As part of its continuing effort to highlight the critical role that laboratory medicine plays in healthcare, Abbott announced that it has awarded diagnostic equipment, supplies and service to clinical laboratory educational programs at 16 accredited schools across the United States.
These programs, designed to prepare students for careers in clinical laboratory science, represent the first grant recipients of the Instrument Donation Initiative, sponsored by the company’s “Labs Are Vital? ” Program. The state-of-the-art equipment awarded includes automated immunoassay analyzers, hematology systems and handheld point-of-care automated diagnostic instruments.
“While it is important to recognize and celebrate the work of lab professionals currently in the field, Abbott’s ‘Labs Are Vital’ program also addresses the need to train and support the next generation of laboratory professionals on high-tech, real-world equipment,” said Don Patton, vice president, global diagnostic commercial operations, Abbott. “Our nation’s clinical laboratories are facing a critical shortage of qualified laboratory personnel, and providing educational programs with additional resources to train future laboratorians is a first step for us to help.”
The 16 recipients represent nine universities and seven community colleges, and were selected from more than 100 online applications. An independent panel of judges ? representing university, community college and hospital-based programs ? chose the awardees based on a combination of selection criteria, including need and number of students reached by the program.
The first round of equipment donation recipients includes:
Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, Georgia)
Clover Park Technical College (Lakewood, Washington)
Elgin Community College (Elgin, Illinois)
Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Michigan)
Illinois State University (Normal, Illinois )
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Richmond, Virginia)
Oregon Institute of Technology (Portland, Oregon)
Our Lady of the Lake College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Trident Technical College (Charleston, South Carolina)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alaska (Anchorage, Alaska)
University of Buffalo (Buffalo, New York)
University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (Memphis, Tennessee)
University of Texas Health Sciences Center (San Antonio, Texas)
Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan)
“Talking about automation in labs does not adequately prepare new laboratorians for what they will experience once they move on to the hospitals for their clinical rotations,” said Becky Clark, assistant professor and head of the Medical Laboratory Technology program at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia. “Until now, the best I have been able to do for my students to show them modern equipment was to take them on a field trip to see one of the state’s high-tech labs. This grant from Abbott will help us move our program into the 21st century.”