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The history of the society

In 1980 an important debate concerning the role of laboratory diagnostic in medical practice and of the specific competences of the laboratory physician started. In this regard a very important place has the lecture entitled "Professional development and Professional role of the laboratory physician", delivered by prof. Angelo Burlina, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at Padua University at the Second Advanced Course on the Interpretation of Laboratory data, organized by the "Triveneta di Patologia Clinica" at Piancavallo (PN) in June 1986.
The Lecture focused, quite impressively, on the new organization of Medicine Faculty which provided a Laboratory Medicine Area and a more and more defined structure of post-graduate Specialization Schools. The philosophy presented in that lecture originated the idea of founding a new Scientific Society: the Società Italiana di Medicina di Laboratorio, SIMeL (Italian Society of Laboratory Medicine).
A great importance had also the idea to set up a national society made of active and strong regional sections. Soon after this meeting regional sections were set up first in Veneto, then in the whole Triveneto, afterwards in Lombardy, Tuscan, Piedmont, Liguria, Abruzzo, followed by many others, till the fast diffusion to the whole national territory.
The first National Congress was held at Milan in November 4-7th, 1987 with the stimulating theme "The new diagnostic logic of the laboratory"; the following National Congresses were held all around Italy (Genoa, Florence, Bologna, Bari …). The national journal "Progressi in Medicina di Laboratorio" founded by Prof. Angelo Burlina who became its Editor and managed by Prof. Ugo Lippi as Editor-in-chief, became an essential tool for the development of the Society.
In November 1990 "The International week of Laboratory Medicine" was held in Rome and organized in: a National Congress, an International Conference on Laboratory Diagnostics, the 1st Advanced Course on Laboratory Diagnostics and Technology. In this Meeting devoted to Molecular Medicine was the first activity of the newborn National Committee for Continuous Education. In the following years the National Commission for Interdisciplinary Study Groups and the National Commission for Professional Affairs have been established. Several editions of the National Congress anticipated trends that exploded in the following years: the theme of "Decision levels" was debated in Bari in 1991, and of "Total Quality in Laboratory Medicine" in Trieste in 1993.
A few days before this event suddenly and prematurely disappeared Prof. Burlina, who in the beginning of 1993 had founded the journal "Medicina di Laboratorio" (replacing "Progressi in Medicina di Laboratorio") and "European Journal of Laboratory Medicine".
President of the Society between 1993 and 1999 was prof. Ugo Lippi who organized important editions of the National Congress.
In the course of these years SIMeL promoted an important activity of permanent training through the organization of residential courses and expanded and enhanced the activity of the Italian Committee for the Standardization of Haematology and Laboratory Methods (CISMEL). At the same time the Society has designed and activated its web-site www.simel.it.
In 1999 an important debate concerning changes in the Society Organization ends and a new Constitution is approved in which the President, Vice-president, National Secretary, National Treasurer (elected by the National Council) are joined by the Executive Board which members represents the North, Centre and South Italy.

In November 1999 the National Council elected the new President Dr. Paolo Rizzotti.
Four National Councils and four meetings of the Executive Board were held between 2000 and 2002. In this period the organization of the National Secretariat in Castelfranco Veneto was improved and the staff extended, and a new Journal "Rivista di Medicina di Laboratorio - Journal of Laboratory Medicine" was founded.
In 2001 the Constitution was changed and a specific section devoted to Biomedical Scientists (STLB) was instituted. At the National Congress in Pescara in 2001 was held the 1st National Meeting of Biomedical Scientists, where was elected the 1st STLB National Secretary.
In November 2002 was elected the new President, dr. Piero Cappelletti, confirmed in 2005 also for the following three-year period.
In November 2003 SIMeL obtained ISO 9001-2000 certification, renewed each following year.
In January 2004 the National Council enacted the constitution of the members section Laureati Specialisti in Discipline Scientifiche di Laboratorio Biomedico (DSLB), structured as STLB, and in November at the National Congress in Modena the first meeting of the DSLB Organizing Committee was held.
During 2005 were set up the first DSLB regional sections.
In the same year the journal changed its name to "La Rivista Italiana di Medicina di Laboratorio - Italian Journal of Laboratory Medicine" (RIMeL-IJLaM) which is SIMeL's private ownership.
On May 25th, 2005 the National Council enacted in the presence of a notary and the Society's lawyer, the new Constitution which is edited to comply with the new law regulations for scientific Societies. In November during the 19th National Congress in Trieste, takes place the election of the National Council, which reconfirms the previous, and of the STLB National Board of Directors and of the 1st DSLB National Board of Directors.
A great incentive is given by the National Commissions, particularly by the National Committee for Permanent Training (a regional net of trained members is instituted for this purpose) and by the Interdisciplinary Study Groups Committee (new regulations become operative and 17 groups are defined).
In addition to the activity of local permanent training is settled the on-line on SIMeL web site www.simel.it an education program (FAD) available to all the members.
On May 2006 the National Council approved the new SIMeL Study Groups regulations which activities are managed now by the General Coordinator with the consequent suppression of the Interdisciplinary Study Groups Committee. In the meanwhile are redefined the National Committees: National Committee for permanent training, National Committee for Professional Problems, National Committee for Quality.