Felician College Salutes National Laboratory Week

National Medical Laboratory Week, April 14-20, 2002, is a time to honor the more than 265,000 medical laboratory professionals around the nation who perform and interpret more than 10 Billion - that's 10,000,000,000 - laboratory tests performed in the United States each ear!  These tests help save lives and keep people healthy.  Pathologists, laboratory technologists and technicians around the nation are among the many-behind-the-scene "unsung heroes" working in today's healthcare. 

Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, laboratory professionals help prevent disease by detecting unknown health problems and by aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of existing conditions by giving accurate, timely test results.  There is presently a national critical shortage of qualified laboratory personnel. 

To celebrate this year's Lab Week theme "Laboratory Professionals: Quality Care through Quality Testing," laboratories across the nation will host open houses, tours, lectures and demonstrations to help acquaint the public and other health care professionals with the life-saving work they do in the medical laboratory each day. 

Felician College has offered a fully accredited Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) since 1973.  "We are very proud of the work we do," said Professor Marilyn R. Rubin, Program Director of the MLT Program.  "Our MLT graduates have to be painstakingly meticulous in performing their jobs to provide accurate and dependable answers to your family physicians." 

Results of laboratory tests often help identify the presence of disease producing pathogens in their earliest stage, when the possibilities of a cure are greatest and when treatment is least costly. 

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. 

Felician College MLT's can be found in hospitals, doctor's 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, cytotechnology, microbiology, immunology, coagulation, histology, urinalysis, molecular biology, or the blood bank. 

For more information about a rewarding career in the medical laboratory, call the Department of Allied Health Professions at Felician College (201) 559-6185 or visit www.felician.edu/Depart/AHP/index.htm.  You can also visit the American Society of Clinical Pathology's website at www.ascp.org/general/labweek.