Earlier this week for National Medical Laboratory Week we highlighted the Microbiology team at the Stanton Laboratory. The Core Laboratory team is the other team at Stanton that has been working unrelentingly to ensure the timely delivery of essential results to patients in the NWT.

“I am very proud of this team and all the hard work they have done during this pandemic. With all the staffing issues we came across, everyone was always willing to pitch in and help when they could,” says Lisa Howlett, Technical Supervisor of the Core Laboratory at Stanton.

Assistants on this team prepare and process the samples and are the team members that typically work directly with patients collecting blood samples and more. Technologist on this team then use a variety of instruments to test and analyze the samples, allowing physicians to make accurate diagnosis.

During the pandemic, there was an increase in testing needs, and from April 2021 to March 2022, this team completed an estimated total of 361,995 tests. As these skilled professionals are in high demand across the country, this team handled this high volume of testing while also experiencing staffing challenges.

Thank you to the Stanton Core Laboratory team and the many skilled lab professional working across the NWT for the essential work you have and continue to provide to the NWT.