St. Joe’s Celebrates National Medical Laboratory Week
Medical laboratory professionals are a crucial part of any health care team. They work behind the scenes, processing clinical tests related to cancer, hepatitis, pre-natal care, HIV and other STIs, and so much more.
The Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program (HRLMP) is a partnership between St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, and McMaster University. The lab processes diagnostic tests for health care providers in Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and many other parts of southern Ontario.
The HRLMP typically operates from 8AM to 9PM, but these are no ordinary times. The virology lab, located at St. Joe’s Charlton campus, is now operating 24/7 to process COVID-19 tests on top of their normal workload. The pandemic has been testing their mettle, and they have stepped up to the challenge.
On the research side, laboratory technologists at the Research Institute of St. Joe’s are developing the next generation of diagnostic tools and assays. Recently, researchers have began to use robotics to increase throughput for COVID-19 testing.
This week, we’re recognizing the people who are behind every lab result. We thank our laboratory staff for their commitment to the community they serve, their work to improve diagnostic testing, and for their recent efforts towards combating the pandemic.
April 26 to May 2 is National Medical Laboratory Week.
Quick Facts about Medical Laboratories
Learn more at wearelab.ca