Dear ADASP Members and Colleagues,
Dear Future Members

I am thrilled and honored to serve as the incoming President of the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology (ADASP). This is a unique opportunity to lead a passionate community of laboratory professionals who are committed to advancing patient care, education, and research. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow ADASP members and the council, sharing insights and best practices, and driving innovation in the field of pathology. While we all work in different settings, together, we make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and the future of our profession.

Let's get started.

First, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the immediate past president of the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology (ADASP), Dr. Erika Bracamonte, for her exceptional leadership and mentorship. Under her guidance, ADASP achieved significant milestones (see below), and her dedication to promoting excellence in anatomic and surgical pathology is an inspiration to us all. Her commitment to training and developing the next generation of laboratory professionals has instilled a new level of confidence in the ADASP legacy. Erika, thank you for your tireless service and leadership, and I look forward to continuing the great work you have started.

One of the important most missions of ADASP is to provide educational content and practical resources for leaders in Pathology. A significant benefit of ADASP membership is the ability to network and share ideas with other leaders in Anatomic Pathology. We encourage you to post questions to our ADASP email listserv. Many use it as a sounding board for members dealing with challenging issues, which are often shared across institutions. In addition, we organize several educational meetings and initiatives relevant to the field.

Let me briefly provide an overview

  1. Our Annual ADASP Meeting in 2022 was held virtually on March 19th, 2022, in direct conjunction with the USCAP meeting in L.A. We split the meeting into two parts. The first part (morning) was entitled “Visibility of Anatomic Pathology and Impact of Diagnoses”. Dr. Myles from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) provided a historical and legal overview of the 21st century cures act – followed by a panel discussion on different institutional perspectives. Dr. Montone (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Jora and Dr. Suarez (Miami Miller School of Medicine), Dr. Cucina (University of California San Francisco Health), and Dr. Heher (Massachusetts General Hospital Boston) formed the expert panel and provided their unique perspectives. In addition, Dr. Furth and Dr. Lapedis spoke about ‘Bridging the Gap – from Pathologist to Patient’, and Dr. Bracamonte shared the content of the business meeting before we took a short break. The second part (afternoon) was entitled “Increasing and Ensuring Efficiency in Anatomic Pathology”. Dr. Clayton (Mayo Clinic) presented the concept of Physician Extenders in Anatomic Pathology, followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Butnor (University of Vermont), Dr. Florence (Baystate Medical Center), Dr. Chowdhuri (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Dr. Yang (Memorial Sloan Kettering), and Dr. Monaco (Geisinger Medical Center). This tour de force across relevant topics provided members with 5.0 hours of CME – but much more importantly, relevant information that is otherwise hard to obtain in such a concise fashion. Given that the meeting was held in conjunction with USCAP, we hosted an ADASP Networking Reception. This was the first in-person meeting of ADASP in a long time and it was great seeing everyone.

  2. ADASP annually recognizes excellent research presented at USCAP, in which a trainee has played a significant role. Briefly, ADASP co-sponsors two awards of $500 each to pathologists-in-training for the best posters on a morphology-based surgical pathology study and on autopsy material, respectively. These awards are presented as part of the Stowell- Orbison competition. During the 2022 USCAP meeting, the ADASP council pre-selected 15 abstracts and a poster jury selected two winners. Our 2022 winners for best surgical pathology and autopsy pathology posters were: Sean Hacking (Alpert Medical School of Brown University) for his study “Applied Machine Learning Based on Superpixels and the Tumoral Microenvironment is a Significant Predictor of Neoadjuvant Response in Triple Negative Breast Cancer” and Tanner Mack (University of Ottawa) for his study “Establishing Vitreous Glucose and Beta-hydroxybutyrate Thresholds to Assist in the Diagnosis of Hypothermia”.

  3. ADASP is involved in collaboration with numerous other pathology societies. In May 2022, we discussed the importance of continued enforcement discretion related to remote work at the Intersociety Council for Pathology Information (ICPI). The proposal entailed an open letter to congress – and admittedly, while many groups agreed, not every society was in support of this proposal. Over the following months, the ADASP council voted unanimously to pursue this proposal and all ADASP members had the chance to join as signatories on this open letter. Over 70 ADASP members joined this effort and the letter, entitle “Ensuring remote diagnostics for pathologists: an open letter to the US Congress” was published in nature medicine in October 2022 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02040-6). The article is in the 92nd percentile of the 446,256 tracked articles of a similar age in all journals. In February 2023, CMS has issued a guidance that stated that CMS will continue to exercise enforcement discretion that allows pathologists to examine digital images and laboratory data at remote locations. While the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, ADASP will continue to actively collaborate with pathology professional societies including CAP, ASCP, APC, USCAP, as well as regulatory agencies.

  4. ADASP is committed to advancing the quality of fellowship programs in anatomic and surgical pathology and is actively involved in the Fellowship Directors ad hoc Committee (FDAHC). Dr. Paul Staats represents ADASP for Selective/Surgical Pathology in this joint initiative between the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) aimed at exploring common issues and improving communication between fellowship programs and the APC across all pathology subspecialties. By collaborating with other organizations and stakeholders in the field, ADASP can help ensure that fellowship programs continue to provide the highest quality training to the next generation of laboratory professionals. One of the main aims is to harmonize the timeline of fellowship applications and many subspecialities are now on a common timeline. A common fellowship application timeline is important for a sustained workforce in pathology because it creates a fair and transparent process for all applicants. It helps ensure that institutions have a sufficient pool of qualified candidates to choose from and reduces the likelihood of unfilled positions. Additionally, it helps streamline the application process and reduces the burden on both applicants and institutions.

  5. Reducing interpretative diagnostic errors is a crucial goal for every laboratory director, and ADASP is actively working towards achieving this goal through collaboration with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ARHQ). The expert panel's systematic review of all available evidence will provide valuable insights and baseline data to inform best practices for optimizing patient care. We eagerly anticipate the next report and the impact it will have on the quality of care provided by laboratories across the country.
If you are new to ADASP, I hope this summary of our activities has piqued your interest. Our organization is dedicated to advancing the field through collaboration, education, and research, and we welcome new members who share our passion and commitment. If you find our activities inspiring and valuable, I encourage you to consider joining ADASP and becoming an active participant in our community. As a member of ADASP, you will have access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and the latest advancements in the field.

If you are a member, I strongly encourage you to spread the word to fellow subspecialty directors, division leads, and other laboratory directors. Importantly, we have designed the Associate Member category to further the development of leadership. This means, as a member, you can nominate a junior faculty member and/or trainee with leadership potential.

Joining ADASP and contribute to the continued growth and success of our organization. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our patients and the future of our profession.

Finally, on a more personal note. As laboratory professionals, we all face a range of challenges, from financial and regulatory hurdles to navigating bureaucratic processes. These challenges can be daunting, yet the decisions we make can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes. However, I am confident that with our collective expertise, experience, and dedication, we can overcome these challenges and find innovative solutions to even the most complex issues. While we have all faced significant challenges over the past years, we have also demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. As we look forward to the end of the COVID19 pandemic, there is reason for optimism and excitement for what lies ahead. As laboratory leaders, we have an opportunity to model the behaviors and attitudes necessary to embrace the new post-pandemic world. We can approach our busy lives with a renewed sense of purpose and prioritize our professional and personal responsibilities in a way that allows us to thrive. We can lead by example and demonstrate how to balance the demands of work and family, while also making time for self-care and personal growth.

By embracing the changes that the pandemic has brought and demonstrating our ability to adapt and evolve, we can inspire others and shape the future of our field. Let us move forward with optimism and a commitment to excellence; confident in our ability to succeed in the new post-pandemic world. Let us continue to work together as a community to drive progress and elevate the standards of our field, ultimately improving the lives of the patients we serve.

Sincerely,
Joe Lennerz