WSLH PT Blog

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On The Road Again: A Look at the World of Tradeshows

Posted on February 23, 2021 by flowerme Leave a reply

By Kristine Hansbery
Director of WSLH Proficiency Testing

Adapting to the new world of digital technology and virtual communication has presented both opportunities and barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessarily pushed us further into the world of virtual communication which, in turn, has effected the way we do events and tradeshows. These events have always provided the ability to acquire much needed Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and wonderful opportunity to network with our peers.

Numerous vendors and show sponsors have recreated this important venue in a virtual setting for laboratory personnel as well as vendors promoting their product. There have been some successes and some, well, not so much. This article provides a closer look at this world of virtual events that have been rather hit or miss, and those perennial favorites of the past, and what makes them so special. We at WSLH Proficiency Testing hope this guide provides potential show attendees with the opportunity to explore new shows as well as make informed decisions regarding the expense and value of each venue.

There just is no way you can replace human contact with virtual events. Something must be said regarding the person-to-person networking that happens at each event. Capturing the attention of attendees at a virtual venue can be difficult given that the structure at in-person events encourages networking naturally. From the perspective of a vendor, the best virtual event by far for us was the Lab Director’s Summit, sponsored by MLO. This event actually created events that mimicked the real one-on-one conversations that would exist at a live event. They took it a further step by allowing vendors to present their product line as a 30-minute presentation to attendees in the following ways:

Have one-on-one meetings with each and every attendee (like a dating event). The vendor has a 15-minute meeting with an attendee, a bell rings and then the next attendee arrives in the booth.
Initiate meetings either set by the attendee or the vendor, in a polite nonintrusive manner.

While the best of the virtual world allows for greater connection and networking, we have all experienced the limitations with this format, technologically and socially. It’s important for our species to connect and see each other in-person. Plus, how much more eye-strain and zoom fatigue can we handle, given that much of our personal lives are online these days? While we hope we can return to real-life shows in 2021, let’s take a look at some of the top live events that we find rewarding and, let’s face it, just plain fun.

American Society of Clinical Laboratory Scientists (ASCLS) meetings
While each and every one of these ASCLS state-sponsored events are good, some stand out as particularly engaging.

ASCLS Minnesota takes place yearly at the Earle Brown Center, which captured the horse lover in me with old timey pictures of the largest horse in the world (at one time) as well as some race horse facts and other photos. The venue is very well attended by both laboratory professionals and vendors. The opportunities to network are plentiful. What a great show!

ASCLS Montana provides one of the most welcoming shows with beautiful scenery wherever you look.

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Going? Staying? “Home” for the Holidays

Posted on October 27, 2020 by flowerme Leave a reply

A few of the biggest questions this holiday season will be, “to travel or not to travel?” and “to gather or not to gather?” For some people, they’ve quickly answered these questions, taking the lowest level of risk as outlined by the CDC: celebrating with people in their immediate household and planning for virtual visits. For others, they may be making elaborate travel plans, with itineraries that include pre-testing, quarantining, post-testing and hoping for the best. You may find yourself weighing various levels of vigilance and care, as you find ways to meet the basic human need of social interaction and contact with others. Regardless of where a person’s boundaries fall in caring for oneself and one’s family, people will tap into their sense of risk assessment and make the decision that seems the most right for them and their loved ones. Below are a few ideas to help you plan, whether you stay home and celebrate virtually or plan to take the risk of traveling and visiting relatives and friends this holiday season.

Staying Home/Virtual Visits
If you are leaning towards staying at home and not gathering in-person this year, here are a few ways you can reach out and find connection this holiday season.

Consider setting up a gathering with multiple people over a video conferencing platform like Zoom, Hangouts, Skype or Facebook: share some of your favorite family recipes in your respective kitchens; have a cookie decorating contest; send each other gifts ahead of time and open them together. All that’s required is a little know-how of the technology, some imagination, and maybe a Pinterest account for a plethora of ideas to celebrate virtually in ways that are meaningful to you and yours. If the technology required for virtual hosting sounds a like more of a headache that you are willing to handle or accessibility is an issue, maybe ask another family member who might use the conferencing platforms more often to see if they would help host.

Another option is to only celebrate in-person with those who live in your immediate household and find ways to connect with others outside of virtual conferencing. (Zoom-fatigue is real for many!) Make time to send plenty of cards and notes by mail to your friends and loved ones, especially those who might be living alone and may feel the weight of isolation over the holiday season even more so this year. Call people or sing them sweet and kiddy holiday songs on their voicemail. There’s also video messaging app options, like Marco Polo, that allow you to leave personal video messages anytime to anyone else who might be on the app. To get you in the spirit this giving season, you may also want to elect to volunteer for contactless food drive donations or raise funds online for your favorite charity.

Holiday Travelling/Visiting
“Fall and winter celebrations, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Halloween, Día de los Muertos, Navratri, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year’s, typically include large gatherings of families and friends, crowded parties, and travel that may put people at increased risk for COVID-19,” says the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on their website.

If you still plan to visit relatives this year, please take a look at some considerations the CDC has outlined for assessing risk if you’re are planning for holiday celebrations. Considerations include before and after-gathering preparation, hosting advisories, and traveling guidelines that include basic public health practices such as avoiding indoor spaces, especially poorly ventilated indoor spaces, mask-wearing, minimizing the guest list, and social distancing. The CDC also advises that individuals follow local, county, and state-wide regulations that are put in place to help slow the spread.

Infection experts have indicated that inter-household gatherings are key factors in rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As early as May of this year, a Twitter thread from Muge Cevik, an infectious disease researcher at the University of St. Andrews, covered a lot of the relevant research.

“High infection rates seen in household, friend & family gatherings, transport suggest that closed contacts in congregation is likely the key driver of productive transmission,” she wrote, adding that “while we have limited data, similar high risk transmission pattern could be seen in other crowded & connected indoor environments such as crowded office spaces, other workplace environment, packed restaurants/cafes, cramped apartment buildings etc.”

Since the virus is spread by respiratory droplets, minimizing the number of households gathering, outdoors and especially indoors, will help make the other basic public health practices of mask wearing, ventilation, social-distancing, and hand-washing effective. A recent article by Vox shares stories of people making travel plans as it relates to their own understanding of the risks involved. Reading such stories may help you process risk-assessment and brainstorm any ideas you may have for traveling and visiting this year. For some, as the article indicates, taking the risk of travel and visiting relatives is better than other alternatives, and has provided some much needed reprieve from the day-to-day isolation and stress of coping under a global pandemic.

“At Home” During The Holidays
Whatever you decide to do, whether you are sheltering-in-place or travelling to visit relatives, it’s important to note that not everyone in your family or friend network will share the same idea of what it means to stay safe as they make celebration plans. Please also listen to those who might feel the most vulnerable, the least safe, or the most anxious as you make your plans in a group and consider collectively what your group consensus will look like. Not everyone will have the same boundaries or same level of comfort in considering both the risks of isolation and the risks of gathering. It’s important to do your best to openly discuss with your immediate household what is best to stay safe, to find ways to celebrate and to reach out and connect to those you will be missing this year.

As you and your loved ones navigate these difficult times, we hope that you are finding ways to fulfill the basic human need of connection and joy-making. Stay safe and take care.

This article is featured in our monthly newsletter, The MedLab Retriever. Sign up for your digest of clinical lab news, memes, and more:

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Finding some R&R this summer

Posted on June 30, 2020 by flowerme Leave a reply

As the state of Wisconsin begins to open up in a patchwork of local phases and plans, many people are understandably feeling the itch to travel, if they haven’t packed their bags already! However there are still many conditions that require people to stay put, especially those who are chronically ill or are healthcare or laboratory professionals who are not able to take the time off that they feel would make a trip worth the travel.

In the midst of a global pandemic and various recommendations and restrictions on travel, you may be waiting to catch those summer vibes another time. (hopefully next year!) Or if you are amongst the kind of people who would agree with the statement, “I’m just planning this life day-by-day” then a vacation of sorts sounds like worlds away. Below are some ideas that we hope will inspire you to find rest and relaxation this summer that is likely long overdue.

Planning a “staycation”
Find some summer fun right in your hometown or backyard. Try organizing a socially-distanced Cook-Out or BBQ. Grab a book and set up a hammock. Connect with your inner child and run under some sprinklers to cool off or chalk some positive messages for passerbys on the sidewalk. Check out some offerings at your local park or activities that local organizations are hosting virtually, like how to start a container garden or learning how to paint with watercolors.

If you are the kind of person who really likes to make and check off lists, it may be difficult for you to find some rest and relaxation at home without diving entirely into all of those house projects you have been wanting to finish. However, for some, this may be your idea of achieving rest and relaxation on a smaller, everyday level by finishing those projects you’ve been setting aside.

Traveling outside of your town
If you are planning to travel outside of your local area, read the CDC’s “Considerations for Travelers” document to help you discern where and when to travel. Here’s the link for more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html

Additionally, if traveling outside of your town, please also take into account the following safety tips:

Check the state or city health department travel guidance for your visit and along your route. Plan to keep checking for updates as you travel.
State or city governments may enact travel restrictions, such as stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, mandated quarantine upon arrival, or even state or border closures.
Talk with your doctor before you go, especially if you are 65 years or older or have medical issues.
Do a pre-trip check on your car and tires. Fewer roadside services may be available and you may become stranded if you have car troubles.
Clean and disinfect your car, especially the steering wheel, safety belts, door handles, and the fob or keys you use to start the car.

Pack plenty of charging cords and external batteries for electronic devices. If your car’s navigation system contains emergency calling, enable it.
Pack a cooler with drinks and snacks, including high-protein foods that will not go bad to limit visits inside of rest stops or gas stations.

-source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Places to visit in Wisconsin
At the time of publication, cases have overall decreased in Dane County, Wisconsin, where WSLH Proficiency Testing is located. Providing some opportunity for rest and travel, our staff are beginning to plan time off from work and would like to share some places they like to visit locally as well as around the state.

Madison, Wisconsin–Come visit the beautiful capital city of Wisconsin, where WSLH Proficiency Testing is located. Plan a trip to the Wisconsin Memorial Union Terrace and enjoy some refreshments with friends or family with a scenic view of Lake Mendota, now open by appointment. Visit a number of lovely public parks, including Olbrich Botanical Gardens. You can also now rent a kayak, canoe, or paddle boat at a municipal park offering rentals. Visitors can also some shopping as many local businesses have re-opened with 50% capacity allowance. For more information, visit: https://www.visitmadison.com/
Amnicon Falls State Park–Are you wanting to get out in nature? Amnicon Falls State park in the northwestern part of the state offers many waterfalls to visit along the Amnicon river as well as many activities including hiking, picnicking, and overnight camping. For more information about this park and other Wisconsin state park offerings, visit:
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/
Minocqua, WI–Have you and your family been dreaming of a “Northwoods” experience? As the tourist bureau asks people to “Minocqua Responsibly” the area is opening up in ways that will allow people to enjoy their favorite activities in the “Island city” surrounded by 2,300 lakes. Enjoy a fish fry with a scenic view. Go swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, or canoeing. The shopping districts are also open to the pubic at 50% capacity and offer many locally-made products and crafts. For more information, visit: https://www.minocqua.org/things-to-do/

Whether any of these ideas inspire you to make your travel plans for this summer or next, or have you dreaming of visits with Slow TV from the comfort of your living room couch, we hope you are finding some ways to rest and recharge. We all need it in some way to come back fully to our everyday lives and work.