We notified you of the DHCS June of 2016 notice to hospitals that recalled a number of program flexibility notices on several regulations. One of the regulations impacted was Title 22 section 70223 ( g) regarding pathologist examination of surgical specimens. A letter was issued by DHCS in 1985 that allowed hospital medical staff's to adopt modified policy allowing for direct disposal of certain surgical specimens without pathologist examination that included bone fragments , foreign bodies and other specimens.

 

The impact of this new notice is that all tissues and objects removed during surgery must be sent for pathologist review  with no exceptions. A hospital can request regulatory flexibility by contacting their CDPH district by submitting a written request with evidence to substantiate their request . We have attached a copy of the All Facilities Notice and suggest that you this issue with hospital administration and your medical staff.

 

Read the notice here

 

We asked CDPH what type of documentation or evidence would need to be submitted by a hospital to exempt certain types of specimens from review. Their response is reprinted below.

 

A facility seeking to obtain program flexibility for Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations section 70223(g) would need to submit a written request and provide substantiating evidence. The request must include a list of specimens that will not be reviewed by pathology and an explanation as to why each specimen will not be reviewed. The supporting evidence could be in the form of an adopted written policy and procedure approved by the medical staff and governing body, which describes how the specimens will be handled and assures that an alternative method of meeting the requirements of Section 70223(g) is provided. This policy will be reviewed and approved by the facility's licensing district office and a California Department of Public Health's Licensing and Certification Program medical consultant.

 

Please complete a CDPH 5000 form - Program Flexibility to submit your request. 

Course Objectives: 

The objective of Dermpedia Courses is to provide the most comprehensive in-depth updates on selected topics pertinent to everyday practice of skin pathology and dermatology, and to improve attendees' diagnostic skills. The main topic of this year's Course will be Soft Tissue Tumors: Comprehensive Review and Update.The course will discuss entities and critical differential diagnoses likely to be encountered by general pathologists and dermatopathologists.  The Course Faculty, experts in the field, will present a number of interesting cases illustrating salient features and potential diagnostic pitfalls associated with common and less common soft tissue tumors.
 

The Course will also include optional faculty-led small group sessions at a multi-headed microscope.
 

Realizing that many laboratories struggle with question how to adopt emerging molecular precision medicine technics, we decided to include a new session that will give advise on strategies for incorporating next gene sequencing, PD1 staining assessment of gene fusions and mutational load of tumors in routine laboratory practice.

 

Course Venue:

Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. A limited block of rooms at a significantly discounted group rate are available through online registration. This oceanfront hotel is the tallest urban waterfront resort on the West coast.  Featuring roof-top tennis, pool, whirlpool, firepit, spa, and 24 hour fitness facilities, the Manchester Grand Hyatt is also centrally located.

 

Dermpedia courses are made available by Dermatopathology Consultations, LLC (Needham Heights, MA), www.dermatopathologyconsultations.com.

 

For more information about this event, please call 1-617-549-1168 or send email to: courses@dermpedia.org.