Lab workers benefit patients behind the scenes By Kim Cumbie Brian Robbins, a senior clinical technologist, examined blood samples to classify cell types in the clinical lab. We don't often think about them, but our futures may lay in their hands. Their work could mean a difference between life and death. Chandler Medical Center's laboratory staff. They test blood, fluids and urine to help doctors make accurate diagnoses.
Doctors see the body changes and can make a more specific diagnosis according to laboratory results.
A 23-member team handles lab work for Kentucky Clinic, Kentucky Clinic North and Kentucky Clinic South. Staff members run analyses within hours of the samples' arrival, averaging 550 tests a day. Robbins examines cells and classifies them according to type, which could point to a simple infection or life-threatening cancer. Samples requiring unusual tests are sent to UK Hospital Clinical Laboratory, where sophisticated equipment allows detailed analysis. The Hospital lab also runs clinical tests for inpatients.