As we celebrate Medical Laboratory Professionals Week this year, it is important to recognize the hard work of laboratorians who consistently provide high-quality laboratory testing as an essential part of healthcare. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to the work of these dedicated professionals, they have always worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
Nancy Stratton, CEO of COLA, has firsthand experience as a medical technologist earlier in her career and understands the importance of laboratory medicine. She emphasizes the contributions of all medical laboratory professionals. “The contributions of medical laboratory professionals are invaluable in upholding the highest levels of patient care. Their expertise in interpreting test results is crucial during the diagnosis process and throughout treatment. COLA recognizes and values the work of all individuals working in laboratories, including phlebotomists, processors, accessioners, data entry staff, couriers, laboratory warehouse personnel and testing personnel. Together, they are essential in ensuring the highest quality of care for patients,” Stratton said.
To support these hard-working individuals, COLA offers the GiveBack365 scholarship program to foster awareness of careers in the medical laboratory field and to sustain the future of the industry. The annual scholarships are awarded to students pursuing a degree in the field of Medical Laboratory Science within an accredited program.
Lastly, COLA has been sharing timely CDC Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS) alerts with healthcare professionals to keep them and the public informed. COLA has also launched a new bi-weekly blog called “Laboratory Watch.” This new blog is an informative resource dedicated to helping pathologists, laboratory directors and clinical laboratory professionals perform their jobs better. Laboratory Watch will keep you and other laboratory professionals up-to-date on significant advancements in the field of laboratory science, the latest regulatory news and the opinions of experts in the field.
