National Medical Laboratory Week to Bring Awareness to Vital Health Care Professionals
HAMILTON, March 23, 2011 – The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) is proud to spearhead a national public awareness campaign as part of this year’s National Medical Laboratory Week. The Knowing Matters campaign serves to illustrate the vital contributions medical laboratory professionals make to Canada’s health care system each and every day.
Every day in Canada, life-saving diagnoses are made based on the diagnostic results generated in laboratories. The dedicated professionals who work in the lab often go unnoticed by the public because they are rarely seen by patients.
“Even though our members are part of the third largest health care profession in Canada, they are often over looked by the public as key contributors to patient care,” states CSMLS president, Goldie Fagan. “As National Medical Laboratory Week draws nearer, our campaign will help shed some light on these hard working and dedicated professionals.”
National Medical Laboratory Week will be taking place from April 24 – 30, 2011. Since 1985, CSMLS has sponsored this special week to educate the public about the important role that laboratory testing plays in the health and well-being of Canadians.
Joining in the celebration will be Medical Laboratory Technologists, Diagnostic Cytotechnologists, Clinical Genetics Technologists and Medical Laboratory Assistants from coast-to-coast. The theme for the week is You know, because we’re here, which highlights that the information the lab produces is vital for physicians to diagnose and treat patients.
“As part of our campaign, we have produced a 30-second commercial which emphasizes the important connection between the lab professional and the patient,” says Christine Nielsen, CSMLS’s Executive Director.
CSMLS has posted its commercial on YouTube and has challenged its members to join in the effort to raise public awareness by sharing the video. The organization has committed to airing the commercial on national television when the video hits 25,000 views.
“The YouTube component of our campaign allows us to engage our members in the act of raising awareness,” states Ms. Nielsen. “We feel that it is important for our profession to come together as a community and have their collective voice heard.”
Please visit www.knowingmatters.ca, a website with information about who medical laboratory professionals are and what their role is, to view the video and help CSMLS reach its goal!
The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory assistants, and the national professional society for Canada’s medical laboratory professionals. Incorporated in 1937 as the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, the society has over 14,000 members in Canada and in countries around the world.
For more information about CSMLS or interview requests, please contact:
Michelle Squarciotta
Director of Marketing, Communication & Member Services
Phone: 905-528-8642 ext. 8693
www.csmls.org