CAP Supports Pathologists During the Pandemic

While pathologists were guiding COVID-19 testing programs and ensuring accuracy and quality, the CAP played a crucial role in supporting them and the laboratories they direct. The CAP offered scientific guidance and new products in proficiency testing; secured a remote work waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for pathologists; and provided federal regulatory relief. A COVID-19 webpage and a high-quality lecture series kept members both domestically and internationally informed and up to date. Communication efforts elevated the profile of pathologists in the crisis, demonstrating the unparalleled leadership of these physician experts in testing nationwide and globally.

In spite of the pandemic’s pressing demands, the CAP continued to provide the same critical support it always has to members and customers through Advocacy, Laboratory Quality Solutions, and Education. Offering the benefits and services that members value most remained the top priority. Total CAP membership stayed strong and is growing at over 18,000 members. Member retention remained healthy, and new member recruitment increased from 2019.

Education Builds Knowledge and Expertise During Health Crisis

In an evolving health care landscape, pathologists need the knowledge, relationships, and expertise to navigate change, enhance their careers, and sustain the specialty. The CAP20 virtual meeting offered excellent opportunities to explore the latest in emerging science, improve lab and practice management skills, and advocate for pathology. Networking activities and an exhibitor marketplace rounded out attendees’ total experience. The efforts taken to present CAP20 in a safe format without sacrificing overall value for attendees helped make the CAP’s first virtual annual meeting its most attended.

The CAP continues to expand and enhance its education offerings to better meet members’ needs, especially during times of crisis. The CAP launched the new Virtual Lecture Series (VLS) in April to help fill a need for residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new lecture series offered CAP resident members and practicing pathologists high quality education from recognized experts to supplement their training and refresh diagnostic knowledge and skills. The CAP also provided a broad variety of free online education to members in April. Both the VLS and online program access benefited large numbers of pathologists and trainees.

While offering new education opportunities, the CAP also released three new publications in 2020, helping pathologists and laboratory professionals remain current. The new titles are:

• Transfusion Medicine: A Compendium of Educational Cases
• Professionalism in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Surgical Pathology Review

State Pathology Societies Sustain Engagement During Pandemic

The CAP launched the virtual meeting platform in 2020 to further support state pathology societies. This platform was originally intended for state societies to reach geographically remote pathologists in their state, but with the onset of the pandemic and 12 states forced to cancel their in-person meetings, the CAP was able to provide a critical resource to sustain engagement. State pathology societies responded positively to the virtual meeting platform as the newest resource in a suite of offerings including CAP leader speakers, advocacy support, affiliate agreements, and a joint providership program offering continuing medical education (CME), as well as other grassroots education in the communities where members live and work.

In 2020, the joint providership program served 16 organizations with 30 accredited CME activities, impacting more than 1,204 physicians and 438 nonphysicians. Eight state and regional society programs were able to offer SAM credits to conference attendees. These statistics do not tell the entire story, as the COVID pandemic challenged state pathology society partners’ ability to offer accredited education. The CAP provided expert assistance and collaborated with these partners in converting their live programs to virtual CME meetings, allowing them to provide much needed education to their member pathologists. Participants lauded the format, emphasizing the great financial savings for small societies. Many also said it was so easy and stress-free that they might want to continue with the virtual format after the pandemic has ended.

CAP Helps Pathology Practices Navigate the Pandemic

 The pandemic hit pathology practices hard with declines in normal case volumes, forcing many to furlough staff or cut salaries. The Board of Governors approved a new strategic plan for Practice Management, implemented in 2020. This robust set of programs, resources, and toolkits supported member practices proactively and reactively as they responded to the crisis. This collection of expertise complements current advocacy guidance and financial considerations for practices.

In addition to the nine toolkits and supporting education offered to members to support financial health and planning, the Practice Management Committee delivered eight COVID-19-related roadmaps to support practices for financial and practice volume planning. Practice management experts led six COVID-19-related roundtables for member participants. They transitioned content from an in-person two-day workshop to an on-demand portfolio to support the education of more members.

Pathology’s Future Begins with Residents

CAP junior membership means becoming part of a pathology community focused on supporting residents as they advance in their careers. Leaders of the profession are available as mentors and serve as invaluable resources for trainees. The CAP is on the forefront of technology, offering digital delivery of educational products and real-time information updates via social media. When the pandemic forced many academic institutions to discontinue in-person lectures, residents suffered a huge loss. The CAP responded with a free virtual lecture series that attracted thousands of trainees.

The Residents Forum provides residents with many opportunities to participate in initiatives advancing the profession. The robust online resources produced by residents for residents yield invaluable tools for the life-long learner along with the intangible benefits acquired during networking with peers and pathology leaders from across the country. Engagement within the CAP during all stages of a pathologist’s career fosters professional growth and personal enrichment. The Residents Forum plays a key role in developing the pathology leaders of tomorrow.

House of Delegates Gives Membership a Voice

The House of Delegates (HOD) comprises the largest body of elected members within the CAP, with over 400 elected members in 58 delegations throughout the United States, Canada, and in the Armed Forces. The HOD serves as the “voice of the membership”; its delegates provide valuable input and feedback to CAP leadership on emerging issues important to the specialty. For instance, at CAP20, the HOD led a session on the financial implications of COVID-19 with an emphasis on how the profession would remain viable. They discussed a survey of pathologists on the economic impact of the pandemic, and delegates shared stories of their own experiences.

The HOD further collaborates with CAP Advocacy, councils, and committees, as well as state pathology societies, to advance programs, services, and initiatives important to its members and the profession. The HOD acts as a direct link from member pathologists to CAP leaders and decision makers, potentially impacting both the organization and the practice of pathology. In 2020, the HOD completed an election cycle, and at its fall meeting, the steering committee elected new members with 18 candidates vying for seven positions.

Engaged Leadership Academy Prepares Pathologists to Lead

Communicating the value of pathologists during this global health crisis is more important than ever. The Engaged Leadership Academy (ELA) provides member participants an opportunity to build and strengthen communication and presentation skills in the company of peers. Graduates of the two-and-a-half-day workshop walk away with customized techniques and tips to tell their story and lobby for their practice or profession, all while engaging their audience. Whether presenting to clinical colleagues, an advocacy group, or at a media appearance, the skills learned at the ELA provide a basis for success and self-growth.

In 2020, participants took part in a 90-minute livestream session on using the new world of virtual communication to elevate the pathologist’s role. More than ever, the professional development skills taught at the ELA are key to navigating a world which is becoming more complex and more virtual.

ELA graduates also become members of the CAP’s Engaged Leaders Network (ELN). ELN members assist the CAP and the profession in providing professional key messages in terms of Letters to the Editor at a community level. They also serve as a resource for CAP media activity. For example, a resident and ELN member put his communications training to work, penning an op-ed for the Miami Herald on the role of pathologists in the COVID-19 response.

Pathologists Raise their Profile During a Health Crisis

 The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role of pathologists in testing. CAP leadership was featured in several top-tier publications, including The Associated Press, United Press International, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Rolling Stone Magazine, Shape Magazine, In Style Magazine, and People Magazine.

Many CAP members also participated in interviews for MSNBC, ABC.com, NBC.com, CNN.com, National Public Radio, and Dr. Radio on SiriusXM. The CAP held its first national media briefing featuring CAP President Dr. Patrick Godbey, CAP President-elect Dr. Emily Volk, and CAP Microbiology Chair Dr. Bobbi Pritt. CAP member Dr. Valeria Fitzhugh served as moderator. The panel discussed current testing strategies for COVID-19—what’s working and what isn’t—and the ongoing laboratory supply chain issues. Twenty-four top-tier media attended the briefing.

The CAP also saw tremendous media interest in its first virtual annual meeting. A record number of journalists registered and participated in a virtual CAP20 media briefing, highlighting some of this year’s CME courses including point of care testing, autopsy issues, and how member laboratories and pathologists are faring during the pandemic.

CAP Foundation Serves the Community and Grows Leaders

 Life-threatening diseases like cervical and breast cancer don’t take a break for the COVID-19 pandemic. With families concerned about their health and economic security, the CAP Foundation’s signature program, See, Test & Treat®, was able to deliver relief to those communities most at risk. The program provided free cancer screenings at eight sites across the United States in 2020. Through See, Test & Treat, more than 400 women were connected to health care resources, with 20% of screenings identifying abnormal results.

 The Foundation gave 40 awards to CAP members and potential future members in 2020. Grants and scholarships went to 15 pathology residents, 14 CAP Fellows, and 11 medical students in support of education, leadership development, research, and advanced training in informatics and translational diagnostics. In an effort to strengthen the pathologist pipeline, the medical students mentioned above received mentorship opportunities to foster their interest in the profession.

 The Gerald R. Hanson, MD, Global Pathology Fund was established in October of 2019 to advance the specialty of pathology and its practitioners in under-resourced areas of the world. It focuses on training and education, leadership, patient care, laboratory quality, and research. The new Global Pathology Education Award included registration for CAP20 Virtual. Three winning pathologists, who hailed from Egypt, Nepal, and Vietnam, gained access to leading pathology education and expertise. The goal is for award recipients to use what they learn to further laboratory excellence and improve patient care worldwide.

Due to the urgent need to better understand the pathobiology and clinical implications behind COVID-19’s morbidity and mortality, the CAP Foundation created the John H. Rippey Grant for Expedited Research: The Impact of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 on Quality and Patient Safety. This new research award repositioned the Rippey grant to place pathology at the forefront of quality patient care, providing funding of up to $50,000 per project to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2-related testing. Five research projects were awarded funding.

CAP Supports Employees Through Pandemic and Racial Reckoning

In the early months of 2020, everything changed. The global pandemic upended life and business, forcing many to adapt to a new normal. The CAP became more agile and resilient to meet the growing needs of members and customers. The organization’s response during the public health crisis explains why, for the fifth year, the CAP was named to the Center for Companies That Care’s Honor Roll.

The safety and health of employees remained paramount, and while many worked offsite, the CAP established strict re-entry policies for priority staff entering the building, with a nurse at the main door taking temperatures and asking screening questions. Information was provided to employees reminding them of leave policies, such as Family Medical Leave, Paid Leave, and Disability. A special open enrollment was held for two weeks over the summer when employees could make changes to their flexible spending accounts without the usual prerequisite qualifying events.

In a year marked by racial violence and disproportionate negative outcomes for people of color diagnosed with COVID-19, CAP members and staff began important conversations about their personal experiences, inequities in health care, and the damaging impact of systemic racism. The CAP strengthened its ongoing commitment to a formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion process. Members led a panel discussion at CAP20 on this topic, and staff members have formed an advisory group to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, retention, and mentorship along with the nurturing of a workplace where employees can bring their authentic selves to work.

The health crisis and incidents of racial injustice have taken a mental and emotional toll on many, and the CAP recognized those needs, offering psychological support via ComPsych, our Employee Assistance Program provider and a complementary benefit available to all employees and their dependents. A free online tool helped employees manage behavioral health during the pandemic. They can also take advantage of an online therapy and counseling service that connects individuals to a licensed therapist of their choosing at a modest fee. Throughout the pandemic, employees gave maximum effort to the CAP while the organization supported their health and wellbeing in return.