Karen Freese of Clarian Health Partners, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, is the AACC POCT Division's point-of-Care Coordinator of the Year for 2000.

Karen has been working in the Point-of-Care Testing arena for the past 5 years. She has been the manager of the Point-of-Care Program for Methodist, IU, and Riley hospitals, which make–up the Clarian Health Partners Inc. since February of 1998. This health system has 1,263 beds with numerous outpatient facilities. The numbers and types of point-of-care tests and instruments that are performed or used at Clarian Health Partners Inc. include: 190 Accuchek advantage blood glucose meters; 25 Hemochron ACT instruments; numerous Chemstrip 10 UAs, Hemoccults, and Gastroccults; 120 HP Blood Analysis Modules; 65 hand-held i-STAT instruments; urine pregnancy tests and several other miscellaneous instruments. Karen’s background includes certification as a medical technologist as well as a registered nurse. She has a thorough and complete understanding of the laboratory world and the patient care world that makes her a very dynamic individual. 

What makes Karen an outstanding Point-of-Care Coordinator is her dedication to the job, knowledge of the field, commitment to both in-patient and out-patient POCT services, her willingness to alpha and beta test new types of equipment, and her achievements in presenting POCT to others. She is conscientious of quality assurance issues and emphasizes competencies and prompt follow-up with nurse managers. Her program is CAP and JCAHO accredited with moderately complex testing. Karen has worked with Roche Diagnostics, Abbott Diagnostics, the i-STAT Corporation, and JCAHO to give numerous talks and presentations on managing POCT. She is held with high regard by her peers and received excellent letters of recommendation from various reputable professionals. 

It is with great pleasure that the AACC POCT testing division and Lifescan, Inc. can present Karen Freese with the first annual Pont-of-Care Coordinator of the year award.