IQMH brings together experts in the field of laboratory medicine to elevate confidence in the healthcare system.

The IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees are composed of physicians, technologists and scientists who provide advice to IQMH regarding the fundamental design of Proficiency Testing surveys and ensure that clinically-relevant selection of challenges and appropriate performance evaluation are developed and implemented each year.

IQMH is grateful for the commitment and support of the medical laboratory community and appreciates all the volunteers who donate their time and valuable expertise to our programs.

It’s our privilege to recognize Dr. Elaine Leung, MD, FRCPC, who has served IQMH as a volunteer since 2013.

Dr. Elaine Leung, MD, FRCPC

After completion of her medical degree at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Leung went on to pursue residency training in Pediatrics at Dalhousie University and then a subspecialty training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Toronto. It was there that she became interested in laboratory medicine and returned to Ottawa to complete formal training in Hematological Pathology. Dr. Leung has been the Head of the Division of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa since 2006. As a pediatric laboratory specialist, she strives to increase the visibility and recognition of pediatric-specific laboratory issues at the regional, provincial and national level.

We asked Dr. Leung the following questions about her volunteer experience and here's how she responded:

Which committee do you volunteer on and in which capacity?

I am the current Chair of the IQMH Hematology Scientific committee.

Do you volunteer in any other capacity on other committees with professional organizations?

I have been a member of the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine’s (CSTM) Standards Committee since 2014 and the Canadian Obstetric and Pediatric Transfusion Network since 2017. I am a member of the Quality and Standards Committee of the International Society of Laboratory Hematology. I currently serve on the Hematological Pathology examination board at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Do you have any achievements that you are particularly proud of? Has your committee contributed to quality improvements in some way?

The Hematology proficiency testing menu encompasses a great variety of tests and includes both quantitative and qualitative testing methods and morphology assessments. Members of our committee bring with them experience in Flow Cytometry, Coagulation, Red Cell Disorders, Hematology, and Morphology – it’s such a diverse and experienced group and I am so lucky and honoured to work with all of them and our consultant technologists. Recent collaborative efforts include our poster “Immunophenotyping for Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Canada” presented at the XXXIII International Symposium on Technical Innovations in Laboratory Hematology Meeting, and the publication of the article “Laboratory practices for manual blood film review: Results of an IQMH patterns of practice survey” in the International Journal of Laboratory Hematology.

One of the highlights of the past couple of years has been our ability to transition the routine Morphology survey from using glass slides to using digitally scanned images. We no longer require 300 glass slides to be made for each survey! The change to digital imaging has allowed us to present participants with a greater variety of cases and improve the educational component for each survey. This year, we have trialed the use of digital images for our Bone Marrow surveys. It will be really exciting to see where digital imaging will take us next.