted a 2-week Training of Trainers (TOT) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 13 – 24, 2006. The main objectives of the TOT are for the participants to learn and understand the training content and to become fluent with presenting the material. All of the TOT participants are expected to conduct trainings in their respective zones subsequent to the completion of the TOT.

Thirty-one TOT participants, representing all regions in Ethiopia, took part in subject-specific training (Hematology or Clinical Chemistry) and participated in the “Teach-back Methodology.” ASCP trainers included Marian Cavagnaro, MS, MT(ASCP)DLM, Loretta Fitzpatrick, MA, MLT(ASCP), CMA, CPT, Wendy Arneson MS, MT(ASCP), and Cathy Robinson, MSA, MT(ASCP). ASCP staff support was provided by Kaitlin Sandhaus.

Regional Roll-out Trainings: January 29 – February 10, 2007
ASCP consultants were present to assist and observe as the participants from the November 2006 TOT became the trainers in their respective regions. Wendy Arneson MS, MT(ASCP) and Perthena Latchaw, MS, MT(ASCP) observed the training in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, from January 29 – February 3, 2007. Marian Cavagnaro, MS, MT(ASCP) and Theresa Somrak, JD, CT(ASCP) supported the training in Awassa, Ethiopia from February 5 – 10, 2007.

The sessions included training in Hematology, Clinical Chemistry and CD4. The information compiled and shared from these initial regional trainings will help provide guidelines and structure for the continued roll-out in other regions.