"Laboratory medicine provides a crucial thread that runs through the entire patient care process," said Jana C. Sullinger, MD, pathologist and President/CEO at CYTOPATHNET. "Test results from the laboratory drive a significant portion of clinical decisions, from diagnosis to therapy. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week provides an opportunity to honor the contributions of pathologists, laboratory technologists and technicians in the maintenance of wellness, the diagnosis of illness and the treatment of disease."

More than 10 billion laboratory tests are performed in the United States each year to confirm diagnoses, rule out suspected conditions or monitor treatment. Medical laboratory professionals are dedicated to preventing serious illness and disability from before a child is born and throughout the golden years of life. Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, they perform and supervise tests that not only search for potential health problems in the hope of identifying the disease early when it is most treatable, but also guide and assess the ongoing care of patients.

Laboratories also play a critical, front-line role in the detection of infectious agents, such as those that might be employed in a bioterrorist attack. "The community laboratory often is the first to see evidence of an infectious agent in a patient sample," Dr. Sullinger said. "Our contribution at the local level is critical to a process that, ultimately, protects us all from the spread of disease."

CYTOPATHNET plans to reinstate our previous area of "In Memorium" which recognizes contributions of key individuals in the field of cytopathology who are no longer with us. We will be posting instructions for how to submit nominations for individuals. In addition, we will be opening a new area for recognition of key individuals in the field who are currently active in cytopathology.

Medical laboratory professionals practice in medical laboratories in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, research facilities, blood banks, public health centers, the Armed Forces, veterinary offices, colleges, and many industries. Titles include pathologists, medical technologist, clinical laboratory scientist, medical laboratory technician, histotechnologist, histologic technician, cytotechnologist, cytopathologist, phlebotomy technician, clinical chemist, microbiologist, laboratory manager, and medical educator. Among the departments that make up the medical laboratory are chemistry, serology, hematology, cytology, microbiology, immunology, coagulation, histology, urinalysis, and the blood bank.

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