by Marlon Morales, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM
Our Medical Laboratory Science program is happy to celebrate Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 19-25th!
Lab Week is an annual nationwide celebration of the medical laboratory professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in health care.
Lab professionals work behind the scenes, out of sight and out of mind. Very few people know about our profession. It takes the entire Laboratory team to work together to provide Lab results so that patients receive the proper diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner. Today, medical laboratory professionals are the frontline to help mitigate the response and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on laboratory testing capabilities, state officials will determine how and when markets will reopen.
The Diagnostic and Medical Laboratory industry has changed dramatically over the last five years. Despite increased demand for laboratory testing, laboratories have been consolidating to mitigate lower reimbursement rates, shortage of laboratory professionals due to recent retirements, and insufficient graduates to fill open positions. These factors have forced laboratories to adopt and rely on automation to increase testing capabilities and capacity.
Medical laboratory professionals have a vital task to ensure testing and automation are validated to report precise and accurate results. Please take a moment and join the Medical Laboratory Science program in celebrating and recognizing Laboratory Professionals Week.
Did You Know?
- Our program is approximately 90 years old! The medical technology training program was started in the early 1930’s by Helen Wyandt Reihart. Reihart was the first medical technologist to be registered in the state of Nebraska and a pioneer among Nebraska women scientists
- Program founder Helen Wyandt Reihart conducted research on the 1918 flu pandemic
- Medical Technology was the first established allied health program at UNMC
- In 1931, the University of Nebraska Hospital clinical laboratory performed a total of 9,218 laboratory procedures. Today, Core Lab alone processes over 10,000 lab specimens per week.
- UNMC Medical Laboratory Science graduates have a 98% first-time pass rate for the ASCP MLS board of certification exam vs. 81% national average
- Per the IBISWorld 2019 report, the medical laboratory industry’s annual growth is expected to increase by 2.1%
- Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the MLS workforce shortage expected to grow by 11% by 2028.
- Today, 70 to 80 percent of all medical decisions are based on the precise and accurate results of our laboratory professionals.
