Hope College will present the program "Clinically Relevant 'Nuts and Bolts' Microbiology," geared toward nurses and microbiologists, on Saturday, Nov. 21, in room 1000 of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center.

 Hope College will present the program "Clinically Relevant 'Nuts and Bolts' Microbiology," geared toward nurses and microbiologists, on Saturday, Nov. 21, in room 1000 of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center.

The one-day-intermediate-level program will focus on the challenges faced by the bench microbiologist in providing cost-effective clinically relevant microbiology.  It is designed for the bench microbiologist involved in microbiology testing and/or programs in the clinical setting.

The program will be led presented by Dr. Dennis Wegner, who is a consulting microbiologist at Collaborative Laboratory Services LLC in Ottumwa, Iowa, and has authored numerous articles and presented many programs and workshops worldwide that focus on the impact of microbiology practices on the cost of caring for patients with infectious diseases.  Wegner will show how applying the latest microbiology techniques and approaches in laboratories of all sizes will improve the hospital's bottom line and will provide high-quality patient care-oriented microbiology at a minimum cost.

Participating institutions will also receive a CD with Wegner's CLSI-formatted bacterial procedures as attachments that can be easily modified to fit the needs of their own laboratories.

The program will emphasize nursing and microbiology from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and will focus on microbiology from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Participating nurses will gain two nursing CEUs applicable to license renewal, and microbiologists will receive a certificate for seven contact hours.

Registration will take place on-site from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and costs $30 for the 8-10 a.m. nursing and microbiology portion of the program, without lunch, and $40 for the entire day, including lunch, payable by cash or check.

In addition to leading the program on Saturday, Nov. 21, Wegner, who is a 1966 Hope graduate, will deliver the department of biology's weekly afternoon seminar on Friday, Nov. 20.  He will present "No Mercy for methicillin resistant Staph aureus (MRSA)" on Friday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. in room 1019 of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center.  He is being featured on the weekly series as part of a multi-departmental commemoration of the sciences at Hope in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the creation of the college's departments of chemistry and physics.  Admission to the Friday afternoon seminar is free.

The A. Paul Schaap Science Center is located at 35 E. 12th St., at 12th Street and College Avenue.