The Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories Applauds the Work of Ontario's Unsung Health System Heroes

In Celebration of National Medical Laboratory Week April 20-26th

TORONTO, April 22, 2014 /CNW/ - The Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories (OAML) is proud to celebrate National Medical Laboratory Week.  More than 7,700 medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) perform nearly half a million lab tests in Ontario each day.  These regulated health professionals work alongside microbiologists, chemists, other scientists and laboratory physicians as well as committed support staff in specimen collection centres and laboratories to perform the tests that are critical to the health of Ontarians.

"Medical laboratory technologists don't often receive the recognition they deserve for the important health care service they perform," said Paul Gould, Chief Executive Officer of the OAML. "We wanted to take a moment during National Medical Laboratory Week to thank these individuals for their hard work and recognize their contribution to the health care system in Ontario."

The public doesn't usually come into contact with these laboratory specialists yet they are a crucial part of each patient's successful treatment. Every day in laboratories across Ontario they perform thousands of sophisticated medical tests on blood, body fluids and tissues which are used by doctors to diagnose, treat and monitor a patient's health.

Laboratory tests are the most cost-effective, least invasive source of objective information used in clinical decision-making. These tests drive 80 percent of clinical decisions from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis, according to the College of American Pathologists. The work of laboratory professionals helps in the early detection of disease, improves patient care and saves lives. Laboratory professionals are a vital part of the care each of us receives every day.

The OAML was established in 1978 as the voice of Ontario's community medical laboratory sector.  OAML member laboratories provide 95% of all diagnostic testing for patients outside of hospitals. The Association is composed of 6 members that operate 24 accredited testing facilities and 329 licensed specimen collection centres across Ontario.

SOURCE: Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories

Chief Executive Officer: Paul J. Gould, M.A., CMC, 416-250-8555, [email protected]