“Medical Lab Professionals Week” is celebrated annually to pay tribute to scientists, professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in healthcare.

Lab Week is sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and this year’s theme is “Barbie: The Lab is Everything.”

According to Marianne Downes, Medical Laboratory Science Program Director at Geisinger, the medical lab science profession is predominantly female.

“It has been predominantly female, especially during World War II. There was quite the entrance into the workplace for that analytical thinking — laboratory professions were one of those. It saw a large number of females — we have been ladies in STEM for a very long time,” said Downes.

PHOTO PROVIDED Kate Guthrie is pictured.

At Geisinger Jersey Shore, the festivities organized by lab staff and managers have been in full swing.

“We celebrate each day of the week with different food provided by our managers, games and prizes,” said Emily Haines, Medical Technologist at Geisinger Jersey Shore. “We all enjoyed using a life sized Barbie box as a photo booth along with other Barbie and lab props. We will be sharing red drinks out of fake blood bags and enjoying lab themed cookies provided by Flavorful Cookies and Treats.”

Though medical laboratory scientists are a key component to any diagnosis, a lot of the work done by these professionals is done “behind the scenes.” They’re often overlooked, and their work is attributed to nurses or other hospital workers.

“Being behind the scenes most people do not know we exist, yet we play a critical role in treatment and diagnosis,” said Haines. “My favorite part about my job is patient care without patient contact. I love to tell people we are the doctor’s tool box because it is our job to analyze the patient samples and report accurate results to physicians in order for them to properly diagnose and treat the patient.”

Medical laboratory scientists work very closely with doctors to analyze samples of biological specimens and diagnose patients. The information they compile through testing plays a crucial role in diagnosing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured are, from left, Kira Munro, Tammy Early, and Brittany Berardelli.

According to Downes, “At least 80 percent of medical decisions are based on the diagnostic results that are performed by individuals within these professions.”

“Shows like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ or ‘House’ portray doctors performing our job, though this is not the case. I love that even though we are not on the front lines we are still “first to know” in certain cases. The results we put out could change a patient’s life. Examples of this could be finding something to diagnose a condition early on (like cancer) or resulting in a positive pregnancy test on someone that has been trying to start a family,” said Haines.

For those interested in the profession, Geisinger School of Medical Laboratory Science is officially reopening and rebranding. Previously known as the Geisinger School of Medical Technology, the school was open from 1929 to 1999. Since then, the terminology for the profession has changed.

“Many things have occurred in the last 20 years, and we’re keeping current,” said Downes.

The school hopes to transform laboratory workforce education by using innovative, evidence-based practices in order to develop highly trained and competent professionals who are committed to quality care for their patients.

PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured are Lehra Hamo, left, and Kashfiah Fatema.

The program is quality-controlled with in-person face-to-face classroom instruction — ensuring that students get the best hands-on clinical training possible.

According to Downes, the laboratories are accredited through the College of American Pathologists, the Joint Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

“Some people are hesitant to look for jobs in healthcare because they think they are limited to becoming doctors and nurses. I love to explain my job as an alternative. If you like critical thinking and problem solving, this would be a great career to consider!” said Haines.

“There’s a major issue in the workforce for all of the clinical laboratory sciences… There were a huge number of people who entered into those professions (in the 1980s)… (They are) now retiring or will be retiring in the next 10 years. This really created a workforce shortage that we’ve been aware of,” said Downes.

Downes noted there is a 7 to 13 percent projected growth by the Bureau of Labor Standards for this profession.

“Not only do we have the wave of all of these people who have the knowledge retiring, we have growth. That statistic is based on pre-COVID numbers. Even increasing that based on what we have seen… It creates a bigger shortage,” said Downes.

Every year around 11,000 new laboratory professionals are needed, but currently there are only around 5,000 graduating annually, according to Downes.

“Increasing visibility (for these professions) is incredibly important. We really want to be unified in what we do because we’re unified in our view of ensuring patient safety through quality work,” said Downes.

Governor Josh Shapiro also recently joined with Pennsylvania’s medical laboratory professionals to recognize April 14-20, as Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.

Shapiro noted in his recognition statement the hard work medical lab professionals have done not only in their day-to-day, but specifically noted their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His recognition read, “As we reflect on the contributions of our medical laboratory professionals, take a moment to appreciate their hard-work and loyalty to our communities. …we cannot forget Pennsylvania’s medical laboratory professionals for their service and commitment to their fellow Pennsylvanians during that tough time.”

If a laboratory science career interests you, you can find more information about potential careers at www.laboratorysciencecareers.com

For more information about the Geisinger School of Medical Laboratory Science program opportunities, visit www.geisinger.edu/gchs/education/health-professions/school-of-medical-laboratory-science