Centennial Chapter CLMA - Colorado

Chapter Officers

		Diane Yaley North, BS, MT(ASCP), President Diane North currently serves as Outreach Program Manager for Frontline Laboratory Network. Prior to her work at FLN, Diane was Manager of the Reference Laboratory and Outreach Program for Boulder Community Hospital. Diane has over 25 years of laboratory experience with perspectives gained from former positions as Chemistry Lead, multi-physician oncology POL Director, Medical Technology Intern Instructor and bench generalist. Diane received her BS from Colorado State University in Microbiology/Medical Technology. Diane is also Founder and President of WarmHeart Incorporated, a charitable organization designed to relieve pain and suffering in under privileged children around the world. Diane has been a member of CLMA since 1990 and has served as a past Board of Directors Member.

		John D. Allen, MBA, BS, MT(ASCP), Past President John Allen has been an active, involved member of the clinical laboratory community since 1973. He began his laboratory career as a phlebotomist and has worked as a bench technologist and manager/director in both small community hospitals as well as large tertiary care trauma centers, and has been a leader in the reference lab community since 1996. John was a principle administrator in the creation of a seven-hospital joint venture clinical outreach and reference laboratory in the Denver, Colorado region. In addition, John has served as the Director of Operations-Ancillary Services for a five facility healthcare system in Denver. John is currently the Administrative Director of the Clinical Reference Laboratories at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

		Karen Myers, President Elect Director of The Colorado Center for Medical Laboratory Science. Karen completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California Santa Cruz and completed her Medical Technology program at the University of California San Francisco. Her first position was as a generalist in a community hospital in northern California. After moving to Colorado, she worked in several of the area’s tertiary care centers and completed a master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She discovered her true passion when she began to train others and work with students entering the profession. She is currently director of The Colorado Center for Medical Laboratory Science, which offers the Denver based BS-level curriculum in clinical laboratory science. She has been a continuous CLMA member since 1991.

		Claire Kokoszka, BS, MT (ASCP) SH, Secretary Claire currently is a laboratory supervisor at the Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton overseeing the hematology, coagulation, immunology and microbiology departments. In addition, Claire is also the LIS coordinator. Claire has been an active member of the laboratory community since 1973 working in both large medical centers, small community hospitals and for a laboratory information systems company. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse and completed her internship at the St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 2000 Claire received her certification as a Specialist in Hematology.

		Joe Miles, MT(ASCP), MHS , Treasurer Joe Miles is the General Manager of Frontline Laboratory Network. Prior to joining the network as GM, Joe was the laboratory manager at Longmont United Hospital. Joe has over twenty five years of experience in laboratory management including tenures at three Denver area hospitals. Joe received his bachelor’s degree and medical technology training at the University of Colorado. In 1990, Joe earned a Masters in Healthcare Systems for the University of Denver. Joe has been a member of CLMA since 1989, has presented at the national conference, published articles on laboratory management, served as a chapter board member, and is currently on the Board of Directors for the CLMA Political Action Committee.

		Teresa Jarvis, Laboratory Director Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Teresa is a graduate from Idaho State University with a BS in Microbiology and graduated from the Medical Technology program at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, part of the Texas Medical Center in Houston. After 15 years of work in Texas hospitals Theresa moved to Wyoming and back to the west. Teresa was the laboratory director for Dynacare and LabCorp in Cheyenne. In 2005, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center discontinued its management agreement with LabCorp and brought the laboratory back into the hospital as a department. Teresa has been a CLMA member since the early 1990's and truly values the information, networking and educational opportunities that CLMA affords.

		Lisa Vitry, MT(ASCP), Board Member Point of Care Systems Specialist Centura Health Lisa has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the State University of New York and a degree in Medical Technology from Albany Medical Center School of Medical Technology. She has been employed in the Medical Technology field for 14 years in many capacities, including, bench tech, laboratory supervisor, Laboratory Director, and Infection Control Practitioner. In 1999 she was employed by the Colorado Department of Public Health to work in the Public Health Microbiology lab and was instrumental in developing and executing testing for bioterrorism agents. In 2002 she was offered the position of CLIA inspector for Colorado, a position she held for 3 years. Currently she is employed by Centura Laboratories as a Point of Care Systems Technical Specialist.

		Linda Kaufman, Board Member Linda began her career at Rose Medical Center in Denver and almost immediately rose to the level of assistant supervisor in the hematology and coagulation department. Linda has held a variety of leadership roles in several very prestigious institutions including Lutheran Medical Center, Rush–Copley Medical Center and Denver Health. Her very broad management experience includes phlebotomy, imaging, LIS, billing, LEAN, physician services and even nursing supervision. Linda has expressed a passion for laboratory medicine and as a board member is “a voice working for greater recognition and better salaries, scholarship programs and awareness so that our futures are secured and we as an older generation receive quality care.”

		Terence Smith, Board Member Terence is a Point of Care Specialist for Abbott Point of Care and is a familiar vendor to many in the Colorado region. He has been very active in CLMA over the years as a presenter in at educational meetings, a member who has made it clear that he is available to volunteer for efforts as needed. Terence has a zeal for the medical laboratory arena and is committed to work as a liaison between the Centennial Chapter of the CLMA and his fellow vendors. He brings a broad perspective from that facet of our industry and incomparable energy.

		Mary Cummons, Board Member Mary has been the laboratory manager at Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital in Burlington, Colorado for the past ten years of her over 30 year career in laboratory medicine. Mary represents our smaller, more rural laboratory community and is fully aware of the many hats such managers must wear in these small laboratories. She is responsible for inventory control, billing review, competency assessment, quality management and quality control review, employee training, continuing education, instrumentation selection and employee relations. In addition, she serves on several hospital wide committees so she is very much in tune with the full scope of healthcare as it is practiced today.