ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Senior Airman Leslie Balliew and Airman 1st Class Heather Long of 3 Medical Support Squadron examine test results on April 15, 2009. Lab technicians are vital to our health care, providing us critical information by detecting unknown health problems and aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of known conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Bacterial testing is used for a variety of reasons including urine samples, blood samples and throat swabs.These colonies can grow as fast as 12 to 24 hours (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Airman 1st Class Nathan Knox of 3 Medical Support Squadron examines bacteria samples on April 15, 2009. His important role as a lab technician helps to provide proper diagnoses of diseases. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- This blood culture incubator tests for bacteria in the blood on April 19, 2009. The system uses a variation of lights to provide positive or negative results.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Stellar Diamond of 3 Medical Support Squadron checks the blood culture incubator on April 15, 2009. This incubator is used to test for bacteria in blood. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Tech. Sgt. Morgan Caron of 3 Medical Support Squadron fills a holder with tissue samples on April 15, 2009. Tissue samples can be used in checking for diseases and cause of death. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Tissue samples are processed in the Pathology department on April 15, 2009. it is important for tissue samples in identifying certain diseases and even cause of death. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska-- Mike Bush of 3 Medical Support Squadron (3MDSS) gives Master Sgt. Susan Andersen, also from 3 MDSS, a blood test April 15, 2009. Blood tests are used for an abundance of purposes and are very critical to our health. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kristin High) (Photo by Airman First Class Kristin High)
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska —
National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 19-25, 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 along with technicians at Elmendorf Air Force Base are among the many unsung heroes of medical health care.
Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, laboratory professionals help to prevent disease by detecting unknown health problems and aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of existing conditions by giving accurate, timely test results.
To celebrate National Medical Laboratory Professionals 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. The Elmendorf lab plans to celebrate Lab Week with some morale building contests.
"We are proud of the work we do," said Lt Col Lucia More, the laboratory's flight commander. "We have to be painstakingly meticulous in performing our jobs to provide dependable answers to your family physicians."
Doctors rely heavily on lab tests to make diagnoses. Thus, laboratory professionals are critical components of the health care system. 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.
Yet, despite the important roles laboratory professionals play, and increasing demands for laboratory services, the profession is undergoing stress. In its most recent survey of laboratory wages and vacancies, American Society for Clinical Pathology reported that nearly 44% of laboratories report they are currently experiencing difficulties recruiting or hiring medical laboratory personnel. There are several reasons for the lab worker shortage, including rising retirement numbers among laboratory technicians, fewer schools of laboratory technology and the corollary decrease in the number of graduates.
With that in mind, laboratory organizations, including professional societies such as the ASCP and even laboratory equipment manufacturers, are mounting active campaigns to recruit students to the profession.
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.