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National Medical Laboratory Week- April 24-30, 2005
"Laboratory Professionals: The Heart of the Medical Investigation Team"
This week has been designated as a time to recognize medical laboratory professionals. It is week of celebration for over 265,000 medical laboratory professionals and 15,000 board-certified pathologists who perform and interpret medical laboratory tests. These professionals play a critical role in every aspect of healthcare. Research shows that your physician utilizes Laboratory results 75% of the time when making a diagnosis or decision about your treatment.
Many of these professionals work behind the scenes and are not visible to patients on a daily basis. They perform both inpatient and outpatient testing 365 days a year.
The lab at North Country Hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The outpatient hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Patients arrive at the lab where a medical laboratory professional identifies the patient and then collects samples for the tests requested by your physician. Usually this takes only a few minutes and the patient is on their way. The laboratory professionals are often called to the emergency room, ICU, oncology or medical/surgical floor to obtain blood samples for the needed lab tests.
Once the specimen is obtained, it goes back into the lab where technical staff performs the testing. Many tests are completed the same day, and the results are then forwarded to the ordering physician.
The pathologist is a medical doctor also plays an important role in looking at tissue specimens. They determine if there are any abnormal cells present and report these to the ordering physician.
Medical laboratory professionals are faced with daily challenges of patients with poor veins, children who are frightened, or emergencies that enter through the Emergency Room. They are a skilled, friendly and efficient group of professionals who do not always hear praise, but they always greet you with a smile. Many patients do not thank these laboratory professionals for being stuck with a needle. It is their job and they are proficient at the work they do.
Our lab team at North Country Hospital works hard to provide services to both inpatient and outpatient. Please take the time this week and every day to acknowledge these employees who are helping to provide the community with professional and comprehensive healthcare. The medical laboratory professionals are at the center of the puzzle that helps the provider in assessing your health and well being.
“HEALTHY YOU” is a weekly column prepared by health care providers and staff at North Country Hospital and Health System. Please call Nancy Goss, NCH Community Relations, 334-3225, for information or to suggest a topic for this column. |
