Clinical laboratories are the unsung heroes behind accurate diagnoses. They perform standard blood tests as well as more specialised molecular assays that enable clinicians to make precise assessments.
Labs serve as an intermediary between research discoveries and patient care: as new diagnostic assays and biomarkers emerge in research, laboratories implement them into patient care practices.
Labs play an immense role in medical records and healthcare costs, and reducing diagnostic variance would have an enormously positive effect on overall episode-of-care costs and patient satisfaction.
1. Phlebotomists
Most of us have had blood drawn at some point in our lives and likely met the phlebotomist who collected our sample; however, many other professionals who make up the Central Laboratory Services team and contribute significantly to health care may remain unknown to us.
Phlebotomists are medical professionals who collect blood for testing or donation. Phlebotomists require at least a high school diploma and complete a phlebotomy training program before working under the supervision of either a nurse or physician and collecting samples, performing basic lab tests on them, and sending the results to medical labs for analysis.
They must also work with patients, which is an arduous job that demands patience and calm demeanor. Working with people who fear needles is also challenging and they must find ways to calm or distract their anxiety in order to ensure no infections arise from inserting needles improperly.
Blood tests are essential tools in diagnosing and managing a range of conditions, from blood disorders like diabetes to cancer screenings. Without skilled workers to collect and submit sample for testing, healthcare practitioners would not be able to provide necessary care.
As demand for telemedicine grows, so will demand for phlebotomists. Their careful attention, compassion and dedication make them indispensable members of any laboratory team. If you’re interested in becoming one yourself, reach out to a reputable phlebotomy training program for options available to you; they can guide you through any required coursework or certification processes in your state as well as giving an idea of what a typical day in this profession looks like.
2. Biochemists
Biochemistry combines elements of both chemistry and biology, studying how chemicals impact living organisms and biological processes. This discipline has wide-ranging applications across fields including food, medicine, agriculture and forensic science – among others. Biochemists find employment across industries including hospitals and private clinics for hospitals as well as quality control laboratories for manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies as well as academic institutes where they may teach as well as conduct research.
Though biochemists’ duties vary by industry, most spend their days analyzing and recording results from experiments performed in laboratories before compiling these findings into useful, peer-reviewed research reports for their employers – which could include any number of people or organisations.
Biochemists work across industries – food, pharmaceutical and beverage – studying ingredients, processing methods and products for potential health benefits. For instance, in pharmaceutical and food industries they might research carbon footprint reduction strategies or improve efficacy of drugs; perhaps even adding vitamins can extend life span. Their goal is to find new and creative solutions which can be implemented into real world situations.
Biochemists often specialise in improving crop cultivation or animal preservation, while agricultural scientists strive to increase farming efficiency so as to feed an ever-expanding population with nutritious, safe, affordable foods.
Other biochemists study genetic mutations or evolution. Additionally, they might investigate the molecular mechanisms that enable cells to grow, communicate and reproduce – often funded by colleges and universities, private foundations or the federal government. People who earn advanced degrees like doctorates can often design their own research initiatives as well as lead teams of other researchers.
3. Technicians
Clinical laboratory technicians represent an exciting next step on any career path centred around patient wellness. Their duties involve collecting organic samples such as blood and urine from individuals for analysis to detect disease signs or gather other health-related data before reporting it back to physicians.
Global Central Laboratory Service technicians work in many settings such as hospital laboratories or independent facilities and may need to wear protective gear such as masks and gloves when handling potentially contaminated materials; additionally they operate powerful medical equipment like microscopes and cell counters.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lab technicians earned an estimated median annual salary of $57,800 in 2022. Their numbers are expected to grow faster than expected due to hospital expansions and new diagnostic tools being made available to lab technicians.
Medical laboratory technicians are an essential part of the healthcare ecosystem. It is their duty to communicate effectively with healthcare providers, lab staff and other professionals so as to relay test results accurately, discuss sample requirements accurately and resolve any discrepancies quickly and effectively.
Lab technicians must possess skills beyond communication that enable them to read complex charts and graphs and interpret test results accurately. Furthermore, they require superior visual acuity in order to recognize variations in colour, shade and clarity of samples as well as microscopic specimens under microscope examination.
Prioritising work efficiently while meeting deadlines while upholding quality is also required of them – prioritisation training from an accredited program that offers both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience will give lab technicians all they need to start their career successfully.
4. Pathologists
Clinical pathology is a branch of medicine that examines bodily fluids, tissues and organs (autopsy) for clues to diagnose disease so doctors can provide assistance and aid for healing patients.
Pathologists are medical doctors who, typically speaking, possess both an undergraduate degree from college and have completed four years of medical school to earn their Doctor of Osteopathy or DO degree. After this they go onto residency to gain experience treating actual patients; and work closely with physicians in providing test results that help diagnose diseases like cancer or assist them with treatment plans.
Research and development professionals often are sought out to assist in research and creation of treatments or vaccines against viruses, bacteria or diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Furthermore, drug tests to test different medicines on specific ailments often are performed by these professionals as well.
Microbiology laboratory testing, for instance, typically entails cultivating specimens such as feces, blood, urine, sputum and cerebrospinal fluid in order to identify what types of bacteria or other infective agents exist in these samples. Furthermore, sensitivity testing may also be conducted in order to gauge how susceptible or resistant each strain of organism might be to medications that might be prescribed to them.
These medical experts’ work can be strenuous and taxing; yet their efforts make an incredible difference to both individual patients’ healthcare and society’s overall well-being. Their opinions should be considered when discussing healthcare policy and accessing care.
5. Laboratory Administrators
Laboratory Administrators oversee day-to-day lab administrative processes and ensure compliance with federal regulations, which includes managing staff, documenting all equipment acquisitions, liaising with government agencies and training any new lab personnel. Furthermore, they must possess knowledge regarding safety policies and protocols associated with labs as well as meeting all accreditation requirements from accreditation bodies.
Clinical laboratory technicians typically work full-time at hospitals, doctor’s offices or private labs – typically wearing protective gear if working around infectious or hazardous materials.
Laboratory administrators require extensive experience with both computer technology and lab software to fulfil this highly technical role. As lab administrators, laboratory administrators must be capable of tracking and updating FDA specifications and compliance-related documents while troubleshooting software and hardware issues. They may also perform maintenance on lab computers, install and support ESX hosts into development lab clusters, as well as design layer 1-3 network architecture for their internal networks.
Furthermore, they should remain up-to-date with IT trends and solutions for data visualisation in order to inform decisions regarding resource use in their lab. Furthermore, these professionals must ensure the laboratory responds appropriately to physician requests for services utilised through laboratory services and is responding accordingly.
Overall, clinical labs are an integral part of healthcare organisations, with their specialised workforce playing an essential role in keeping patients healthy. With industry trends shifting to value-based care payments and labs playing an even larger part in driving performance and improving results – now is an exciting time to be working in a laboratory. KMC and USC Care both offer plenty of career opportunities within these environments!