Medical lab professionals to celebrate lab week

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  A walk through Malmstrom Air Force Base's 341st Medical Group clinic would provide Airmen with a glimpse of the hundreds of medical professionals hard at work to keep Team Malmstrom healthy. What many wouldn't notice is the numerous lab tests that are performed daily by a small, hard-working group of Airmen behind closed doors.

April 22 through 26 has been designated as this year's National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, and is a time to honor the eight individuals responsible for critical lab testing performed on base every day. The eight clinical laboratory technicians are Maj. Marybeth Luna, Staff Sgt. Justin Bloomfield, Staff Sgt. Monik Hicks, Staff Sgt. Leslie Balliew, Senior Airman Jonathon Baker, Senior Airman Sean Gleason, Geoff Fallon, and Tiffany Sykes.

"Most people don't realize how important the lab is to the mission until they need us or don't have our services," Baker said. "I enjoy [my job] because I get the chance to affect somebody's life in a positive way almost every day."

"Being cooped up in the back, I think people have a tendency to underestimate or overlook the importance of technicians," Hicks added. "We may not have a waiting room with lots of people but that does not stop the work flow of what we do behind the scenes."

In total, 84,786 tests were performed in the lab during 2012. These tests included:
· Blood chemistry analysis -glucose, sodium, cholesterol, etc.
· Hematology - white and red blood cell counts and platelet counts
· Serology - pregnancy tests, infectious mononucleosis and rapid strep tests
· Urinalysis - measures chemistry, bacterial and cellular make-up of urine
· Microbiology

Also during 2012, Malmstrom's lab analyzed 40 proficiency tests to ensure procedures were performed properly, and according to Luna, received 100 percent on all challenges.
"We also have hands-on and written proficiency tests for the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System," Luna said. "We scored 90 percent on the written and achieved a 'High Pass' score on the hands-on challenge. 'High Pass' is the highest score possible for the JBAIDS proficiency tests."

The importance of the laboratory professionals goes beyond the significant amount of lab tests they perform accurately on a daily basis. Their work is a direct reflection on the health and wellness of the Airmen on Malmstrom.

"The lab is essential to providing pre- and post-deployment care" Baker said. "We perform all of the testing necessary to ensure that service members are healthy enough to deploy. We provide beneficiary care to service members' families as well. As a [medical group] we keep Air Force families as healthy as possible because we know that a parent or spouse can't perform their duties if they're worrying about a sick child or loved one at home. The lab needs to provide quick services so that doctors can treat patients and get them back to duty."

Quick service is something Baker is used to, and something that he has put to good use in a moment's notice. At his last assignment, Baker helped save the life of an infant by quickly providing him a transfusion of red blood cells.

"He responded well and it was a happy ending," he said. "That's what makes this kind of job rewarding."

By accurately performing lab tests, these eight lab professionals help the 341st MDG practitioners make accurate diagnoses and, in turn, may help save lives. Their job is an important part of the operation of the clinic, and is a job that does not go unnoticed.

"The laboratory received its prestigious national accreditation through the College of American Pathologists in September, 2012," Luna said. "This is a rigorous inspection of 517 line items that the laboratory is responsible for. We were compliant with 99.8 percent of the checklist items."

The lab professionals are a part of the Diagnostics and Therapeutics Flight, which won 341st Medical Support Squadron's professional team of the 3rd and 4th quarter last year. Also during 2012, one lab member was STEP promoted and another received a single 3rd quarter award.

The work of these few - but proud - lab professionals is, most times, done "behind-the-scenes," but the impact they have on the workforce of the base is significant. In honor of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, members of Team Malmstrom are encouraged to keep these individuals in mind during their trips to the clinic and help them all celebrate this upcoming week.

"I enjoy every second of my job," Hicks said. "As a nursing major I like to know that I can assist in changing lives and assist providers in making a difference in a patient's life."