4/17/2007 11:10:00 AM LABORATORIAN AT St Michaels Hospital
SALUTED DURING LAB WEEK
National Medical Laboratory Week (NMLW), April 22-28), is a time to honor the more than 280,000 medical laboratory professionals across the nation who perform and interpret laboratory tests that save lives and keep people healthy. Pathologists and laboratory technologists and technicians at St Michaels Hospital are among the many unsung heroes of medical healthcare.
Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, laboratory professionals help to prevent disease by detecting unknown health problems and by aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of existing conditions by giving accurate, timely test results. The laboratory tests results comprise an estimated 70% of the patient's medical records and are vital to the diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease.
To celebrate National Medical Laboratory Week, laboratories across the country will host open houses, tours, lectures, and demonstrations to help acquaint the public and other health care professionals with the workings of the medical laboratory.
"We are proud of the work we do," said Bev Soule. "We have to be painstakingly meticulous in performing our jobs to provide dependable answers to your family physicians."
Results of laboratory tests often identify the presence of disease in its earliest stages, when the possibilities of a cure are greatest and when treatment is least costly.
Medical laboratory professionals represent a variety of specialties, including pathologists, medical technologists, clinical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, histotechnologists, histologic technicians, cytotechnologists, cytopathologists, phlebotomy technicians, clinical chemists, microbiologists, laboratory managers, and medical educators.
These professionals can be found in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, research facilities, blood banks, public health centers, the Armed Forces, universities, and industry. Within the laboratory, these highly educated and experienced medical laboratory professionals may work in chemistry, serology, hematology, cytology, microbiology, immunology, coagulation, histology, urinalysis, molecular biology, or the blood bank.
For more information about NMLW, call lab at St Michaels Hospital or visit the American Society for Clinical Pathology's Website at www.ascp.org/natMed/.
March 28, 2007
I send greetings to those observing National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.
Across our Nation, medical laboratory professionals are meeting the needs of the sick and injured and bringing hope to patients and their loved ones. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the dedicated men and women whose work helps detect and prevent disease, monitor treatment, and save countless lives. These efforts support a healthier future for our Nation and help ensure that America's health care system delivers the best care to our citizens.
I appreciate the skill and dedication of our Nation's medical laboratory professionals. Your efforts reflect the compassionate spirit of America and help improve the health of people throughout the country.
Laura and I send our best wishes.
