Bay pines va celebrates national laboratory professionals | va bay pines health care | veterans affairs

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System employs 120 Medical Laboratory Professionals who are often referred to as the silent professionals because their work is behind the scenes. According to one

laboratory professional, there is a saying: “Without the lab, you are only guessing.” … this could not be truer. “There’s little knowledge about what we do and our profession,” said Bay

Pines VA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) Laboratory Manager Assistant Arellis Torres-Caraballo. “We are a highly trained and educated team, working tirelessly to

provide excellent and accurate laboratory results that help save lives and improve patient’s health outcomes.” According to Torres-Caraballo, Bay Pines VA’s P&LMS offers a variety of

laboratory tests. These tests include the analysis of lipids, cholesterol, , hormones, and many others. And, the Bay Pines VA System P&LMS team consist of Pathologists, Cytotechnologists

Histopathology Technicians, Histologists, Medical Technicians, Clerical and Administrative Staff, and Medical Technologists.  “Medical Technicians are the face of the laboratory. They are

the ones who, on a daily basis, provide compassionate and excellent care to our Veterans,” said Torres-Caraballo. “Medical Technicians, collect the blood specimens from the patients,

receive, and process the patient specimens to be tested.” Torres-Caraballo added that Pathologists, Cytotechnologists, Histopathology Technicians, and Histologists work together in the

processing and evaluation of tissue specimens. Their job is critical in the diagnosis and differentiation of different types of cancer. “Medical technologists provide a vital role in the

health care given to all Veterans across the healthcare system,” said Lee County VA Healthcare Center Advanced Medical Technologist Ian Garcia.  “Without our expertise in providing accurate

and precise data it would be a daunting task for providers to be able to diagnose and treat the diseases that afflict the human condition.” The Medical Technician is normally the first

impression most Veterans obtain from the lab. “Many of the interactions between the medical technician and the patient dictate the opinion that Veterans have of the facility and

institution,” Garcia continued.  Because of the efforts medical laboratory professionals put into the quality and excellence of their work, Veterans receive accurate diagnoses, treatments,

and care from their providers. It is an important piece of the puzzle called Patient Care, according to Torres-Caraballo. “The medical laboratory setting is highly regulated,” said

Torres-Caraballo. “Medical Laboratory professionals are always striving for excellence, continuously learning and adapting to new technology and processes, and refining their skills because

we understand the impact our work has on the care of Veterans.”