In celebration of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, Health and Senior Services Commissioner Heather Howard today recognized New Jersey’s medical laboratory professionals as key members of the health care team.

Although they mainly work behind the scenes, laboratorians perform and interpret millions of laboratory tests each year that are essential to the identification, diagnosis and treatment of disease.  When lab tests detect disease in its earliest stages, the possibilities of a cure are greatest and treatment is least costly.  Lab results comprise an estimated 70 percent of a patient’s medical records and also contribute to promoting wellness.

More than 265,000 medical laboratory professionals across the nation work in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, research facilities, blood banks, public health laboratories, the armed forces, universities and industry.

The theme for this week’s National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (NMLPW) is “Laboratory Professionals Get Results.”  Laboratories across the country will host open houses, tours, lectures, and demonstrations to help acquaint the public and other health care professionals with the valuable work of the medical laboratory.  Laboratorians at the Department of Health and Senior Services Public Health and Environmental Laboratories plan to celebrate NMLPW by sharing their expertise with Trenton-area school children on Tuesday, April 21.  The Department will honor its laboratorians on Wednesday, April 22.

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