Skip to contents
In This Issue:
Ocia Douglas of Phlebotomy draws a blood sample from Rachel Smith, of the OR, to be sent to the National Marrow Donor Program registry.
For people who are afraid of needles, the prospect of having blood drawn is far from a pleasant thought. In phlebotomy labs throughout the distributed campus, however, phlebotomists and phlebotomy technicians do their best to put patients at ease when they arrive to have their blood drawn.
“We’re relied upon for a service that many people find scary, and we do a very good job at making sure everyone feels comfortable when they come in for blood collection,” said Joi Torrence-Hill, director of Inpatient and Outpatient Phlebotomy. “Not only do we have to have a skillful trade—finding the vein and collecting the blood—but we have to do so while ensuring the patient remains relaxed.”
Phlebotomy is one of the many labs throughout the distributed campus that were recognized during BWH’s celebration of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week April 24-30. The week’s events included breakfast, an ice cream social, book swaps and tours of the labs during the“take your children to work day” event.
More than 500 technical staff, from phlebotomists to pathologist assistants, work in labs ranging from Microbiology to Immunology and Reproductive Endocrine.
“Many of our lab technicians are behind the scenes, and don’t have an opportunity to interact with patients,” said Margaret O’Donnell, operations supervisor for Pathology. “This week’s events help us let them know how much they are appreciated by their colleagues and patients.”
In the Molecular Diagnostics lab, 25 people—including technologists, physicians, bioinformaticists and administrative coordinators—work together to perform a variety of complex tests on DNA or RNA isolated from patients’ blood or tissue specimens. The tests identify alterations in genes that ultimately help diagnose cancer, guide treatment for targeted therapies, and monitor response to therapy or identify inherited predisposition to disease.
While they don’t have direct interaction with patients, the Molecular Diagnostics team is still driven by providing the best patient care.
“I feel great pride in knowing that the results we generate are used to help care for patients,” said Dimity Zepf, clinical supervisor of the Molecular Diagnostics lab. “One of the most rewarding moments is when we hear from doctors who tell us how our efforts to complete a test helped them in the care of their patient.”
Jim Pepoon, administrative director for Clinical Operations and Planning, agrees that playing a role in providing top-notch patient care is what drives the 70 people who work in the department. The Surgical Pathology lab processes tissue specimens removed during surgeries and procedures, including diagnostic biopsies and tumors. Surgical Pathology processes about 80,000 surgical cases a year, and produces 750,000 patient slides a year, which pathologists use for making diagnoses.
“I’m proud to be part of a department with such long-standing and rich traditions,” Pepoon said. “We’re currently renovating our laboratory, which will bridge our rich past with cutting edge technology that will enable us to provide better, more efficient care for patients at BWH.”