Midwest Coag Announces The Seventh Annual Symposium On Bleeding & Thrombosis

INDIANAPOLIS, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Midwest Coag, a leading testing and education center specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of bleeding and clotting disorders, recently announced its upcoming Seventh Annual Symposium on Bleeding & Thrombosis. The event, being held on May 5 and May 6, 2005 in Indianapolis, Ind., is expected to attract more than 250 attendees -- the largest audience to date -- due to a distinguished faculty of speakers and an enhanced educational format.

Since 1999, Midwest Coag symposia have provided healthcare professionals from all levels of learning with continuing education in hemostasis and thrombosis research, testing, diagnosis and treatment. The Symposium brings together distinguished thought leaders, healthcare professionals and industry- leading vendors in a format that combines educational lectures and presentations, vendor exhibits and networking opportunities. This successful format provides concentrated, affordable access to ongoing education and has earned the symposium a reputation as a premier industry event.

Midwest Coag continues to refine the Symposium format to meet the evolving educational needs of a broad audience. This year's event has been approved for ABCP, CME and PACE continuing education credit. Those who will benefit from the program include physicians, perfusionists, medical technologists, laboratory directors, transfusion medicine specialists, blood bank professionals, pharmDs, pathologists, residents, med tech students and other industry professionals seeking to advance their practical skills and knowledge of bleeding and thrombotic disorders.

Highlights of the 2005 symposium include:

* Applied Hemostasis & Thrombosis - A professional speaker series focusing on current trends in diagnosing and treating bleeding and thrombotic disorders.

* Fundamentals of Coagulation Testing - Building on the success of last year's COAG 101, this series includes two separate educational programs: Updates on Coagulation Assays (COAG 101) and the all-new Coagulation Laboratory Basics (COAG 201).

* Exhibitor Showcases - Providing multiple opportunities for attendees to meet the event's sponsors and learn about their latest products and services.

* Lifetime Achievement Award for Dr. Douglas Triplett - A special session featuring a video tribute and testimonials celebrating the career of Dr. Douglas Triplett, co-founder of Midwest Coag.

* The Technology Forum - A new program highlighting the latest technologies from industry-leading vendors.

The Seventh Annual Symposium features a distinguished faculty of hemostasis and thrombosis specialists from around the country. It includes Kenneth Friedman, M.D., Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin; Jeffrey S. Dlott, M.D., Midwest Coag; Rakesh Mehta, Indiana University School of Medicine; Russ Tracy, Ph.D., The University of Vermont; John Olson, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; L. Tim Goodnough, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine; Marlies Ledford- Kraemer, MBA, BS, MT(ASCP)SH, FAHA, President, CLOT-ED, Inc.; Robert Roubey, M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Don A. Gabriel, M.D., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Lawrence Rice, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine.

This year's event was developed by program directors Dr. Jeffrey S. Dlott, medical director of Midwest Coag, and Marlies Ledford-Kraemer, president of CLOT-ED, Inc. It is sponsored by industry-leading instrumentation, reagent and pharmaceutical vendors as well as medical publishers, reference laboratories and other medical-related organizations specializing in products for hemostasis and thrombosis diagnosis and testing.

About Midwest Coag

Midwest Coag - Hemostasis & Thrombosis Laboratories, a leading diagnostic testing and education center specializing in bleeding and clotting disorders, actively contributes to the medical community's understanding of blood conditions. With more than 50 years of collective experience, a proprietary diagnostic process, a staff of certified technologists and personalized customer service, Midwest Coag offers physicians and lab professionals a wide range of educational, interpretive testing, consultative and evidence-based services that improve patient diagnoses, while reducing healthcare costs. For more information, visit http://www.midwestcoag.com/ or call 1.888.272.2624.

MEDIA CONTACTS Denise McFadden Amy Zucker Synergy Marketing Group, Inc. Synergy Marketing Group, Inc. 317.205.9690 x 5 317.205.9690 x 2 denisemcfadden@synergy-mg.comamyzucker@synergy-mg.com

CONTACT: Denise McFadden, +1-317-205-9690 ext. 5,denisemcfadden@synergy-mg.com , or Amy Zucker, +1-317-205-9690 ext. 2,amyzucker@synergy-mg.com , both of Synergy Marketing Group, Inc.

Web site: http://www.midwestcoag.com/