Description
November 20, 2025
How Digital Platforms are Transforming Pathology
Cedars-Sinai Biobank Earns Rare Global Accreditation
Interview with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, MD, PhD, MPH, FCAP - Why Biorepositories Have an Important Role in Supporting Medical Research
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Transcription
Digital platforms are changing pathology, key insights into telepathology, a major biobank receives reaccreditation, and a conversation with CAP biorepository chair Dr. Rebecca Obang, coming up next. This is the Path News Network Daily Edition, powered by the College of American Pathologists. I'm Stevon Burrell. It's Thursday, November 20th. and here are the latest headlines. In an interview with Pathology News, CAP member Dr. Kamran Mirza discusses how digital platforms are broadening access to pathology education worldwide. Dr. Mirza says, quote, social media breaks the walls of the classroom and the world is your classroom, end quote. He calls the pairing of digital pathology and social platforms a very powerful combination. especially in places where training and resources are limited. He says that digital pathology makes it accessible in a way that you're not restricted to a room and a microscope. To hear the full conversation, visit the link in our show notes. A nd curious how widely telepathology is used in the U.S.? Or what to do when a patient's hematocrit hits 55% or higher with normal PT/APTT results? Well, the CAP Today Q&A column tackles both. The CAP's 2024 Practice Characteristics Survey shows 24% of pathologists use remote sign-out, which means they are reviewing results outside the lab. Another 12% plan to start, and a surprising 67% of independent labs already doing it. And on high hematocrit, Dr. Kristi J. Smock, chair of the CAP Hemostasis and Thrombosis Committee explains, quote, I am not aware of guidance that addresses the need to withdraw a sample for which citrate has been adjusted if the PT and APTT are normal. To learn more or submit your own pathology questions, visit the link in today's show notes. Cedars-Sinai's Biobank and Research Pathology Resource has once again earned international accreditation from the CAP. It's the third consecutive recognition for the Los Angeles Medical Center's Biobank, which is only one of six biobanks in California, to achieve it. The biobank is accredited across all four of its specialties, a distinction most facilities don't reach. Dr. Earle S. Cullum, chair of the CAP Council on Accreditation, says, The Cedars-Sinai Biobank and Research Pathology Resource demonstrates leadership, innovation, and a passionate commitment to standards of excellence while providing the highest quality services ultimately for patients. And finally, biobanks, also known as biorepositories, fuel research and patient care. Listen to an interview from earlier this year with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, chair of the CAP's Biorepository Accreditation Program Committee as she explains their vital role across medicine and patient care. For those unfamiliar, what is a biorepository and how is it critical to research and patient care?
They store a variety of samples such as human, animal, microbial, plant, or other biological specimens. And they can come in the form of a whole organism, organs, tissues, blood, or body fluids. They're procured in many different forms, so you can acquire them fresh. You can acquire them from some sort of preservation, either to acquire preservation, which is frozen, or through other means like formalin fixation, alcohol fixation. So they're very vital to researchers in terms of being able to move medicine forward. And all of this, you know, results of this research, you know, feed directly into medicine and the care of patients.
What is the Biorepository Accreditation Program?
Yeah, so the College of American Pathology's Biorepository Recognition Program was developed about 13 years ago and that was based on pulling in best practices from a number of different established institutions including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories or ISBAR, the National Cancer Institute here at the NIH, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services as well as the College of American Pathologists' own laboratory. Many of the experts who were part of the initiating program also helped advise ISBA on their accreditation process that later on came out. So the BioPositor Accreditation Program has an added value in that it's really aligned with the CAP's LAP program. It's on the same cycle, two-year cycle, so if a particular institution has both the LAP and the biopositor, they can have it, you know, synced so that they have them all done at the same time.
What have been some significant achievements or accomplishments from the biorepository accreditation program?
I think it's important to note that the biorepository accreditation program was actually the first accreditation body for biorepositories, and it was established in 2012. And then ISBIR pulled out ISO 20387, which is the international equivalent for biorepositories in 2018. So, you know, I think that's a great accomplishment in its own right as a pioneer for this particular area. We have, in addition to the hundred or so that you mentioned, we actually have international labs that we've accredited. And the first one was in Germany in 2023, I believe. Since then, we've accredited three international biopositories in Germany, in South Africa, and in Canada. The international interest for our biopository program is actually growing.
And do you have any final thoughts for the listeners out there about biorepositories today?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to recognize that it's really important. And it's sort of I would think of it as a benchmark for getting biological specimens for research, because a lot of biorepositories, you know, take pride in their collections, the samples that they have in place and the services that they provide. And so they do a very good job of maintaining records and ensuring that they are following best practices and better guidelines in the institution.
That's all we have for today. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify. Subscribe on your favorite platform. Look for more news like this in our weekly newsletters published every Tuesday and Thursday. We're back tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern with more CAP News. For The Daily Edition, I'm Stevon Burrell. Have a great day.
Description
November 20, 2025
How Digital Platforms are Transforming Pathology
Cedars-Sinai Biobank Earns Rare Global Accreditation
Interview with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, MD, PhD, MPH, FCAP - Why Biorepositories Have an Important Role in Supporting Medical Research
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Transcription
Digital platforms are changing pathology, key insights into telepathology, a major biobank receives reaccreditation, and a conversation with CAP biorepository chair Dr. Rebecca Obang, coming up next. This is the Path News Network Daily Edition, powered by the College of American Pathologists. I'm Stevon Burrell. It's Thursday, November 20th. and here are the latest headlines. In an interview with Pathology News, CAP member Dr. Kamran Mirza discusses how digital platforms are broadening access to pathology education worldwide. Dr. Mirza says, quote, social media breaks the walls of the classroom and the world is your classroom, end quote. He calls the pairing of digital pathology and social platforms a very powerful combination. especially in places where training and resources are limited. He says that digital pathology makes it accessible in a way that you're not restricted to a room and a microscope. To hear the full conversation, visit the link in our show notes. A nd curious how widely telepathology is used in the U.S.? Or what to do when a patient's hematocrit hits 55% or higher with normal PT/APTT results? Well, the CAP Today Q&A column tackles both. The CAP's 2024 Practice Characteristics Survey shows 24% of pathologists use remote sign-out, which means they are reviewing results outside the lab. Another 12% plan to start, and a surprising 67% of independent labs already doing it. And on high hematocrit, Dr. Kristi J. Smock, chair of the CAP Hemostasis and Thrombosis Committee explains, quote, I am not aware of guidance that addresses the need to withdraw a sample for which citrate has been adjusted if the PT and APTT are normal. To learn more or submit your own pathology questions, visit the link in today's show notes. Cedars-Sinai's Biobank and Research Pathology Resource has once again earned international accreditation from the CAP. It's the third consecutive recognition for the Los Angeles Medical Center's Biobank, which is only one of six biobanks in California, to achieve it. The biobank is accredited across all four of its specialties, a distinction most facilities don't reach. Dr. Earle S. Cullum, chair of the CAP Council on Accreditation, says, The Cedars-Sinai Biobank and Research Pathology Resource demonstrates leadership, innovation, and a passionate commitment to standards of excellence while providing the highest quality services ultimately for patients. And finally, biobanks, also known as biorepositories, fuel research and patient care. Listen to an interview from earlier this year with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, chair of the CAP's Biorepository Accreditation Program Committee as she explains their vital role across medicine and patient care. For those unfamiliar, what is a biorepository and how is it critical to research and patient care?
They store a variety of samples such as human, animal, microbial, plant, or other biological specimens. And they can come in the form of a whole organism, organs, tissues, blood, or body fluids. They're procured in many different forms, so you can acquire them fresh. You can acquire them from some sort of preservation, either to acquire preservation, which is frozen, or through other means like formalin fixation, alcohol fixation. So they're very vital to researchers in terms of being able to move medicine forward. And all of this, you know, results of this research, you know, feed directly into medicine and the care of patients.
What is the Biorepository Accreditation Program?
Yeah, so the College of American Pathology's Biorepository Recognition Program was developed about 13 years ago and that was based on pulling in best practices from a number of different established institutions including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories or ISBAR, the National Cancer Institute here at the NIH, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services as well as the College of American Pathologists' own laboratory. Many of the experts who were part of the initiating program also helped advise ISBA on their accreditation process that later on came out. So the BioPositor Accreditation Program has an added value in that it's really aligned with the CAP's LAP program. It's on the same cycle, two-year cycle, so if a particular institution has both the LAP and the biopositor, they can have it, you know, synced so that they have them all done at the same time.
What have been some significant achievements or accomplishments from the biorepository accreditation program?
I think it's important to note that the biorepository accreditation program was actually the first accreditation body for biorepositories, and it was established in 2012. And then ISBIR pulled out ISO 20387, which is the international equivalent for biorepositories in 2018. So, you know, I think that's a great accomplishment in its own right as a pioneer for this particular area. We have, in addition to the hundred or so that you mentioned, we actually have international labs that we've accredited. And the first one was in Germany in 2023, I believe. Since then, we've accredited three international biopositories in Germany, in South Africa, and in Canada. The international interest for our biopository program is actually growing.
And do you have any final thoughts for the listeners out there about biorepositories today?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to recognize that it's really important. And it's sort of I would think of it as a benchmark for getting biological specimens for research, because a lot of biorepositories, you know, take pride in their collections, the samples that they have in place and the services that they provide. And so they do a very good job of maintaining records and ensuring that they are following best practices and better guidelines in the institution.
That's all we have for today. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify. Subscribe on your favorite platform. Look for more news like this in our weekly newsletters published every Tuesday and Thursday. We're back tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern with more CAP News. For The Daily Edition, I'm Stevon Burrell. Have a great day.
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Description
November 20, 2025
How Digital Platforms are Transforming Pathology
Cedars-Sinai Biobank Earns Rare Global Accreditation
Interview with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, MD, PhD, MPH, FCAP - Why Biorepositories Have an Important Role in Supporting Medical Research
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Transcription
Digital platforms are changing pathology, key insights into telepathology, a major biobank receives reaccreditation, and a conversation with CAP biorepository chair Dr. Rebecca Obang, coming up next. This is the Path News Network Daily Edition, powered by the College of American Pathologists. I'm Stevon Burrell. It's Thursday, November 20th. and here are the latest headlines. In an interview with Pathology News, CAP member Dr. Kamran Mirza discusses how digital platforms are broadening access to pathology education worldwide. Dr. Mirza says, quote, social media breaks the walls of the classroom and the world is your classroom, end quote. He calls the pairing of digital pathology and social platforms a very powerful combination. especially in places where training and resources are limited. He says that digital pathology makes it accessible in a way that you're not restricted to a room and a microscope. To hear the full conversation, visit the link in our show notes. A nd curious how widely telepathology is used in the U.S.? Or what to do when a patient's hematocrit hits 55% or higher with normal PT/APTT results? Well, the CAP Today Q&A column tackles both. The CAP's 2024 Practice Characteristics Survey shows 24% of pathologists use remote sign-out, which means they are reviewing results outside the lab. Another 12% plan to start, and a surprising 67% of independent labs already doing it. And on high hematocrit, Dr. Kristi J. Smock, chair of the CAP Hemostasis and Thrombosis Committee explains, quote, I am not aware of guidance that addresses the need to withdraw a sample for which citrate has been adjusted if the PT and APTT are normal. To learn more or submit your own pathology questions, visit the link in today's show notes. Cedars-Sinai's Biobank and Research Pathology Resource has once again earned international accreditation from the CAP. It's the third consecutive recognition for the Los Angeles Medical Center's Biobank, which is only one of six biobanks in California, to achieve it. The biobank is accredited across all four of its specialties, a distinction most facilities don't reach. Dr. Earle S. Cullum, chair of the CAP Council on Accreditation, says, The Cedars-Sinai Biobank and Research Pathology Resource demonstrates leadership, innovation, and a passionate commitment to standards of excellence while providing the highest quality services ultimately for patients. And finally, biobanks, also known as biorepositories, fuel research and patient care. Listen to an interview from earlier this year with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, chair of the CAP's Biorepository Accreditation Program Committee as she explains their vital role across medicine and patient care. For those unfamiliar, what is a biorepository and how is it critical to research and patient care?
They store a variety of samples such as human, animal, microbial, plant, or other biological specimens. And they can come in the form of a whole organism, organs, tissues, blood, or body fluids. They're procured in many different forms, so you can acquire them fresh. You can acquire them from some sort of preservation, either to acquire preservation, which is frozen, or through other means like formalin fixation, alcohol fixation. So they're very vital to researchers in terms of being able to move medicine forward. And all of this, you know, results of this research, you know, feed directly into medicine and the care of patients.
What is the Biorepository Accreditation Program?
Yeah, so the College of American Pathology's Biorepository Recognition Program was developed about 13 years ago and that was based on pulling in best practices from a number of different established institutions including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories or ISBAR, the National Cancer Institute here at the NIH, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services as well as the College of American Pathologists' own laboratory. Many of the experts who were part of the initiating program also helped advise ISBA on their accreditation process that later on came out. So the BioPositor Accreditation Program has an added value in that it's really aligned with the CAP's LAP program. It's on the same cycle, two-year cycle, so if a particular institution has both the LAP and the biopositor, they can have it, you know, synced so that they have them all done at the same time.
What have been some significant achievements or accomplishments from the biorepository accreditation program?
I think it's important to note that the biorepository accreditation program was actually the first accreditation body for biorepositories, and it was established in 2012. And then ISBIR pulled out ISO 20387, which is the international equivalent for biorepositories in 2018. So, you know, I think that's a great accomplishment in its own right as a pioneer for this particular area. We have, in addition to the hundred or so that you mentioned, we actually have international labs that we've accredited. And the first one was in Germany in 2023, I believe. Since then, we've accredited three international biopositories in Germany, in South Africa, and in Canada. The international interest for our biopository program is actually growing.
And do you have any final thoughts for the listeners out there about biorepositories today?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to recognize that it's really important. And it's sort of I would think of it as a benchmark for getting biological specimens for research, because a lot of biorepositories, you know, take pride in their collections, the samples that they have in place and the services that they provide. And so they do a very good job of maintaining records and ensuring that they are following best practices and better guidelines in the institution.
That's all we have for today. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify. Subscribe on your favorite platform. Look for more news like this in our weekly newsletters published every Tuesday and Thursday. We're back tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern with more CAP News. For The Daily Edition, I'm Stevon Burrell. Have a great day.
Description
November 20, 2025
How Digital Platforms are Transforming Pathology
Cedars-Sinai Biobank Earns Rare Global Accreditation
Interview with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, MD, PhD, MPH, FCAP - Why Biorepositories Have an Important Role in Supporting Medical Research
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Transcription
Digital platforms are changing pathology, key insights into telepathology, a major biobank receives reaccreditation, and a conversation with CAP biorepository chair Dr. Rebecca Obang, coming up next. This is the Path News Network Daily Edition, powered by the College of American Pathologists. I'm Stevon Burrell. It's Thursday, November 20th. and here are the latest headlines. In an interview with Pathology News, CAP member Dr. Kamran Mirza discusses how digital platforms are broadening access to pathology education worldwide. Dr. Mirza says, quote, social media breaks the walls of the classroom and the world is your classroom, end quote. He calls the pairing of digital pathology and social platforms a very powerful combination. especially in places where training and resources are limited. He says that digital pathology makes it accessible in a way that you're not restricted to a room and a microscope. To hear the full conversation, visit the link in our show notes. A nd curious how widely telepathology is used in the U.S.? Or what to do when a patient's hematocrit hits 55% or higher with normal PT/APTT results? Well, the CAP Today Q&A column tackles both. The CAP's 2024 Practice Characteristics Survey shows 24% of pathologists use remote sign-out, which means they are reviewing results outside the lab. Another 12% plan to start, and a surprising 67% of independent labs already doing it. And on high hematocrit, Dr. Kristi J. Smock, chair of the CAP Hemostasis and Thrombosis Committee explains, quote, I am not aware of guidance that addresses the need to withdraw a sample for which citrate has been adjusted if the PT and APTT are normal. To learn more or submit your own pathology questions, visit the link in today's show notes. Cedars-Sinai's Biobank and Research Pathology Resource has once again earned international accreditation from the CAP. It's the third consecutive recognition for the Los Angeles Medical Center's Biobank, which is only one of six biobanks in California, to achieve it. The biobank is accredited across all four of its specialties, a distinction most facilities don't reach. Dr. Earle S. Cullum, chair of the CAP Council on Accreditation, says, The Cedars-Sinai Biobank and Research Pathology Resource demonstrates leadership, innovation, and a passionate commitment to standards of excellence while providing the highest quality services ultimately for patients. And finally, biobanks, also known as biorepositories, fuel research and patient care. Listen to an interview from earlier this year with Dr. Rebecca Obeng, chair of the CAP's Biorepository Accreditation Program Committee as she explains their vital role across medicine and patient care. For those unfamiliar, what is a biorepository and how is it critical to research and patient care?
They store a variety of samples such as human, animal, microbial, plant, or other biological specimens. And they can come in the form of a whole organism, organs, tissues, blood, or body fluids. They're procured in many different forms, so you can acquire them fresh. You can acquire them from some sort of preservation, either to acquire preservation, which is frozen, or through other means like formalin fixation, alcohol fixation. So they're very vital to researchers in terms of being able to move medicine forward. And all of this, you know, results of this research, you know, feed directly into medicine and the care of patients.
What is the Biorepository Accreditation Program?
Yeah, so the College of American Pathology's Biorepository Recognition Program was developed about 13 years ago and that was based on pulling in best practices from a number of different established institutions including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories or ISBAR, the National Cancer Institute here at the NIH, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services as well as the College of American Pathologists' own laboratory. Many of the experts who were part of the initiating program also helped advise ISBA on their accreditation process that later on came out. So the BioPositor Accreditation Program has an added value in that it's really aligned with the CAP's LAP program. It's on the same cycle, two-year cycle, so if a particular institution has both the LAP and the biopositor, they can have it, you know, synced so that they have them all done at the same time.
What have been some significant achievements or accomplishments from the biorepository accreditation program?
I think it's important to note that the biorepository accreditation program was actually the first accreditation body for biorepositories, and it was established in 2012. And then ISBIR pulled out ISO 20387, which is the international equivalent for biorepositories in 2018. So, you know, I think that's a great accomplishment in its own right as a pioneer for this particular area. We have, in addition to the hundred or so that you mentioned, we actually have international labs that we've accredited. And the first one was in Germany in 2023, I believe. Since then, we've accredited three international biopositories in Germany, in South Africa, and in Canada. The international interest for our biopository program is actually growing.
And do you have any final thoughts for the listeners out there about biorepositories today?
Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to recognize that it's really important. And it's sort of I would think of it as a benchmark for getting biological specimens for research, because a lot of biorepositories, you know, take pride in their collections, the samples that they have in place and the services that they provide. And so they do a very good job of maintaining records and ensuring that they are following best practices and better guidelines in the institution.
That's all we have for today. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify. Subscribe on your favorite platform. Look for more news like this in our weekly newsletters published every Tuesday and Thursday. We're back tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern with more CAP News. For The Daily Edition, I'm Stevon Burrell. Have a great day.
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