Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have a better understanding of the laboratory’s role in testing, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, visible or not, medical laboratory professionals have always been a part of the health care team. Every day they provide answers for diagnosis and treatment for everything from diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and, of course, COVID-19 and all its variants.
From April 9–15, 2023, Canada will celebrate these incredible health professionals during National Medical Laboratory Week (Lab Week). This national celebration is a time to recognize the valuable contributions that medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) and medical laboratory assistants (MLAs) make to patient care every single day. This week is aligned with International Biomedical Laboratory Science Day on April 15, a day of recognition for medical laboratory professionals across the globe.
As part of this celebration, the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) is asking Canadians to see the lab, and the professionals who so often work behind the scenes.
“Even though so many medical lab professionals work behind closed doors, away from patients, their work is vital to our health and wellbeing,” says CSMLS CEO Christine Nielsen. “Lab Week is the perfect time to stop and recognize their contributions to health care. Every day, lab professionals work diligently to provide accurate and precise results for patients, regardless of where they are. We know a patient is behind every sample.”
Light displays by buildings and monuments across the country will shine a spotlight on the profession and bring Canada together for Lab Week. More than 24 sites will be lit up in indigo as a symbol of our collective appreciation for our medical laboratory professionals. A schedule of the light displays can be found at labweek.csmls.org. Photos will be shared via CSMLS social media: @csmls on Facebook and Twitter and @csmls_scslm on Instagram.
“Lab Week is just one week to celebrate the amazing health care professionals who work 365 days of the year,” says CSMLS President, Michele Sykes. “They’ve processed millions of COVID-19 tests on top of the other million tests patients need for diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Medical lab professionals deserve massive thanks and respect all year long.”
Medical Laboratory Technologists, Diagnostic Cytology Technologists, Clinical Genetics Technologists and Medical Laboratory Assistants are all part of the medical laboratory community across Canada. To learn more about their specialized work and their impact on patient care, visit https://medlabprofessionals.ca/.
The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory assistants, and the national professional society for Canada's medical laboratory professionals. Incorporated in 1937 as the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, the society has over 14,000 members in Canada and in countries around the world. For more information about the CSMLS, visit: csmls.org.
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CSMLS
Michael Grant, Director, Marketing & Communications
