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Winter 2026 Edition

The FSP Connection

Winter 2026 Edition

A Message from the FSP President

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Carmen Gomez-Fernandez, MD
President, Florida Society of Pathologists

Dear FSP Members,

It is a pleasure to share several exciting updates as we begin another year with the Florida Society of Pathologists. Your continued engagement, leadership, and dedication to both our profession and our state society are what drive the momentum behind these important initiatives.

FSP Annual Pathology Conference

I look forward to welcoming many of you to our February Conference, taking place February 13–15 in Orlando, Florida. We anticipate welcoming more than 300 pathologists as well as 150 of our industry partners for an exciting and educational weekend. This meeting remains a cornerstone of our society, an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and strengthen our professional community. You can view the meeting agenda online here.

I strongly encourage FSP members to attend the FSP Business Meeting on Saturday, February 14 at 1:00 pm, where we will share key updates for the society and announce the recipients of our society awards as well as the winners of the FSP Poster Competition. If you have not yet registered, please visit the FSP website here.

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FSP Precision Medicine Academy

I am proud to announce that Phase II of the FSP Precision Medicine Academy has been approved through a partnership with AstraZeneca, further reinforcing FSP’s commitment to advancing precision medicine education. Phase II objectives include expanding the on-demand content through the FSP Learning Center, launching quarterly hands-on visiting rotations at leading molecular laboratories in Florida, hosting quarterly virtual multidisciplinary tumor boards, organizing a one-day Precision Medicine Symposium, and showcasing project updates at the FSP Annual Conferences in 2026 and 2027. This next phase will meaningfully expand access, collaboration, and innovation for both practicing pathologists and trainees. I encourage you to attend the Precision Medicine Academy Update session at the Annual Conference, featuring key leaders driving the initiative including Chair, Marilyn Bui, MD, PhD, Dahui Qin, MD, PhD, Anthony Magliocco, MD, and Joseph Kim, MD on Friday, February 13 from 4:45–5:30 pm.

Strengthening the Pathology Pipeline

Fostering the pathology pipeline is a central goal of my presidency, and I am pleased with the meaningful progress already underway. New initiatives launching in conjunction with the Annual Conference include a Medical Student Poster Competition, an ambassador program pairing medical students with residents, and a Pathologists-in-Training Reception designed to promote mentorship and networking among medical students, residents, and fellows. In support of these efforts, the Board has also proposed the addition of a Medical Student membership category, which will be reviewed at the FSP Business Meeting on February 14.

FSP Bylaws

The FSP Bylaws Committee convened this past fall to review proposed updates to the Society’s bylaws, including the creation of the Medical Student membership category and the expansion of the Resident/Fellow membership category to include out-of-state trainees. These proposed revisions have been shared with members via email and will be brought forward for a vote at the FSP Business Meeting on February 14. I encourage members to review the proposed updates on the FSP website in advance of the meeting. To view the proposed bylaws updates, visit the FSP website here.

FSP Advocacy Stipend Application Window – Now Open

Advocacy continues to play a vital role in advancing FSP’s mission and representing our members. To support member participation in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Leadership Summit, FSP will once again provide up to 10 travel scholarships of $1,000 each to FSP members. The 2026 CAP Leadership Summit will take place April 25–28 in Washington, DC. Additional details and the application can be found on the FSP website here. The deadline to apply is February 27, 2026.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the Florida Society of Pathologists and to the vital role pathology plays in patient care. It is an honor to serve as your President during a time of growth and opportunity for our society. I look forward to connecting with many of you in Orlando and to working together throughout the year to strengthen our profession and support the next generation of pathologists.

Legislative Update

Amy J. Young
Legislative Consultant, Ballard Partners

The 2026 Florida Legislative Session officially convened on January 13th. I have been working closely with your FSP President and officers monitoring committee hearings on health care issues that may impact your Practice since September of last year.

To date, we have compiled the chart of bills here that we are watching closely for amendments impacting pathology from reimbursement issues, dermatology attempts to supervise pathologists, AI as it impacts medicine in general, clinical laboratory legislation, etc.

We hope to see all of you in Orlando at the FSP convention on February 13-15th where we will be discussing these issues and more.

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Pathology PAC Update

Ronald Giffler, MD, JD
PAC Chair

The Florida Society of Pathologists is proud to include its Political Action Committee (FSP Pathology PAC) as one of its most prominent member services. The mission of the PAC is to identify and support candidates for public office who understand and value the needs of Florida’s physicians and patients, most particularly our physicians who are practicing Pathologists.

The past few years we have witnessed increased activity of our PAC with productive collaboration with other specialty societies and, most notably, the Florida Medical Association PAC. Critical in this effort has been our professional lobbying team headed by Amy Young.

During 2025 the FSP increased its presence in the political scene by becoming one of the first organizations to support Brian Hodgers in his successful election to Florida House District 100 in Melbourne.

As we head into 2026 the FSP is in the forefront of another House race. The FSP is among the very first organizations to support Eric Stelnicki, MD, in his race to Florida House District 100 in Fort Lauderdale. Dr. Stelnicki is a well-known successful Pediatric Plastic Surgeon in Broward County.

As we all know there are many issues unique to Pathology, not shared by other specialties, and subject to many State and Federal statutes and regulations. That is why it is so important to have friends in the legislature to whom we can explain our issues.

At the time of this writing the Florida legislature has recently begun its 2026 session. We are very fortunate to have our lobbyist Amy Young representing us in Tallahassee and keeping us abreast of any issues of importance to our profession.

FSP Pathology PAC Contributors:

The FSP Pathology PAC checking account currently has $122,601.95. We had a successful year in 2025 with 54 donors who supported us, representing a 50% growth over the previous year!

The FSP-PAC would like to thank the following donors for their support:

  1. John Accola, MD
  2. Khaled Algashaamy, MD
  3. Farhad Askarian, MD
  4. Carole Brathwaite, MD
  5. Marilyn Bui, MD, PhD
  6. Brett Cantrell, MD
  7. Diane Davey, MD
  8. Margarita De La Ossa, MD
  9. Katherine Drews-Elger, MD
  10. Ronald Giffler, MD
  11. Carmen Gomez-Fernandez, MD
  12. Muhammed Hakim, MD
  13. Evita Jackson, MD
  14. Rebecca Johnson, MD
  15. Edward Jones, MD
  16. Merce Jorda, MD
  17. Sean Kaufman, MD
  18. Ralph Korpman, MD
  19. Christina Kovacs, MD
  20. Jesse Kresak, MD
  21. Lin Li, MD
  22. Liurka Lopez, MD
  23. Viviana Lorda Seijo, MD
  24. Patrick Montoya
  25. Ana Medina, MD
  26. Odile Mejia, MD
  27. Marjan Mirzabeigi, MD
  28. Naomi Montague, MD
  29. Patrick Montoya
  30. Stephen Nelson, MD
  31. John Newby, MD
  32. Ericka Olgaard, MD
  33. Adrian Palmer, MD
  34. Vaishali Pansare, MD
  35. Vatsal Patel, MD
  36. Francesca Polit, MD
  37. Robert Poppiti, MD
  38. Oksana Posnik, MD
  39. Shadi Qasem, MD
  40. Monica Recine, MD
  41. Philip Robinson, MD
  42. Ziyan Salih, MD
  43. Jason Savell, MD
  44. Robert Seifert, MD
  45. Bennie Slucher, MD
  46. David Smith
  47. Vathany Sriganeshan, MD
  48. Maryam Tahmasbi, MD
  49. Rodrigo Valencia, MD
  50. Stephen Vernon, MD
  51. Cristina Vincentelli, MD
  52. Elena Vrotsos, MD
  53. Hong Wang, MD
  54. Ross Wheeler, MD

If you do not see your name listed, now is the time to donate! Make your donation to the FSP Pathology PAC here or by scanning the QR code below.

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Fundraising Support:

Donating to the PAC is only part of the effort. We need to also support fundraising efforts for individual candidates, join host committees, and open our homes for these continuing efforts. I recently had the opportunity to represent the FSP at a fundraising event in support of Dr. Stelnicki held by the Florida Medical Association on January 23rd in Tampa. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend these events.

Membership Update

Jason Savell, MD
Membership Chair, Florida Society of Pathologists

Get the Most Out of Your FSP Membership in 2026

In 2025, the Florida Society of Pathologists was proud to welcome more than 100 new members to our growing community. As we look ahead to 2026, there’s never been a better time to take full advantage of everything your FSP membership offers.

Your FSP membership is more than a line on your CV—it’s a year-round resource designed to support you, advocate for you, and help you grow.

Advocacy That Works for You

FSP actively represents pathologists at both the state and national levels. From monitoring key legislative issues to engaging directly with decision-makers, we work behind the scenes to protect the practice of pathology. With a dedicated lobbyist in Tallahassee, your voice is always part of the conversation.

Education That Fits Your Career

Learning with FSP is practical, relevant, and built with members in mind. Enjoy discounted registration to two educational meetings each year, access to the FSP Online Learning Center, and a complimentary CE Broker account to simplify licensure renewal and CE tracking.

Connections That Matter

Staying connected is easier—and more valuable—through FSP. Members receive Pathology Today, our bi-monthly e-newsletter featuring timely updates, news, and opportunities. You’ll also have exclusive access to networking events, conferences, and a searchable membership directory to help you connect with colleagues and industry partners.

Your membership is designed to work for you in 2026. Attend a meeting, explore new resources, make a connection, or get involved—every benefit is there to help you get more out of your professional community.

Let’s make 2026 a great year for pathology—together.

Education Updates

Carmen Gomez-Fernandez, MD
Education Committee Co-Chair, Florida Society of Pathologists

Robert Seifert, MD
Education Committee Co-Chair, Florida Society of Pathologists

As we head into 2026, we're excited to share a preview of what’s shaping up to be another strong year of education and connection for the FSP. Our meetings continue to focus on what matters most to our members: practical, relevant pathology education paired with meaningful opportunities to learn from one another.

Our 52nd Annual Pathology Conference, Updates and Practical Approaches in Pathology, will take place February 13–15, 2026, at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando. We’re expecting to welcome more than 300 pathologists, and as always, the meeting is designed to encourage interaction, discussion, and real-world problem solving.

We’ll kick things off on Friday with an Educational Symposium hosted by UF Health–Gainesville, featuring timely, case-based talks covering bone marrow evaluation, cholangiocarcinoma, cytopathology fluids, and challenging liver neoplasms. Friday afternoon will also include a new Precision Medicine Update Session, highlighting the work and future direction of FSP’s Precision Medicine Academy and the growing role of precision medicine in pathology practice.

We’re especially pleased to welcome Yasodha Natkunam, MD, PhD, who will present a series of lymphoma-focused lectures on Friday afternoon, including an interactive microscopy session drawn from the Stanford hematopathology files. On Saturday morning, Hannah Y. Wen, MD, PhD, will lead us through practical breast pathology topics, from core biopsy interpretation to post-neoadjuvant specimens, again emphasizing pearls, pitfalls, and hands-on learning.

One of the most popular parts of the meeting returns on Saturday afternoon with the Rare and Interesting Case Session, where attendees can review cases in advance and vote live for their favorite presentation. This is always a highlight and a great opportunity to showcase the work of residents and fellows. We’ll follow that with our third annual Resident Jeopardy, which promises to be both educational and entertaining. We will see 4 teams competing this year and we can’t wait to see who will take home the trophy!

The meeting will wrap up on Sunday with Rondell P. Graham, MBBS, presenting a focused gastrointestinal pathology series, including practical diagnostic approaches and a microscopy session featuring commonly consulted cases. There is still time to register and join us in Orlando. Visit the FSP website at www.flpath.org/annual2026 to sign up.

Looking ahead to the summer, please mark your calendars for the 2026 Summer Anatomic Pathology Conference, taking place July 10–12, 2026, at the Eau Palm Beach Resort. This meeting will feature expert-led sessions in genitourinary, pediatric and placental, and thoracic pathology with both didactic and microscopy-based learning. Our invited faculty include Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, MD, PhD, Miguel Reyes-Múgica, MD, Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, MD and Humberto Trejo-Bittar, MD. We will also kick off with a prevention of medical errors for pathologists lecture given by Patti Ellis, BSN, RN on Friday, July 10. Registration is available online at www.flpath.org/summer2026.

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Finally, planning is already underway for the 2027 Annual Conference, scheduled for February 12–14, 2027, in Orlando. We’re thrilled to have nationally recognized faculty, Martha Bishop Pittman, MD, William Westra, MD, and Elizabeth Montgomery, MD covering cytopathology, head and neck pathology, and GI pathology respectively.

On behalf of the Education Committee, thank you for your continued engagement and support of FSP’s educational programs. We look forward to learning together throughout the year and hope to see many of you in Orlando this February.

Residents and Fellows Update

Katherine Drews-Elger MD, PhD
Resident & Fellow Chair, Florida Society of Pathologists

Florida Pathology Trainees Lead the Way at the Upcoming FSP Annual Meeting

Building on the success of the CAP Annual Meeting, Florida pathology trainees, including fellows and residents, are playing an active role in the planning and coordination of the upcoming FSP Annual Meeting. Representatives from training programs across the state are collaborating to design and implement trainee-led initiatives, including the Pathologists-in-Training Networking Reception and the Resident Jeopardy competition, now longstanding highlights of the meeting. These efforts continue to strengthen professional connections among programs and reflect the vitality of pathology training in Florida.

In addition to organizing educational activities, a dedicated cohort of resident and fellow delegates will welcome and mentor medical students exploring pathology as a career. Through interactive sessions and guided engagement opportunities, trainees are helping to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for student participants. This year, trainees will also take part in judging the medical student poster presentations, further promoting scholarly exchange, constructive feedback, and recognition of emerging research talent within the field.

Delegates from multiple institutions are likewise collaborating to develop questions and educational content for the Resident Jeopardy competition, with support from faculty mentors representing programs statewide. This collective approach highlights Florida’s enduring commitment to shared learning, mentorship, and excellence in pathology education.

The dedication, professionalism, and creativity of these trainees embody the collaborative spirit that defines Florida’s pathology community. Their leadership and enthusiasm continue to enrich the educational experience for peers and students alike, serving as a reminder that in the Sunshine State, every pathology trainee shines a little brighter.