National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week

Kaiser Santa Rosa's combined lab services staff perform more than 600,000 tests annually.

Without tickertape or fanfare, the laboratory medicine department provides lifesaving services for members on a daily basis. This month, however, we have official cause to let the bugles of appreciation blare: National Laboratory Professionals Week, April 22-28. During this special week, some 80 lab professionals throughout our Kaiser Santa Rosa region (certified phlebotomist technicians (CPT), clinical laboratory scientists (CLS), patient registration clerks, pathologists, pathology tech assistants, and medical secretaries) will be recognized for their crucial assistance to physicians and, ultimately, to the health of our members.

According to Administrative Director Jon Drew, Kaiser Santa Rosa's combined lab services staff perform more than 600,000 tests annually. Laboratory information is essential to many aspects of patient care. Physicians use lab data for diagnosis, monitoring, and for treatment in most cases.

The laboratory staff work in the background to provide assistance to clinicians, helping to determine their diagnoses and monitor their therapies.

Four Laboratory Locations

The hospital lab provides inpatient and urgent outpatient blood tests, along with three other lab service centers:
MOB East on the main campus, Stein, and Rohnert Park medical offices. Specialty areas include an anatomic pathology lab in Santa Rosa where
pathologists examine tissue samples and conduct tests for cancer and abnormalities, and a pediatric lab service center at Stein Medical Offices where staff are specially trained to work with children.

Most urgent tests are drawn and processed in the local service area while routine and specialized tests are performed at Kaiser Permanente's regional laboratory in Berkeley where couriers travel there several times a day.

Workplace safety is another major focus of these 'behind the scenes heroes'. Kaiser Santa Rosa's laboratory labor/management safety team has developed and implemented various safety improvements, including addressing ergonomic issues, chemical hygiene, and sharps safety issues.

Find out more about the laboratory medicine department or find out what happens to your blood sample.