56th MDG laboratorians saluted as professionals Published April 15, 2009 By Janice Coll 56th Medical Support Squadron LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- More than 10 billion medical laboratory tests are performed in the United States each year to confirm diagnoses, rule out suspected conditions or monitor treatment. Sunday through April 25 the 56th Medical Group is celebrating the contributions of its laboratory professionals during National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. This year's theme, "Laboratory Professionals Get Results," focuses on test outcomes that help return patients to good health. "Laboratory medicine provides a crucial thread that runs through the entire patient care process," said Dr. Richard Clark, 56th MDG provider. "Test results from the laboratory drive a significant portion of clinical decisions, from diagnosis to therapy. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week provides an opportunity to honor the contributions of pathologists, laboratory technologists, and technicians in the maintenance of wellness, the diagnosis of illness and the treatment of disease." Medical laboratory professionals are dedicated to preventing serious illness and disability from before a child is born and throughout the golden years of life. Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, they perform and supervise tests that not only search for potential health problems in the hope of identifying the disease early when it is most treatable but also guide and assess the ongoing care of patients. Laboratories also play a critical, front-line role in the detection of infectious agents, such as those that might be used in a bioterrorist attack. Among the departments that make up the medical laboratory are chemistry, serology, hematology, cytology, microbiology, immunology, coagulation, histology, urinalysis, molecular biology and the blood bank. The 56th MDG members are celebrating this week with games, food and activities. The Luke Air Force Base community is welcome to stop by and visit.