{"id":197839,"date":"2023-04-20T12:56:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T16:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=197839"},"modified":"2023-04-20T13:49:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T17:49:04","slug":"uconn-health-celebrates-its-lab-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2023\/04\/uconn-health-celebrates-its-lab-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Health Celebrates Its Lab Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Often referred to simply as \u201cthe lab,\u201d UConn Health\u2019s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine<\/a> has a workforce of more than 115, many in areas that work around the clock.<\/p>\n

\"medical
Magdalena Kossuth, a third-shift medical technologist in UConn Health’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, conducts a chemistry test. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In advance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 23-29, the accolades come from throughout the institution.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to all of our medical lab staff, who work so hard every day to ensure quality care in the patients we serve,\u201d says Caryl Ryan, chief nursing officer and UConn John Dempsey Hospital chief operating officer. \u201cThese professionals are respected front-line staff who interact with many patients daily and are truly valuable members of the interdisciplinary team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUConn Health is a team, and with that one of the key components in providing exceptional care is our group in the lab,\u201d says Anne Horbatuck, vice president of ambulatory services and UConn Medical Group chief operating officer. \u201cWe work with them closely in our multiple locations and appreciate all that they do. So during Medical Lab Professionals Week we would like to thank them for being a part of our UConn Health Team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Anatomic Pathology Division includes histology, cytology, and surgical pathology, while the Lab Medicine Division includes core laboratory (hematology and coagulation), microbiology, blood bank, phlebotomy, special chemistry, special coagulation, cancer center laboratory and anticoagulation clinic, decentralized laboratory testing, and point-of-care testing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

We are so fortunate to have the support of the amazing pathologists, medical technologists, and other laboratory professionals who are often \u2018behind the scenes\u2019 in our patient care. — Andrea Moran<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"lab
Medical technologist Marcin Budz handles a vial of blood in UConn Health’s blood bank. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe lab plays such an integral role in the care of our patients in the emergency department,\u201d says Dr. Alise Frallicciardi, medical director of emergency medicine. \u201cPatients are coming in with life-threatening emergencies and fast, accurate labs help us save lives. The lab team works hard to make sure our clinicians have the information they need day in and out to help patients get back to their lives. We could not do our job without them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Forced into pandemic mode more than three years ago, the lab since has developed a laboratory for COVID-19 testing, expanded services, worked with departments throughout the institution to accommodate evolving needs, and expanded blood draw services.<\/p>\n

\u201cLab advancements are made every year in technology, as well as the sampling of specimens,\u201d says Jessica Underwood, senior director who oversees the lab. \u201cThere have been several advances made in specific testing on specimens collected and the management of patient treatment plans, especially in the genetics arena. As more markers and genes are identified, testing has expanded, as well as targeted treatment. For regulatory and safety reasons, the lab is always evolving depending on new regulations and safety initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"lab
Yichong Liang, a UConn allied health undergraduate student on a clinical rotation in UConn Heath’s core lab, assists medical technologist Daren Boisvert with a quality control check. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All lab employees work on-site, with the core lab and blood bank working around the clock, and microbiology working first and second shift, seven days a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe central lab area and microbiology staff are always friendly and quick to process our lab work,\u201d says Patty Fagan, assistant nurse manager in the cardiac catheterization lab. \u201cI want to recognize Giuseppa Mancuso from point-of-care testing. Giuseppa is always friendly and willing to help at a moment’s notice. UConn should appreciate what a valued employee she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underwood says her staff takes a collective approach to meeting the lab\u2019s many demands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main demand, and expectation, is to provide exceptional service, results in a timely fashion \u2014 especially if they are considered stat testing \u2014 and teamwork,\u201d Underwood says. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just teamwork within the laboratory; it expands to supporting our nursing teams with training and inpatient phlebotomy, providing support for clinics that have decentralized and point-of-care laboratory testing processes, collaborating with departments to introduce a new test into our specimen collection menu, and working collaboratively with our couriers and facilities teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"group
From left: Swati Patel, Phyllis Chung, Angelina Vaccarelli, Mihaela Artemie, Magdalena Kossuth, Allen Hooper, Kristen Hasler, Safia Sharaf, Becky Santiago, and Yichong Liang in UConn Health’s core lab. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, lead hematology oncology nurse practitioner Andrea Moran says nearly every aspect of patient care involves lab personnel.<\/p>\n

\"female
From left: Lauren Sovinsky and Victoria Baltronis are safety and quality assurance officers in UConn Health’s clinical laboratory. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe are so fortunate to have the support of the amazing pathologists, medical technologists, and other laboratory professionals who are often \u2018behind the scenes\u2019 in our patient care,\u201d Moran says. \u201cWe call on our colleagues in the lab at all hours of the day and night to perform phlebotomy on our most fragile patients, run specialized diagnostic tests, assist with interpreting lab results on complicated patient conditions, and prepare and deliver lifesaving blood products. Thank you all for your hard work and support every day. We couldn\u2019t do our jobs without you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Carolyn Krivca, assistant nurse manager on the orthopedic surgery floor, is especially grateful for the phlebotomists, two in particular: Jasmine Springer and Justin Krajcik,<\/p>\n

\u201cOur unit raves about how kind and helpful they always are despite challenges shifts may throw their way,\u201d Krivca says. \u201cThey are always professional and kind with staff and patients. Between their patience and bedside manner, to them going above and beyond for patients who may be difficult sticks, to helping out during rapid response calls or codes, they always seem to be right there when you need them, at ease and ready to help. We truly appreciate all their hard work and kindness!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"lab
Medical technologist Ajana Bejleri handles donor blood in UConn Health’s blood bank. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jeff Boyko, director of logistics management, can relate to the impact the pandemic can have on health care delivery and all that\u2019s necessary to carry it out, as his group, like the lab, were among those who answered the call largely behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very grateful for the collegial and professional relationship we share with the lab staff,\u201d Boyko says. \u201cDuring the supply chain shortages, the lab staff worked with us hand in glove to preserve stock and seek alternative solutions for extreme shortages. This open communication continues today.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he shares the appreciation of the phlebotomists.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a personal perspective, I am arguably the world\u2019s biggest chicken when it comes to blood draws,\u201d he says. \u201cThe phlebotomists are fabulous. I have never had a bad needle stick.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, the acknowledgements pour in for Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine personnel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":197843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2296,2224,2231,2388,179],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2010],"class_list":["post-197839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allied-health-sciences","category-cahnr","category-health-well-being","category-healthcare-workforce","category-uconn-health"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-06 11:21:07","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197839"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197863,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197839\/revisions\/197863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/197843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197839"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=197839"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=197839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}