Published March 25, 2024
CAPTION: Congresswoman Julia Letlow, along with representatives from ULM, LDCC, and the Monroe
Chamber of Commerce, cut the ribbon at a grand opening for the new Medical Lab Technician
Laboratory on the campus of LDCC.
MONROE, LA – In a continued effort to bridge the bayou, Louisiana Delta Community College and
the University of Louisiana Monroe will share resources to jointly deliver instruction
for medical lab science career pathways. At LDCC, the 65-credit-hour Medical Laboratory
Technicians Program includes certifications or exit points as a phlebotomist, a medical
lab assistant, and terminating as a medical lab technician. Upon successful completion
of the program, students will earn an associate of applied science degree. Students
will then be eligible to seamlessly enter ULM's medical lab science bachelor's degree
program. After successfully completing thirty hours online at ULM, students will graduate
with their bachelor's degree in medical lab sciences.
Nathan Hall, dean of student services at LDCC, says, "We are excited to offer another
program that meets the needs of local employers and provides opportunities for students
in our area. We appreciate the partnership with ULM and Julia Letlow for helping make
this program a reality."
The Medical Laboratory Technicians program is designed to prepare students for medical
lab jobs by giving them the necessary know-how and abilities. "Our region has a great
need for medical lab professionals to help meet the ever-changing needs in healthcare.
We are excited to be able to provide hospitals with highly trained technicians to
meet those needs," shares Alicia Jones, Medical Lab Technicians program director.
The importance of work done in labs cannot be overstated. "Many critical medical decisions
that are often life-changing are based on the laboratory results generated by these
professionals. Medical laboratory educational programs and partnerships, such as these,
will create a variety of laboratory career paths for students and help fill the void
of laboratory personnel in our regional hospitals and clinics," explains Paula Griswold,
Ph.D., associate dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences. Once students complete
the program, graduates will be skilled at running tests that help doctors spot, diagnose,
and treat illnesses.
The student lab at LDCC boasts about $400k in equipment, including the Alinity-m by
Abbott. LDCC is the only education-only institution to have one for purely training
purposes. Congresswoman Julia Letlow was instrumental in securing funds earmarked
for this program and other educational initiatives.
This collaboration is business as usual for LDCC and ULM. Both institutions work earnestly
to provide the maximum opportunities for the students they serve. "This is a great
example of what can happen when people and different entities work together for the
community. Congresswoman Letlow helped make this true partnership between ULM and
LDCC possible. Our community and others in the region will benefit from it for generations,"
explains Dr. Randy Esters, chancellor at LDCC.
The Medical Laboratory Technicians program launches this fall, but applications are
being accepted through July 1. "The ULM Medical Laboratory Science Program is excited
about our partnership with the LDCC Medical Laboratory Assistant/Medical Laboratory
Technician Program. The LDCC MLA/MLT Program will provide competent and ethical medical
laboratory personnel to fill positions in medical laboratories across the nation,"
says Jessica Lasiter, program director for ULM Medical Laboratory Science.
More information can be found under The School of Nursing at www.ladelta.edu. For more information about the ULM Medical Laboratory Science program, visit. www.ulm.edu/mls.
