Pathways to Excellence URMC DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE | WWW. PATHOLOGY. URMC. EDU | AUGUST 2023
growing our own
training initiatives develop a new generation Institutions across the country continue to face shortages of medical lab professionals who are vital to the healthcare journey of patients and their families. Rochester is not immune. Staffing issues existed prior to 2020 and were further exacerbated by the pandemic. Prior to the shutdown, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine had already begun to develop solutions to meet the challenge head-on, in part by creating training models that can produce and sustain a new generation of talented employees. With lab workloads only rising, this cannot happen quickly enough. Volumes are increasing: 11.4 million tests were performed last year at all UR Medicine lab sites, including our six regional affiliate hospitals. Patient Service Centers are seeing 3,000 patients each day. The ongoing need for medical laboratory staff prompted the department to make moves toward finding ways to train more
individuals for a variety of roles, including clinical medical technicians and technologists, phlebotomists and histotechnicians. “It’s an opportunity to meet our health system’s current, critical needs and build a sustainable pipeline of employees who we have handpicked and trained to excel within our growing team,” said Vicki L. Roberts, M.S., Education Director and Clinical Laboratory Technology Program Director. The long-time medical technologist who began her career 39 years ago emphasized the incredible satisfaction that comes with the profession. “The educational experience that graduates take away from our programs is not limited to mastery of the clinical concepts in order to pass a licensing exam,” Roberts said. “The far-reaching, long-term value is about a career that influences thousands of lives for the better.” Continued on page 3
IN THIS ISSUE From the Chair.................................................................. 2
News and Photos.............................................................. 4
Research Day.................................................................... 4
In Memory of Tony di Sant’Agnese, M.D. .......................... 5