Published April 24, 2018
Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is April 22-28 and the University of Louisiana
Monroe Medical Laboratory Science Program was recently honored with several awards
to MLS faculty, students and alumni at a professional meeting.
Faculty members Melanie Chapman, Jessica Lasiter and Debbie Wisenor, part-time faculty
members Katie Patrick and Karen Williams, 30 MLS students, several clinical MLS instructors,
and ULM MLS alumni attended the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science of
Louisiana and Mississippi 2018 Bi-State Annual Meeting in Biloxi April 9-13.
One of ULM’s four MLS teams won first place in the student bowl competition, competing
among 22 teams from Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. The ULM MLS first-place student
bowl team was undefeated throughout the two-day competition, and defeated LSUHSC-New
Orleans in the final game. ULM students served as timekeepers, scorekeepers and sergeant-at-arms
for the games.
University of Louisiana Monroe Medical Laboratory Science students display their award
as the winning team in the student bowl competition at the recent American Society
for Clinical Laboratory Science of Louisiana and Mississippi 2018 Bi-State Annual
Meeting. Emerald McIntyre/ULM Photo Services
“We are very proud of all of our students. The winning student bowl team did an outstanding
job, and they could not have accomplished so much without the support of classmates,
instructors, faculty and alumni,” said Chapman.
ULM MLS student Natalie Craft received a scholarship award from the Louisiana State
Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. Sabra Hanna received the LSCLS Student of
the Year Award.
President of the ULM Medical Laboratory Science Society Wasana (Robin) Keohavong obtained
funding for the MS-ASCLS/LSCLS Joint Annual Meeting in Biloxi for $1,500 through the
ULM Student Enhancement Activity Fee Committee. The ULM MLS Society raised funds to
cover additional costs for students to attend the meeting.
Wisenor received the Educator of the Year Award. Student Craft described Wisenor as
“resolute for her cause, tenacious in spirit and faithful to the lives she touches
every single day.”
Debbie Wisenor, Director of Medical
Laboratory Science at the University
of Louisiana Monroe, received the
Educator of the Year Award at the recent
American Society for Clinical Laboratory
Science of Louisiana and Mississippi
2018 Bi-State Annual Meeting.
Emerald McIntyre/ULM Photo Services
ULM instructor Williams is the LSCLS president and 2015 alumnus James Gardner is the
president-elect. Lasiter and Gardner received the LSCLS Presidential Service Award
and Omicron Sigma awards for their service to the organization. 2016 alumna Lacy Falke
received the Keys to the Future Award.
Chapman, Lasiter and Wisenor presented “A Program Saved by Community Funded Partnering”
at one of the educational sessions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 300,000 practitioners
of medical laboratory science in the United States. Since the development of this
career group in the 1920s, the medical laboratory science professional has played
an increasingly vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease.
Today, the medical laboratorian is a key member of a health care team. As team members
of one of the largest industries in the United States, the dedicated efforts of laboratory
professionals are often unseen by the general public. With the public now demanding
the assurance of quality health care and professional accountability, laboratory practitioners
of this critical science have a responsibility to ensure that the public is well informed
about medical laboratory competency.
