The other day a staff person said, “I’ll bet the nurses don’t like coming to the lab. This is our turf, and it’s us against them when that happens.” Most nurses love coming the lab if they are greeted with warm smiles and pleasantries. It’s ironic that we laboratory people will stay inside our “black box” and complain when our work isn’t ...

This week, April 22-28, we celebrate National Medical Laboratory Professionals' Week (NMLPW). This celebartion was started in 1975 as National Medical Laboratory Week (without the word ''professionals'') by American Society for Medical Technology (ASMT), now called the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). Now in its 36th ...

  Just a few minutes ago, a friend sent me a link to a news story about a hospital in New York that was forced to close because  of  what he described  as ''problems with their lab.''  An inspection of the laboratory by New York State Department of Health yesterday found enough significant deficiencies to direct ...

Based on the near-record attendance of our recent “Calibration Verification” webinar, this is a compelling topic for clinical laboratory professionals. We appreciate the questions you posed to our speaker and hope you are able to apply this new knowledge to your laboratory processes. Should you have additional questions, please send them our way ...

Traditionally, laboratories result and complete testing that is either mailed, faxed, or “available“ electronically. Without paper, providers have to hunt and peck, which involves logging in, finding the patient, clicking, scrolling, and all the rest. The jargon is “pull technology” -- a request for information is initiated by a user (client). ...

I love college sports! I believe academic athletic departments bring huge benefits (and funds) to the universities and to the communities they serve. However, when I read a recent editorial in USA Today about the rise of the salaries of the athletic directors on campuses nationwide, I must admit, I was upset. When I read that the average salary is ...

In recent years the legal community  has described a phenomenon called the CSI Effect.Based on the popularity of television programs like CSI, jurors as well as the public at large have come to expect that  every criminal case can be solved definitively in a short time with clear proof of innocence or guilt. Very ...

A few years ago a local patient with a critical INR in our laboratory had his test repeated at a medical center in a nearby city with wildly different results. The patient telephoned us and complained. “I don’t know who is running your tests,” he said, “but they need to get their act together! I can’t drive an hour every time I need a blood ...

I just saw the blockbuster movie Contagion and must say I was pretty impressed. When I watch a medical-themed movie, I always look at it with a critical eye. How factual is it? Is it authentic in terms of scenarios, equipment, procedures and vocabulary?I look for how realistically roles are portrayed. For example I tend to roll my eyes and become ...

As news of Hurricane Irene dominates the news it is difficult not to think of how one prepares for a disaster. Those of us in healthcare have to be concerned about individual safety and the welfare of family' but we have the obligation of being expected to take care of others-patients-as well. In fact those most affected by the disaster will be ...