1. Allied Health Professions in the Clinical Laboratory
Cheri Goretti, ma, mt(ascp), cma(aama)
Professor & director, allied health programs
Quinebaug valley community college

2. Ever wonder what happens to your blood tubes after you’ve had your blood drawn?

3. What is the Clinical Laboratory?
Department of the hospital where blood and other body specimens are processed for testing
Routine wellness testing
Urinalysis
Screening for diseases
Cardiac Risk Profile
Diagnosing diseases
Glucose Tolerance Test

4. Specific Departments Chemistry Hematology Coagulation Microbiology
Immunology/
Serology
Urinalysis
Blood bank

5. Chemistry Department Tests performed include: Fasting blood glucose
Cardiac risk panel
Hormone levels
Liver function tests
Kidney function tests

6. Chemistry Autoanalyzer

7. Hematology/Coagulation Department
Complete Blood Count (CBC) – looks at all of the blood cells in the body. Proper amount, size, shape
Used to help diagnose anemia, infections, leukemias, thrombocytopenia
Prothrombin Time/INR
Partial Thromboplastin Time
Both tests used to monitor patients who are on Coumadin or heparin
Bleeding Time
Clotting Time

8. Blood smear for a CBC

9. Microbiology Department
Tests performed on blood and other body fluids to determine the presence of bacteria
Throat culture
Urine culture
Tests performed to determine presence of intestinal parasites
Ova and Parasite test
Tests performed to determine presence of viruses
Herpesvirus culture

10. Microbiologist

11. Immunology/Serology Department
Rheumatoid Factor Test –test for rheumatoid arthritis
Mono Test – test for mononucleosis
Hepatitis A, B, and C antibody and antigen testing
HIV antibody and antigen testing

12. RF Serology Test – for Rheumatoid Arthritis

13. Blood Bank Department
Tests performed to determine a patient’s blood type and compatibility to a donor unit of blood
ABO and Rh Typing
Type and Screen
Type and Crossmatch

14. Blood Bank

15. Professions in the Clinical Laboratory
Phlebotomist
Medical Laboratory Technician
Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist

16. Phlebotomist
Must have some sort of formal training – credit or non- credit
Credit programs offer a ladder to other health care fields such as medical assisting or medical laboratory technician
Must be nationally certified by taking certification exam
Phlebotomist perform more tasks than just drawing blood
Specimen processing
Collect and/or test urine
Perform glucose tolerance test or bleed time test

17. Phlebotomist Graduates in phlebotomy have gone on to:
Medical assisting degree
Medical lab technician
Clinical lab scientist
Histology technician
Nursing

18. Curriculum Techniques of phlebotomy Internship (not always required)
Credit Programs
Non-credit Programs
Medical terminology
Medical law and ethics
Techniques of phlebotomy
Phlebotomy internship
Techniques of phlebotomy
Internship (not always required)

19. Medical Laboratory Technician
Also known as clinical laboratory technician
2 year associates degree
Performs wide range of laboratory tests
Nationally certified

20. MLT General Education Courses
English Composition
Intermediate Algebra or higher
Medical Terminology
Chemistry
Human Biology
Medical Law & Ethics
Humanities elective
Social Science elective

21. Core MLT Courses Intro to Clinical Lab Techniques of Phlebotomy
Urinalysis and Body Fluids
Clinical Hematology & Coagulation
Clinical Chemistry
Clinical Immunohematology & Serology
Clinical Microbiology
Internships – 400 hours

22. Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Also known as medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist
4 year bachelors degree
Performs all types of specimen analysis
Can hold department supervisor positions
Can hold laboratory manager positions
Can hold other management positions
Nationally certified

23. CLS Curriculum – General Education Core
English Composition
Intermediate Algebra or higher
Statistics
General Chemistry I & II
Organic Chemistry I & II
Biochemistry
Genetics
Human Biology or A&P I & II
Physics

24. CLS Core Courses Intro to Clinical Lab Techniques of Phlebotomy
Urinalysis and Body Fluids
Clinical Hematology & Coagulation
Clinical Chemistry
Clinical Immunohematology & Serology
Clinical Microbiology
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Laboratory Information Systems
Internships – 400 hours

25. Employment– US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Phlebotomists – expected to grow by 25% from
Median annual salary $31,000 ($15/hr)
Medical Laboratory Technician – expected to grow 16% from
Median annual salary $50, 550 ($24.30/hr)
Clinical Laboratory Scientists – expected to grow by 16%
Median annual salary $65,000 ($31/hr)

26. Where are Lab Professionals Employed?
Hospital laboratories
Reference laboratories
State and federal laboratories
College and universities
Pharmaceutical companies – research and sales (Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb)
Biotechnology companies – research and sales (Genzyme, Arvinas)

28. Anatomical Laboratory
Section of the laboratory that deals with processing and diagnosing conditions of cells and tissues
Histology – the study of tissues. Prepare surgical specimens for macroscopic & microscopic examination
Histologist
histotechnician
Cytology – the study of cells. Prepares cellular specimens for microscopic examination
Cytologists/Cytotechnologist

29. Anatomical Laboratory
Pathologist
Specialized physician who diagnoses diseases by microscopically examining tissues and other body fluids.
Also the medical director of the clinical laboratory

30. Employment Outlook Histologist Median annual salary $60,500
Rapid job growth of 16% from
Requires a bachelors degree and national certification
Histotechnician
Median annual salary $47,000
Requires an associates degree and national certification

31. Employment Outlook Cytologist/Cytotechnologist
Median annual salary $50,000-65,000
Requires a bachelors degree and national certification
Pathologist
Median annual salary $255,204
Rapid job growth 18% from
medical school then a 4 year pathology residency
Licensed

32. Professional Society for Lab Personnel
American Society for Clinical Pathologist (ASCP)
Largest professional membership organization for pathologists and laboratory professionals
Offers national certification exams for all lab personnel (phlebotomists, MLT, CLS, HT, CT, etc)