{"id":5049,"date":"2021-02-08T08:49:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T13:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/clinical\/?p=5049"},"modified":"2021-02-08T08:56:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T13:56:19","slug":"covid-19-pandemic-highlights-critical-need-for-medical-laboratory-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/clinical\/2021\/02\/covid-19-pandemic-highlights-critical-need-for-medical-laboratory-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Critical Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a critical need for medical laboratory professionals \u2014or those who work tirelessly behind the scenes in laboratories across the United States\u2014 to develop, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, among other duties.<\/p>\n

The Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals<\/h5>\n

Nationally and locally, medical laboratory professionals fill roles at medical centers, but there are often more job openings for medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians than there are graduates to fill those vacancies. While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the profession of medical laboratory science, it has also stressed laboratories that already faced issues with recruitment and vacancies.<\/p>\n

Melissa B. Miller<\/a>, director of the Clinical Molecular Microbiology Laboratory and of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at the ºÚÁÏÍø Medical Center, trained as a medical laboratory scientist. In 2020, she spearheaded development of one of the first COVID-19 tests in the United States. Miller said the MLS degree provided a broad-based training that continued to benefit her as she specialized in medical microbiology and infectious diseases as a postdoctoral fellow at ºÚÁÏÍø-Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

\"Melissa<\/a>
Melissa Miller, PhD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe lab is\u00a0often forgotten, quite\u00a0honestly,\u201d Miller said.\u00a0\u201cWithout people in the laboratory, and\u00a0with high-level expertise in the laboratory, really, all of medicine suffers. It crosses all disciplines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller explained that test results depend on medical laboratory scientists to run the tests, review their quality, and review test results.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the very foundation of medicine,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWithout the lab, you cannot practice medicine in a way that most people would want to practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>North Carolina has four baccalaureate-level programs for medical laboratory scientists across the state, one of which is offered in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the ºÚÁÏÍø. Fifteen accredited associate-level programs offer technician-level training. Many of these programs are small and have very limited capacity in their class sizes due to the specialized training that is required for program completion. Programs also often face difficulties recruiting students due to limited visibility of the profession. However, graduates of these laboratory programs are in high demand and find employment quickly, given the shortages in the workforce both at nationwide and statewide levels. According to Health Resources and Services Administration\u2019s allied health workforce projections, there is projected to be a 19 percent increase in demand for clinical laboratory technologists nationally between 2016 and 2030.<\/p>\n

The Role of the Laboratory During the COVID-19 Pandemic<\/h5>\n

Miller credited the ºÚÁÏÍø Medical Center and its staff with supplying needed resources in order to develop tests to detect COVID-19. As of late January, the ºÚÁÏÍø Medical Center has performed more than 200,000 COVID-19 tests, in addition to facilitating their day-to-day responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went from the mindset of serving the\u00a0medical center to\u00a0serving the health care system, which is\u00a0serving the state,\u201d Miller said. “We in the lab have had the support all the way to the top levels of the health care system. I have really felt that, and our lab has really felt that. No longer are we forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 test developed in Miller\u2019s laboratory attracted nationwide attention; the urgency and need highlighted the profession.<\/p>\n

“Never before in my career, and\u00a0probably in this history of laboratory medicine, has there been such a spotlight on testing,\u201d Miller said. \u201cThe ability to highlight what the lab is doing has really been the one highlight of this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller, who majored in medical technology, did not want to pursue medical school and explored career paths when she learned about laboratory work. She encouraged those who enjoy STEM-based studies to consider the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learn something new every day,\u201d Miller said. \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting field; you never know what\u2019s going to be around the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martha McGee\u00a0\u201993<\/a>, the director of McLendon Clinical Laboratories, said the onset of the pandemic brought to light the shortage and the importance of the ability to adequately staff the laboratory.<\/p>\n

\"Martha<\/a>
Martha McGee ’93<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThese people are in great demand, and\u00a0they\u2019re highly sought after,\u201d McGee said.\u00a0\u201cI try to make [employees] feel how\u00a0valuable they are, because hospitals can\u2019t run\u00a0without laboratories.”<\/p>\n

McGee emphasized that the pandemic highlighted the critical work that laboratory employees do every day and said that protecting the health and safety of staff while continuing to run the laboratory was a top priority. She advocated for\u00a0the use of\u00a0personal protective equipment, staggering staff, and keeping staff six feet apart, depending on guidance at the time.<\/p>\n

Facilitating High-Quality, Person-Centered Care<\/h5>\n

In addition to facilitating COVID-19 testing, McGee said the laboratory also juggled the day-to-day testing and laboratory work associated with other health care needs.<\/p>\n

“What allowed us to start bringing patients back into clinic for routine visits was our ability to test for COVID,\u201d McGee said. “That was critical in regaining our normal operations at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGee said the laboratory has a clear focus of service to our entire state, which extends ºÚÁÏÍø Health\u2019s philosophy of care.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in these challenging times, that\u2019s why we come to work every day,\u201d McGee said. “Throughout this pandemic, we\u2019ve been able to provide a lot of support and expertise to our affiliate hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re really proud of our staff, how they\u2019ve handled it, and how they\u2019ve adapted,\u201d McGee said.<\/p>\n

“There has been a lot of juggling and a lot of balance, but it all comes back to our ability to test, and you have to have trained laboratory people to test. [\u2026] \u201cIf we don\u2019t have people to work in the lab and do this high-complexity testing, none of that happens.”<\/p>\n

McGee said graduates of the Division of Clinical\u00a0Laboratory Science undergraduate and master\u2019s degree programs are well-suited for a career in the laboratory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are beyond compare,\u201d McGee said.\u00a0\u201cThey\u2019re so well prepared, and they are prepared not just for the good times, but for the bad times as well. They\u2019re flexible and adaptable, and that\u2019s what we really need in today\u2019s environment.”<\/p>\n

Susan Beck, the division director, said that the program works closely with clinical laboratories to provide educational experiences for their students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very grateful to the staff for teaching our students while dealing with all the COVID-19 restrictions and complications,\u201d Beck said.<\/p>\n

Beck said that the clinical laboratory profession is an excellent choice for students who want to use their love of science to make a difference in the lives of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an exciting time to enter the profession,\u201d Beck said. \u201cNot only are there job openings for new graduates, but there are many ways that practitioners can advance in their careers.\u00a0 Graduates of our program are serving in key roles in clinical laboratory testing, research and development, administration, education and industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGee said the laboratory greatly benefits from the expertise of alumni from the division\u2019s programs.<\/p>\n

“When May comes around, we\u2019re always excited because we have new people to hire.”<\/p>\n

The Division of Clinical Laboratory Science is housed in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the ºÚÁÏÍø. Miller, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine. Susan Beck, <\/em>PhD, MLS(ASCP)<\/em>CM<\/sup><\/em>, has served on the faculty since 1980.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a critical need for medical laboratory professionals \u2014or those who work tirelessly behind the scenes in laboratories across the United States\u2014 to develop, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, among other duties. The Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals Nationally and locally, medical laboratory professionals fill roles at medical centers, but there … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55977,"featured_media":3888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCOVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Critical Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals | Clinical Laboratory Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/clinical\/2021\/02\/covid-19-pandemic-highlights-critical-need-for-medical-laboratory-professionals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Critical Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals | Clinical Laboratory Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a critical need for medical laboratory professionals \u2014or those who work tirelessly behind the scenes in laboratories across the United States\u2014 to develop, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, among other duties. 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