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The important role of laboratorians at HCA Healthcare
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Laboratorians work behind the scenes to get results that make them the unsung heroes of patient diagnoses. In the field of healthcare, the value of laboratorian expertise is highly recognized and the demand for compassionate people with the qualifying skills is at an all-time high.
Employment opportunities for medical laboratory technologists and technicians are projected to grow 11 percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, much faster than the average for all occupations. In part, this can be attributed to the growth in the aging population, leading to a greater need to diagnose medical conditions through laboratory procedures.
At HCA Healthcare, laboratory professionals and the results they find are valued parts of the clinical decision-making process. Laboratorians are respected members of team leadership.
“The course of modern healthcare is often defined by the work of laboratory professionals and pathologists,” said Dr. Michael Cuffe, HCA Healthcare executive vice president and chief clinical officer. “While 24/7 they have always been critical to our patient’s care, that importance has been exemplified during COVID-19. They have selflessly been at the point of our response; for them and for all our caregivers, we are grateful.”
HCA Healthcare is home to approximately 8,900 clinical laboratory professionals, including 7,000 serving in our hospitals and another 1,900 working at affiliate Integrated Regional Laboratories.
With HCA Healthcare’s 182 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care, laboratorians across our organization have professional options and opportunities to make an impact at scale. In fact, more than 4,000 allied health positions, including over 900 laboratory opportunities, are currently available at HCA Healthcare.
What do laboratorians do?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 billion laboratory tests are ordered annually in our country. Laboratorians are the professionals who operate in laboratories running those tests, analyzing the samples and delivering results that guide and inform patient care.
At HCA Healthcare, laboratorians were able to meet the extraordinary demands for COVID-19 testing while simultaneously performing and interpreting tests that diagnose everything from cancer to high cholesterol.
“Did you know that greater than 70% of medical decisions are driven by laboratory testing results? What you all do every day provides such tremendous value to the health care system and most importantly, to our patients,” said Dr. Pranil K. Chandra, TriStar Division medical director of laboratory services stewardship. “We should all feel immensely proud for the work that we do, especially given how our efforts positively impact patient care. Thank you for your tireless efforts and for your contribution to improving patient outcomes at HCA Healthcare.”
What are roles that make a lab run?
Laboratorians have specific credentials that can qualify them for a variety of disciplines within laboratory science. At HCA Healthcare, the following credentials can qualify you for numerous opportunities:
Pathologists
- AP/CP certified or board eligible
- Hundreds of opportunities at HCA Healthcare
Medical technologists
- State licensed (in blood bank, serology, chemistry, hematology, etc.) with an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or extensive military training
- Approximately 3,000 opportunities at HCA Healthcare
Phlebotomists
- ASCP/ASPT certified
- More than 400 opportunities at HCA Healthcare
Complex specimen processors
- Experience with specimens for all age groups from infancy to geriatrics
- HCA Healthcare has opportunities in Florida and Colorado
Among the other indispensable partners in providing patient-centered care, improving health outcomes and overall public health by working in a laboratory are histotechnologists (800 opportunities), clinical lab scientists (over 100 opportunities) and laboratory research assistants (more than 10 opportunities) to name a few.
Why do laboratorians choose the laboratory?
Laboratory professionals help provide the foundation for driving diagnostic and therapeutic decisions for patients. They analyze specimens to learn something new every day – about laboratory science and about each patient. Laboratory professionals focus on speed and accuracy for the best patient experiences and outcomes.
“These individuals are truly unsung heroes who keep the laboratory ‘machine’ churning out crucial results. They do this every day of the year, often every hour of the day, and rarely get to see the direct beneficial effect their labor has on patients. Our laboratorians make our lives so much better… so much that we’ve come to expect and not always appreciate all that they do. To that end, thank you for everything! We appreciate, respect, and, now more than ever, need you in our patient care team.”
Dr. Alan F. Brown, molecular genetic and hematopathologist, Methodist Hospital
Why do laboratorians choose laboratories at HCA Healthcare?
Comprehensive services. The opportunity for laboratorians to work for facilities that are leaders in comprehensive women’s services, internal medicine, endoscopy, heart and vascular care, orthopedics and more exists at HCA Healthcare.
Impact. At the peak of the pandemic, our lab colleagues processed close to 12,000 COVID-19 tests in one day. Laboratorians continue to be the heart of the COVID testing response while maintaining high quality, rapid results for hundreds of other tests.
Leadership opportunities. At HCA Healthcare, a role such as the medical laboratory technician serves as a member of team leadership and is considered a technical professional within the organization. This critical role helps us better serve our patients and meet our commitment to the care and improvement of human life.
Location choices. Opportunities for allied health professionals and laboratorians are resident in the 21 states where HCA Healthcare serves. Our laboratorians have the opportunity to contribute from the location that provides the lifestyle and work-life balance that fulfills them.
Stewardship. The Laboratory Stewardship initiative at HCA Healthcare is part of a national effort to define and implement best practices associated with lab testing to improve care delivery through appropriate test utilization. Laboratorians at HCA Healthcare are committed to advancing better utilization of lab resources, which will ultimately enhance the value of patient care.
Technology. At HCA Healthcare, our laboratorians manage specialized clinical microbiology testing using automatic equipment and molecular instrumentation in high volume environments. They employ state-of-the-art technologies to help drive the best possible clinical outcomes for our patients.
“I’m a proud member of the Summerville Medical Center laboratory team. Being a medical lab scientist allows me to provide accurate and precise results that aid in the diagnosis and treatment of our patients. Knowing that the results we report directly affect patient care is why I strive to do my absolute best in every aspect of medical laboratory science.”
– Shayla Glover, Medical Lab Scientist, Summerville Medical CEnter
Celebrate and join the laboratorians of HCA Healthcare
HCA Healthcare is grateful to our laboratorian colleagues and their contributions toward clinical decision making for so many patients who have entrusted their care to us. We celebrate you, your expertise and all you do to ensure the best possible outcomes and experiences for our patients. We invite those with the same exemplary qualifications and compassionate drive to join the HCA Healthcare team and be a part of their impact on the care and improvement of human life.
Grow your career with HCA Healthcare: careers.hcahealthcare.com
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About HCA Healthcare
HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, is comprised of 183 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our more than 283,000 colleagues are connected by a single purpose — to give patients healthier tomorrows.
As an enterprise, we recognize the significant responsibility we have as a leading healthcare provider within each of the communities we serve, as well as the opportunity we have to improve the lives of the patients for whom we are entrusted to care. Through the compassion, knowledge and skill of our caregivers, and our ability to leverage our scale and innovative capabilities, HCA Healthcare is in a unique position to play a leading role in the transformation of care.
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