[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E527-E528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL MEDICAL LABORATORY WEEK

                                 ______


                          HON. DAVID E. BONIOR

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 1996

  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, there are more than a quarter million 
certified laboratory personnel, including pathologist, medical 
technologists, clinical laboratory scientists, and specialists, 
practicing preventive medicine in more than 12,000 medical laboratories 
in the United States.
  These highly trained and dedicated professionals make invaluable 
contributions to the quality of health care in the United States. They 
save countless lives by providing reliable test results required for 
prevention, detection, diagnosis, and the treatment of illness and 
disease. By carefully performing high quality tests and providing 
reliable information, these vital

[[Page E528]]

health care workers help physicians make diagnosis, early, when cures 
are most likely to succeed. Test results may also help rule out certain 
conditions thereby avoiding unnecessary treatment, saving money, and 
most importantly, ensuring the proper treatment.
  We all must take responsibility for our health, but ultimately, our 
well-being depends on the cooperation and coordination that exists 
between the many individuals devoted to maintaining health. Doctors, 
nurses, dietitians, teachers, parents, and the staff at our Nation's 
medical laboratories all play important roles.
  The dedicated professionals who work in these laboratories save lives 
every day. They play a crucial role in the delivery of health care 
services in America and I am proud to join with the Michigan Society 
for Clinical Laboratory Science in recognizing this week, April 14-20, 
1996, as National Medical Laboratory Week.

                          ____________________