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Career Spotlight

The Clinical Laboratories of the Department of Pathology play a crucial role in modern health care delivery as part of a team of health care professionals. The Department of Pathology can be divided into two general areas:

1. Anatomic pathology is performed by members of Topeka Pathology Group and involves in-depth studies of tissue removed during surgery for examination, the study of diseases through autopsies, and the study of cells referred to as Cytology. Stormont-Vail employs highly skilled cytotechnologists who read both non-gynecological and gynecological cytologies. The latter program provides the women of northeast Kansas with high quality, locally provided pap smears.
2. Clinical pathology is laboratory medicine involving both the performance and the interpretation of laboratory tests. The patient’s physician correlates these results with the patient’s clinical signs and symptoms.

The main objective of both areas is to provide reliable information as quickly as possible to aid the physician in the diagnosis and treatment of a patient’s disease. All departments in Stormont-Vail HealthCare Laboratory are accredited by the College of American Pathologists.

What are some of the Laboratory’s major areas of work?

• Histology Department
• Microbiology Laboratory
• Blood Bank and Transfusion Service
• Chemistry Laboratory
• Hematology Laboratory
• Coagulation Laboratory
• Urinalysis Laboratory

Some facts of interest about Stormont-Vail HealthCare Laboratory:

• Over 190 individuals make up the Laboratory’s dedicated staff.
• The Laboratory is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
• Over 3,000,000 tests are performed each year.

When it comes to the challenge and rewards of medicine and science, the Medical Technologist (MT) has the best of both worlds.  Medical Technologists work in all areas of the clinical laboratory including blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology, and microbiology. They perform a full range of laboratory tests – from simple methods to more complex tests to uncover diseases such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and cancer. They are also responsible for confirming the accuracy of test results, and reporting laboratory findings to pathologists and other physicians.  The information that a Medical Technologist gives to the doctor influences the medical treatment a patient will receive. Also known as Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS), Medical Technologists operate complex analytical equipment, computers, and precision instruments costing millions of dollars.

Career Preparation
To prepare for a career in medical technology, you should get a solid foundation in high school sciences – biology, chemistry, math and computer science. You’ll also need a combination of formal education (baccalaureate degree) plus clinical education in a medical technology or clinical laboratory science program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Your education in medical technology will prepare you directly for a job in a variety of laboratory settings. While you’re going to school, you can work part time in a laboratory. You could start working full time the day after you graduate. 

Health Innovations Network of Kansas (HINK), a coalition of 16 hospitals in the region, recognized the shortage of Laboratory Professionals in our region and the need for a Clinical Laboratory Science program. The professionals who graduate from these programs used to be called Medical Techologists and are now referred to as Clinical Laboratory Scientists, a title that better defines their role in health care. HINK chose to collaborate with Washburn University on a University of Nebraska-Omaha Medical Center Program. Students from across the state of Kansas are eligible to enroll in the program after completion of 86 hours of college credit including appropriate biology and chemistry classes. Students then complete 11 weeks of basic laboratory skills in Omaha and the remainder of the year is spent learning the practice of clinical laboratory science in an affiliated hospital to finish their bachelor’s degree, and become ASCP board eligible. The program is also available to those who have already earned their bachelor’s degree and are looking for a meaningful career.

Scholarships
Through the generous contributions of its members and support from Dade Behring, Inc., the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) offers scholarships to qualified students enrolled in approved laboratory science educational and training programs.  Scholarship selection criteria include academic achievement, leadership abilities and community activities, professional goals, and endorsements from faculty and community leaders. Other local scholarships may be available.

Certification
To be sure that laboratory workers are competent and able to perform high quality laboratory tests, the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) gives a national certification exam. Students take this exam after meeting their academic and laboratory education requirements. Those who pass the exam may use the initials MT(ASCP) after their names to show they are proficient in their field.  Certification is valid for three years.  To demonstrate competency throughout their careers after their initial certification, laboratory professionals must complete a Certification Maintenance Program every three years that involves documentation of continuing education credits.

Stormont-Vail Professional Laboratory Contribution Ladder (PLCL)
The Professional Laboratory Contribution Ladder (PLCL), was created as a vehicle to retain and recruit professional medical technologists, cytotechnologist and histotechnologists. In addition, it was developed to promote growth of the professional laboratorian based on his or her personal goals and stage of demonstrated professional development. Employees wishing to advance to the next level in the ladder must demonstrate to a panel of their peers, evidence they consistently exhibit next-level criteria. Using established guidelines, the PLCL committee will determine whether clinical advancement is merited. In addition, bonus amounts are awarded at the time PLCL level advancement is achieved.

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