HAMILTON ON (April 12, 2022): “Medical laboratory professionals are essential to healthcare, processing over 270 million tests annually. All healthcare services require laboratory diagnostics, which ensure physicians can make informed decisions about your health.
April 10th - 16th, 2022 is Medical Laboratory Week in Ontario. The Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario is inviting the public to join us in recognizing the essential healthcare work of medical laboratory professionals.
Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) are regulated health professionals who analyze specimens to inform clinical decisions. Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technicians (MLA/Ts) take samples and perform many pre-analytical functions. Both groups have a critical role, healthcare could not function without them.
When you get blood drawn at the clinic, medical laboratory professionals analyze samples for evidence of diabetes, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, kidney disease, cholesterol, heart disease, and more. If you get an infection, lab professionals will find out exactly what type of virus, bacteria, or fungus it is so that the doctor can provide the appropriate treatment and antibiotic. If you have chest pain, lab results determine whether you are having a heart attack and can minimize damage to the heart, increasing your chance of survival.
Despite being central to healthcare, medical laboratory professionals can be hidden within the healthcare system. They are patient-facing but often mistaken for nurses or other healthcare workers. Results are crucial to patient care, but they are hidden behind laboratory doors.
For this reason, our campaign this year is themed #LabISEssential—lab professionals, stakeholders, and supporters are wearing buttons and bracelets to make the often-invisible work of the lab visible in our hospitals, laboratories, healthcare centers, and communities.
Ontarians can show support by taking a selfie with a #LabISEssential sign and tagging their local hospital or laboratory to highlight their work. Pictures can be shared on social media using #LabWeekON and #LabISEssential. Download a sign to print or grab a sharable social media post at https://www.mlpao.org/labisessential.
Medical laboratories are at the centre of healthcare. Although you might not see them, medical laboratory professionals are essential. Thank you for your help in celebrating and highlighting this incredible group.”
- Michelle Hoad, CEO, Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario.
