This week marks Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. While lab professionals rarely interact directly with patients, they play a critical role in overall comprehensive patient care.
Our lab professionals perform tests on various bodily specimens each and every day. Using their complex equipment and analysis, they can detect the presence of diseases like cancer. They can also measure the medication, glucose and cholesterol levels in a blood sample to help look at a patient’s overall health.
This past year, lots of lab professionals spent their time identifying infectious viruses in patients, most notably the virus that causes COVID-19.
“During the pandemic my field, laboratory science, was finally getting a bit of attention,” shares one of our lab professionals from Lorain, OH. “We are an often overlooked but integral part of health care. So, putting us in the spotlight really allowed the population to see the people behind COVID-19 testing.”
At first, the COVID-19 testing process was a bit overwhelming.
“I was anxious as we didn’t know just what we were dealing with,” another Lorain lab professional shares. “But as the days passed, I became proud to be helping our community in one of its greatest times of need.”
Test results from lab professional provide about 70% of the objective information used in medical decision making. Thus, the work of our lab professionals plays an indispensable role in not only the detection and diagnosis of disease in patients, but also in determining the treatment plan moving forward.
A few lab professionals in our Lorain market (pictured above) share that “… reporting accurate and timely lab results is our main goal.”
They are also so grateful for the support they have received from others throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Both our colleagues and community have been so supportive of the health care industry, including discounts and free meals for essential workers… it has been more than we’ve ever seen before.”
Happy Medical Laboratory Professionals Week to all our lab professionals!
Learn more about the lab services we offer at Mercy Health.
