In recognition of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, we are pleased to spotlight Veronica York – a proud member of the Deh Gah Got’ie First Nations – who has worked at Stanton Territorial Hospital for over a decade as a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) in both the Core Lab and Microbiology Lab, and more recently as the Technical Supervisor of Specimen Control. As a Territorial Laboratory Information System (LIS) Administrator, Veronica’s work brings together healthcare, information technology, and laboratory science to support accurate and timely lab results across the NWT.

Veronica has always had a strong fascination with microbiology and its role in disease. This led her to explore Medical Laboratory Technology, where she could combine her passion for science with her desire to make a difference in healthcare. After being accepted into the MLT program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Veronica had the opportunity to work as a summer student at the Stanton Lab, which solidified her career path. After graduating, she returned to Stanton, where she’s been able to grow both professionally and personally.

Veronica especially likes being able to bridge between technology and patient care and optimizing lab workflows to ensure accurate and timely results that directly impact patient safety. She works collaboratively with frontline staff to solve unique challenges and to advocate for improvements that make a difference. She is proud to be part of a team that makes a real difference every day, especially in a place as unique and resilient as the NWT.

Veronica says her work can be challenging, but it is deeply rewarding to improve care for Northern and Indigenous communities and contribute to something bigger than herself. Outside of her daily duties, Veronica is also studying herbal medicine which allows her to build on her background in esthetics and laboratory science. She is passionate about holistic health and how natural ingredients support wellness – something that she sees as a natural extension of her work in healthcare but from a more traditional Indigenous and plant-based perspective.

Thank you for everything you do, Veronica!