The

Laboratory Report Fall 2012

A Publication of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine

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Dr. Dina Mody to Receive Papanicolaou Award

Drs. Jian Chen and Christopher Leveque Receive Fenwal Award

Dr. Alberto Ayala Receives Award for Professional Excellence

Trainee Spotlight

New Diagnostic Test Offerings

In Focus: The Neuropathology Team

Lab Stats: San Jacinto Methodist Hospital

Table of Contents

Methodist Laboratories Receive Reaccreditation

To register or submit an abstract, visit texpath.org. Abstract submission deadline is

November 1st.

To register or submit an abstract, visit uscap.org. Abstract submission deadline is

October 7th.

102nd Annual Meeting

Baltimore Convention

Center

Baltimore, Maryland

March 2-8, 2013

T he laboratories in The Methodist

Hospital, Methodist Sugar Land

Hospital, Methodist West Hous-

ton Hospital, and the Kirby ER have

again retained their accreditation with

the College of American Pathologists

(CAP). A 19-member inspection team

from the CAP accreditation program con-

ducted its unannounced biennial inspec-

tion on September 12th and 13th.

“The inspection team provided a very

thorough evaluation of all aspects of our

laboratories,” said Dr. James Musser,

chair of the Department of Pathology and

Genomic Medicine. “I am extremely

proud of the superb global performance

of our outstanding technical staff and

faculty. Our patients and medical staff

colleagues can be assured that the quality

of our pathology services is second to

none nationally.”

“These are very important inspections,”

said Manuel Hinojosa, director of laboratory

services for the hospital. “This accreditation

validates that our laboratories consis-

tently meet the highest standards of ex-

cellence. This is essential to all of us in the

Department, as it directly affects the qual-

ity of care we provide our patients here,

and at other institutions served by our

reference laboratory.”

The CAP Laboratory Accreditation

Program is internationally recognized

and approved by the Centers for Medi-

care and Medicaid Services as an accred-

iting organization. The program is in-

tended to improve patient safety by ad-

vancing the quality of pathology and

laboratory services through education,

standard setting, and ensuring that labo-

ratories meet or exceed regulatory re-

quirements.

The Blood Bank at The Methodist Hos-

pital also received reaccreditation from

the American Association of Blood Banks

(AABB) following an inspection that took

place September 11th and 12th. The

AABB has developed voluntary stan-

dards for blood bank blood component

collection, processing, and transfusion

and assessed compliance with these stan-

dards through its accreditation program

since 1957. The program strives to im-

prove the safety of collecting, processing,

testing, distributing, and administering

blood and blood products.

For more information on the CAP Labo-

ratory Accreditation Program, visit

cap.org. For more information on AABB

standards and accreditation, visit

aabb.org.

The

LABORATORY REPORT

2

Drs. Jian Chen and Christopher Leveque Receive Fenwal Award

D r. Christopher

Leveque, medical

director of the Blood

Bank, and Dr. Jian Chen, PGY4

resident, were the recipients of

the Fenwal Scholarship from

the American Association of

Blood Banks (AABB) for their

abstract entitled: “Body Mass

Index Affects Stem Cell Yield.”

The award will be formally

presented during the AABB

annual meeting in October.

The Fenwal Awards are pre-

sented annually by the AABB

as distinguished candidates are identi-

fied.

“Advances in patient care are a result of

superior academic inquiry,” said Dr.

Leveque. “Scholarships such as this one

greatly assist our trainees by providing

national recognition for exceptional aca-

demic work.” In addition to his medical

director responsibilities in the Blood

Bank, Dr. Leveque is also the director of

the Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine

Fellowship Program.

The AABB is an international

association representing indi-

viduals and institutions involved

in the field of transfusion medi-

cine and cellular therapies. The

association is committed to im-

proving health by developing

and delivering standards, ac-

creditation, and educational pro-

grams that focus on optimizing

patient and donor care and

safety.

For more information on Dr.

Leveque, visit method-

isthealth.com/Leveque. For more

information on the AABB, visit aabb.org.

Drs. Chen (left) and Leveque (right) with a stem cell donor in the Blood Bank.

D r. Dina Mody, medical director

of cytopathology for the De-

partment, will receive the pres-

tigious Papanicolaou Award from the

American Society of Cytopathology

(ASC) at the society’s annual meeting on

November 3rd in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“This is a humbling experience,” said

Dr. Mody. “The recognition that this

award represents is immense, and I am

grateful that my peers have bestowed

this honor upon me.”

“Receipt of the Papanicolaou Award is

the pinnacle of achievement in cytopa-

thology,” said Dr. James Musser, chair of

the Department of Pathology and Ge-

nomic Medicine for the System. “We are

extremely proud that the society has rec-

ognized the many contributions that Dr.

Mody has made to the field.”

The Papanicolaou Award was established

Dr. Dina Mody to Receive Papanicolaou Award

in 1958 and is the highest award given by

the ASC. The bronze medal is presented

annually to a member of the society in

recognition of meritorious contributions

in the field of cytopathology. Past recipi-

ents of the award include Drs. Ibrahim

Ramzy, Leopold Koss, and George Pa-

panicolaou himself (posthumously).

Dr. Mody received her medical degree

from the Seth G.S. Medical School at

Bombay University in India and com-

pleted her pathology residency training

at Baylor College of Medicine. She was

the recipient of the Lifetime Achieve-

ment Award from the College of Ameri-

can Pathologists in 2009.

For more information on the ASC, visit

cytopathology.org. For more information

on Dr. Mody, visit methodisthealth.com/

Mody.

Dina R. Mody, M.D.

The

LABORATORY REPORT

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Dr. Alberto Ayala Receives Award for Professional Excellence

D r. Alberto Ayala, elected dep-

uty chief of pathology, re-

ceived the Award for Profes-

sional Excellence from his alma mater,

Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo

Leon, in Monterrey, Mexico. He was

presented with the award in a ceremony

at the university on September 20th.

“This is a great honor,” said Dr.

Ayala. “The university has always been

important to me, and I am grateful to

receive such an award from it.”

The Award of Excellence was estab-

lished in 2004 to recognize alumni with

distinguished academic and professional

Thyroid Gene Mutation Panel

Thyroid cancer is the most common

endocrine malignancy, with an incidence

that has steadily grown in the United

States over the past 10 years. Most thy-

roid lesions are readily diagnosed by

cytopathological examination of fine

needle aspirate (FNA) material. How-

ever, in a small proportion of cases, the

cytomorphology reveals indeterminate

features that result in a diagnosis of

atypical cells of undetermined signifi-

cance (ACUS) or follicular lesion of un-

certain significance (FLUS).

Although the rate of ACUS/ FLUS diag-

noses at TMH are much lower than the

national average (2.1% compared to

9.9%, Bethesda recommendation under

7%), these cases remain an unsolved di-

agnostic dilemma. Recently published

New Diagnostic Test Offerings:

studies have demonstrated that the ma-

lignant potential of these indeterminate

thyroid lesions can be predicted by mo-

lecular testing. That is, if gene mutations

characteristic of malignant tumors are

identified, then surgical excision may be

recommended over conservative ap-

proaches.

Dr. Dina Mody has been an advocate for

applying molecular tests to better inform

the management of patients with indeter-

minate thyroid FNA diagnoses. To sup-

port this strategy, the Molecular Diagnos-

tics Laboratory has validated a gene mu-

tation panel to identify alterations com-

monly encountered in malignant thyroid

tumors, including mutations in the genes

encoding BRAF, HRAS, KRAS, and

NRAS. These gene mutations may also

Diff-Quik stain of thyroid FNA aspirate with ACUS diagnosis.

accomplishments.

Dr. Ayala received his medical degree

from the School of Medicine at Universi-

dad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in 1960.

The university is the third largest in

Mexico and the oldest institution of

higher education in that country.

For more information on Dr. Ayala,

visit methodisthealth.com/Ayala. For more

information on Universidad Autonoma

de Nuevo Leon, visit uanl.mx/universidad.

predict the metastatic behavior of overtly

malignant thyroid carcinomas. The gene

mutation test is available now and can be

performed on fresh tissue, FNA speci-

mens preserved in fixative or RPMI, and

formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

For more information, please contact

Dr. Randall Olsen at rjolsen@tmhs.org or

Dr. Dina Mody at dmody@tmhs.org.

Alberto G. Ayala, M.D.

Trainee Spotlight:

Irene Shu, Ph.D. Clinical Chemistry Fellow

D r. Irene Shu, clinical chemistry fellow, is one of three recipients of the Depart-

ment’s Trainee Leadership and Innovation Award for the third quarter of 2012.

She received the award with residents, Dr. Gabriela Quiroga-Garza (PGY4) and

Dr. Sergio Pina-Oviedo (PGY3), for developing and validating a vitamin D assay. The test

was previously done as a send-out to a reference laboratory.

Dr. Shu received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle in

2011. She began the Clinical Chemistry Fellowship under the direction of Dr. Ping Wang

last year. Irene Shu, Ph.D.

The

LABORATORY REPORT

4

In Focus: The Neuropathology Team

N europathology is the subspe-

cialty of anatomic pathology

that focuses specifically on the

study of diseases of nervous system tis-

sue. These studies are usually conducted

through the examination of small surgi-

cal biopsies or whole brains obtained

from autopsies.

The Department of Pathology and Ge-

nomic Medicine has a team of three

board-certified neuropathologists. This

team provides vital support to the busy

patient care activities conducted at the

Suzanne Z. Powell, M.D.

Chief, Neuropathology

Dr. Powell received her M.D. degree

from the West Virginia University Col-

lege of Medicine in Morgantown, West

Virginia in 1988. She completed her resi-

dency training at the University of Flor-

ida Health Science Center in Jacksonville,

and a fellowship in neuropathology at

the University of Florida College of Medi-

cine in Gainesville.

In addition to providing excellent clini-

cal services, Dr. Powell is especially in-

volved with the mentoring of trainees

and holds numerous education leader-

ship positions, both in the Department

and at the national level in several socie-

ties. She has chaired both the Residency

Program Directors of Pathology Council

and the Residency Review Committee for

Pathology of the Accreditation Council

for Graduate Medical Education.

For more information on Dr. Powell,

visit methodisthealth.com/Powell.

Hidehiro Takei, M.D.

Associate Medical Director, Neuropathology

Dr. Takei received his medical degree

from the National Defense Medical Col-

lege in Saitama, Japan in 1990. He holds

subspecialty certification in cytopathol-

ogy, neuropathology, and molecular ge-

netic pathology. Dr. Takei is also the

medical director of autopsy pathology for

the Department.

For more information on Dr. Takei, visit

methodisthealth.com/Takei.

Methodist Neuro-

logical Institute,

and excellent

training experi-

ences to the resi-

dents and fellows

in the Department

of Pathology and

Genomic Medi-

cine.

The neuropathology team: from left, Drs. Andreana Rivera, Suzanne Powell, and Hidehiro Takei.

Andreana L. Rivera, M.D.

Staff Pathologist, Neuropathology

Dr. Rivera received her M.D. degree

from the Baylor College of Medicine in

Houston, Texas in 2004. She completed

her pathology residency at Baylor and

fellowships in neuropathology and mo-

lecular neuropathology at The University

of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Rivera is also the director of the Re-

search Pathology Core for The Methodist

Hospital Research Institute.

For more information on Dr. Rivera,

visit methodisthealth.com/Rivera.

For more information on the neuropa-

thology service at Methodist, please con-

tact Dr. Suzanne Powell at spowell@tmhs.org.

Dr. Powell in conference with Department trainees.

Dr. Takei (right) mentors resident, Dr. Miguelina De la Garza.

Dr. Rivera (right) mentors resident, Dr. Nathan Lee.

The

LABORATORY REPORT

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“We all work hard to support our medical staff in providing the best possible care to our patients, and it shows: our hospital is ranked higher than any other in Houston outside of the Texas Medical Center.”

Joyce Maldonado, M.D.

Lab Stats: San Jacinto Methodist Hospital Medical Director: Joyce Maldonado, M.D.

Dr. Maldonado received her M.D.

degree from the University of Oklahoma

College of Medicine in 1983, and com-

pleted pathology residency at the Baylor

College of Medicine. Dr. Maldonado

became the medical director of the labo-

ratories at San Jacinto Methodist Hospi-

tal in 2008, where she also currently

chairs the Patient Safety Council and

serves on other hospital committees.

Faculty: Claudia P. Molina, M.D.

Dr. Molina received her M.D. degree

from the Francisco Marroquin University

School of Medicine in 1994. She com-

pleted pathology residency and a medi-

cal microbiology and infectious disease

pathology fellowship at The University

of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston,

Texas, and a surgical pathology fellow-

ship at The Methodist Hospital.

Faculty: Enrique M. Gomez, M.D.

Dr. Gomez received his medical degree

from the Ponce School of Medicine in

2003. He completed pathology residency

at The University of Texas Medical

School in Houston, and a surgical pathol-

ogy fellowship at The University of

Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Pictures from top: Dr. Maldonado at the autostainer; Dr. Molina at the chemistry analyzer; Dr. Gomez in the Histology Laboratory; Ms. Lumus in her office; and Ms. Simon (left) with Medical Technologist Terry Gibson in the Core Laboratory.

“I enjoy serving the people of Baytown and Pasadena every day. This is a won-derful and diverse community.”

Claudia P. Molina, M.D.

“Our laboratory is exceptional, and we are very proud to be part of such a highly-ranked hospital.”

Gail Lumus, BS, MT

Director: Gail Lumus, BS, MT

Ms. Lumus received her Bachelor of

Science in 1970 from Baylor University in

Waco, Texas. She has been the laboratory

director at the San Jacinto Methodist

Hospital since 1987.

“A good team is built on mutual re-spect and open communication, and we have a great team here.”

Karen Simon, BS, MT

Manager: Karen Simon, BS, MT

Ms. Simon received her Bachelor of Sci-

ence in Medical Technology from the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In

addition to managing the staff, she also

oversees the Quality Improvement (QI)

program for the laboratory.

“We have strong leadership, quality facilities, and a supportive staff; it is a great environment for a pathologist.”

Enrique M. Gomez, M.D.

Staff:

The laboratory currently employs 78

staff members that include technical su-

pervisors, medical technologists, phle-

botomists, histology assistants, proces-

sors, and technicians. A successful labo-

ratory requires a group effort, and these

employees work as a unified group to

ensure the highest quality of care at San

Jacinto Methodist Hospital.

“Teamwork is the key.” Terry Gibson, MT

The

LABORATORY REPORT

6

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Continued page 7

The

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RECENT PUBLICATIONS continued

7

Editor-in-Chief

April A. Ewton, M.D.

The Laboratory Report

Editorial Committee

Hazel L. Awalt, M.D.

Christopher Leveque, M.D.

The Methodist Hospital

Clare Rose, M.B.A.

Manuel Hinojosa, M.H.A.

Editorial Coordinator

Philip Randall

Department Chair

James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D.