Medical Lab Professionals Week will be recognized next week from April 18 through 24 to celebrate and honor medical laboratory professionals who play a vital role in every aspect of healthcare. At Prowers Medical Center, the Laboratory team works hard every day to ensure patients receive complete, compassionate care.

Staff offers extensive diagnostic labs performed by certified Medical Technologists. Most lab tests, including those for general health and emergencies, are performed in-house. According to Tress Gadash, Lab Manager at Prowers Medical Center, some statistics show that 70 percent of today’s medical decisions depend on Laboratory results.

“The Lab is constantly working behind the scenes to deliver results to providers, which can help drive their clinical decision making for patient care,” he said. “The Lab team is well educated and performs continued education on an annual basis. When an emergency arises, everyone is able to come together to provide safe, effective patient care.”

New State-of-the-Art Equipment, Testing

Prowers Medical Center Laboratory is comprised of several departments, including Specimen Collections, Hematology, Urinalysis, Coagulation, Chemistry, Microbiology and Transfusion Services. New equipment has recently been obtained in several of these departments to enhance patient experience.

The Lab added new rapid molecular in-house testing, which includes a GI Panel, Respiratory Panel and Blood Culture Identification. The equipment allows Prowers Medical Center to perform a large multiplex panel for patients who have been diagnosed with sepsis, have GI abnormalities or acute respiratory illness. Patients can receive results within an hour, whereas before, it could take between three to five days.

A new Blood Bank automation system has allowed Prowers Medical Center to convert its Transfusion Services department to an automated process. The equipment reduces tech time and improves patient safety by decreasing the potential for human error in urgent situations. The analyzer has the capability to perform ABO/Rh, Antibody screens and crossmatches, which allows techs to complete other tasks as needed.

Lab Technologists recently underwent weeks of training to prepare for Go-Live, which will occur in early May.

“We are constantly exploring ways to improve efficiency in the lab, especially when improved efficiency also enhances patient safety,” Gadash explained.

Awarded, Dedicated Team of Staff

Prowers Medical Center Lab staff prides themselves on their customer service and providing patients the best experience possible. They are constantly looking for new testing methodology to offer to the community.

“The lab staff is comprised of several individuals who have furthered their education and dedicated a large portion of their lives to healthcare,” Gadash said. “With a combined 0f years of experience, the staff has seen and overcome many obstacles, which has helped us grow into the cohesive team we are today.”

In honor of next week, we want to give a huge “thank you” to the Prowers Medical Center Laboratory team, including:

  • Tress Gadash, Medical Lab Scientist (ASCP), Lab Manager
  • Keenan Thomas, Medical Technologist (ASCP)
  • Sarah Gordon, Medical Technologist (ASCP)
  • Angela Martin, Medical Technologist (AMT)
  • Krista Currell, Medical Lab Technician (AMT)
  • John Mbaabe, Medical Technologist
  • Greg Donelson, Medical Technologist
  • Austen Emick, Phlebotomist
  • Leandra Melgoza, Phlebotomist
  • Morgan Warn, Phlebotomist

Recently, while working with out-of-state Area Technical Specialists, Lab staff was complimented on being one of most efficient departments the specialists had ever worked with. Moreover, late last year, surveyors from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) visited the Lab and awarded the team zero deficiencies for the third time in 6 years.

“A zero-deficiency rating from the surveyor shows that our facility is constantly working to provide great care for our community,” Gadash said. “All tests performed must pass strict standards set forth by CLIA, and our lab continues to work hard to surpass all standards to ensure patients receive quality lab results.”

Join us in celebrating the Prowers Medical Center Laboratory staff next week and every week for their dedication and hard work!

To learn more about the department’s services, go to prowersmedical.com/services/laboratory-services or call 719-336-6726. The Lab is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.