Sep 23, 2026 | 9:00am - 2:00pm

Advancing Quality, Harmonization, and Patient-Centred Laboratory Medicine: From Evidence to Implementation (an LMP Quality Council workshop)

Type

Workshop/Seminar

Tag(s)

Clinical Laboratory services

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology's Quality Council invites laboratory professionals from across Ontario to join us for the LMP Quality Council Workshop 2026.

Bringing together leaders in clinical laboratory quality, this hybrid workshop will showcase current initiatives that are advancing quality, harmonization and patient-centred laboratory medicine across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Through scientific presentations, panel discussion and an interactive strategic session, participants will explore how evidence-based recommendations can be translated into measurable improvements in laboratory practice and patient care.

Draft agenda

This agenda is subject to change. Times are in Eastern Time.

Time	Session	Speaker
9:00 –9:10 am	Welcome and Opening Remarks The strategic importance of quality, harmonization, and cross-institutional collaboration within Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology.	Dr. Rita Kandel Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
9:10 –9:15 am	Welcome	Dr. Gino Somers Chief, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children
9:15 – 9:20 am	The LMP Quality Council: Five Years of Achievement, Impact, and Future Directions Council milestones, expanding GTA collaboration, knowledge translation, and priorities for the next phase.	Dr. Khosrow Adeli Chair, LMP Quality Council
9:20 – 9:40 am	From Measurement to Improvement: Harmonizing Core Laboratory Quality Indicators Across the GTA Standardized definitions, benchmarking, turnaround-time indicators, pre-analytical quality, and emerging point-of-care quality indicators.	Dr. Paul Yip
9:40 – 10:00 am	Quality Indicators in Pathology: From Harmonized Metrics to Better Diagnostic Practice Developing best practice for biomarker testing in small tissue samples	Dr. Tra Truong
10:00 – 10:20 am	Quality and Equity in Genomic Medicine: Critical Results and Cancer Mainstreaming Across Ontario Harmonized genetics critical values, mainstreaming eligibility, testing pathways, turnaround times, and equitable access.	Dr. Lianna Kyriakopoulou and Dr. Elaine Goh
10:20 – 10:40 am	Quality Improvement and Resilience in Clinical Microbiology Clinical care quality indicators and microbiology quality improvement.	Dr. Susan Poutanen, Dr. Ellen G. Avery, Clinical Microbiologist, Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Dr. Teslin Sandstrom, Medical Microbiology PGY5, University of Toronto
10:40 – 11:00 am	Break
11:00 - 11:20 am	Reference Interval Harmonization: From GTA Collaboration to National Implementation Multicentre evidence, verification studies, harmonized intervals for common analytes, Ontario expansion, and implementation tools.	Dr. Khosrow Adeli and Dr. Mary Kathryn Bohn
11:20 – 11:40 am	Raise the Bar: Transforming the Diagnosis and Management of Iron Deficiency and Anemia Ferritin clinical decision limits, health equity, implementation across Ontario, and knowledge translation.	Dr. Michelle Sholzberg
11:40 am –12:00 pm	Harmonizing Critical Values Across Laboratory Medicine: From Survey Evidence to Implementation Chemistry, hematology, genetics, pathology, therapeutic drug monitoring, antimicrobial assays, and emerging lithium guidance.	Dr. Felix Leung
12:00 – 12:10 pm	CCQI project in Clinical Microbiology Expect the unexpected: A flexible framework for managing supply shortages in clinical laboratories.	Dr. Ellen G. Avery, Clinical Microbiologist, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
12:10 – 12:30 pm	Developing QA/QI program for residents Building a structured approach to resident engagement in quality assurance and quality improvement, including practical training, project participation, mentorship, and integration of QA/QI competencies into residency education.	Dr. Sara Hafezi Bakhtiari
12:30 – 1:00 pm	Networking Lunch
1:00 – 1:50 pm	Q&A/Panel Discussion and Interactive Strategic Session: The Next Five Years of the LMP Quality Council Moving from Recommendations to Measurable Implementation Across GTA Laboratories.	LMP Quality Council Taskforce Leads
1:50 – 2:00 pm	Closing remarks and call to action	Dr. Khosrow Adeli

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for:

Clinical chemists
Pathologists
Medical microbiologists
Molecular and clinical geneticists
Medical laboratory technologists (MLTs)
Laboratory physicians and scientists
Quality managers and quality improvement professionals
Laboratory administrators
Residents, fellows and trainees with an interest in laboratory quality and harmonization

Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute to discussions on the future priorities of the LMP Quality Council and help shape the next phase of collaborative quality initiatives.

When and where

You can join this workshop in person or online.

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm ET

In person

PGCRL Gallery (Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning)

Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
686 Bay Street, 2nd floor
Toronto
ON M5G 0A4

Online

You will be sent joining instructions ahead of the event if you are joining us remotely. Please indicate how you will attend in the registration form.