Register for a Werfen Education Event

This educational event, featured a comprehensive lineup of expert-led sessions, designed to explore key topics in healthcare technology and patient care. The event concluded with hands-on demonstrations, offering participants an opportunity to interact with the technologies discussed throughout the day.

Event Agenda by Topic

Welcome

8:30–9:00 am: Registration and Breakfast

9:00–9:30 am: Werfen Welcome

9:30–10:30 am: The Ohio State University Experience: Managing Hemolysis in Whole Blood at the Point of Care (POC)

Heather Steiglitz Heather Stieglitz, PhD, DABCC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pathology, The Ohio State University
Division Director for Chemistry, Toxicology, and POC Testing, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH

Objectives

  • Identify challenges in current practices for managing hemolysis at the POC
  • Review how POC hemolysis detection compares to laboratory methods​
  • Discuss the experience of detecting hemolysis at the POC, to improve quality of care​
Transfusion

10:30–11:00 am: Dara Dilemma
Wendy Disbro, Transfusion Marketing Manager, Werfen

11:00–11:30 am: RhD or not to RhD***
Annie Ilnicki, Blood Bank Technical Specialist, Parkview Health

Objectives:

  • Explain the molecular basis of altered RhD alleles – including Weak D, Partial D, and DEL – and how they differ in serologic reactivity and clinical significance
  • Interpret Parkview Health’s genotyping algorithm to determine appropriate scenarios for RHD molecular testing in patients with serologic discrepancies
  • Evaluate the risks and benefits of molecular RhD testing in transfusion and obstetric settings to support clinical decision-making regarding Rh immune globulin administration

12:30–1:30 pm: Building the Perfect Screen and Panel – Is it Possible?***
Becky Anderson, Associate Director, Global Biologics Sourcing, Werfen

Objectives:

  • Describe the critical role of reagent donors and manufacturing processes in the development of antibody detection and identification products
  • Differentiate between regulatory, international, and customer-specific requirements for reagent red cell panels
  • Assess the challenges and limitations creating an ideal reagent screen and panel, considering manufacturing constraints and donor availability

1:30–2:15 pm: Highlighting Discrepancies in Antibody ID***
Shay Jones, Transfusion Service Manager, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Health System

Objectives: 

  • Recognize how discrepancies in antibody identification can arise depending on the method used (Solid Phase Red Cell Adherence, MTS Gel, Tube Testing)
  • Compare the advantages and limitations of each serologic method used for antibody detection in complex patient cases and interpret serologic data from multiple methods to resolve complex antibody identification cases, including nonspecific reactivity
  • Apply a multi-method approach to antibody workups by integrating results from SPRCA, Gel, and Tube testing to help improve diagnostic accuracy

2:15–3:00 pm: ImmuLINK® - A New Frontier in Antibody Identification​
Mark Bernhardt, Digital Solutions Sales Support Specialist, Werfen

3:15-3:45 pm: Comparison of Column Agglutination Test (CAT) With and Without Enzymes and Solid Phase Red Cell Adherence (SPRCA)***
Darlene Sanders, Blood Bank Technical Specialist, Werfen

Objectives: 

  • Describe different antibody test methods investigations including an overview of the different antibody test methods & enhancement media available
  • Identify times when adding enzymes to the investigation may be useful
  • Compare the results of test method sensitivities of Column Agglutination Test (CAT) With and Without Enzymes and Solid Phase Red Cell Adherence (SPRCA)

3:45–4:15 pm: Cracking The Code: Complex Case Studies***
Tyler Kawachi, Transfusion Product Manager, Werfen

4:15–5:00 pm: Instrument Demonstrations

Acute Care & Patient Blood Management

10:30–11:30 am: Improving Preanalytical Practices to Enhance Blood Gas Testing Accuracy​***‡
Tiffany Yu, Applications Specialist, Werfen

Objectives

  • Define common sources of preanalytical error in blood gas testing
  • Recognize the impact of preanalytical errors on blood gas results
  • Describe practices to reduce the potential for preanalytical error

12:30–1:30 pm: Introducing the GEM® PremierTM 7000 with iQM®3
Jenna Finegold, Product Manager, Werfen and Andi Guelich, Werfen

1:30–2:30 pm: ROTEM® sigma with VerifyNowTM
Kristie Jankowski, PBM Specialist, Werfen

2:30–3:30 pm: Instrument Demonstrations

Hemostasis

10:30–11:30 am: Direct Oral Anticoagulants: Challenges in the Hemostasis Laboratory***
Maria Franco, Clinical Hemostasis Specialist, Werfen

Objectives

  • Understand direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), including the benefits versus warfarin
  • Describe laboratory methods used to measure DOAC concentration and when testing may be useful
  • Understand the effect DOACs may have on Hemostasis assays
  • Review current FDA-approved reversal agents for DOACs

12:30–1:30 pm: Introducing the ACL TOP® Family 70 Series Hemostasis Testing System

1:30-2:30 pm: ACL TOP Family 70 Series Demonstrations

3:00–4 pm: Reaction Curves - A Fantastic Tool for Coagulation
Heather Devries, Clinical Hemostasis Specialist, Werfen

4:00–5:00 pm: Coagulation Laboratory Cases
Maria Franco, Clinical Hemostasis Specialist and Heather Devries, Clinical Hemostasis Specialist, Werfen

Autoimmunity

10:30–11:00 am: Autoimmune Portfolio Overview
Ricard Vilella, Autoimmune Diagnostics, Werfen

11:00–12:00 pm: Introduction to IFA Methodologies & HEp-2 Fundamentals***
Sam Siporin, Clinical Autoimmune Specialist, Werfen

Objectives

  • Define IFA and what it is used to test for
  • List what makes IFA methods perform well
  • Describe strategies for interpreting positive fluorescence
1:00–1:30 pm: Introduction to Aptiva®
Ricard Vilella, Autoimmune Diagnostics, Werfen

1:30–2:30 pm: Connective Tissue Disease and Associated Biomarkers***
Sam Siporin, Clinical Autoimmune Specialist, Werfen

2:30–3:30 pm: Myositis - Overview of Disease and Associated Antibodies***
Sam Siporin, Clinical Autoimmune Specialist, Werfen

Missed the event? Contact us if you have any questions.

Credits

Attendees earned CE credit hours offered through P.A.C.E.®, AARC or Florida Broker credit. Number of credits earned is dependent on track. Werfen is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. Program.

Sessions indicated with *** received P.A.C.E. credit; sessions indicated with ​‡ received AARC credit.

 

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