[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NATIONAL MEDICAL LABORATORY PROFESSIONALS WEEK, APRIL 24-30, 2011

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 2011

  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I offer this on behalf of my 
colleague, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and her constituents in 
Arizona's 8th congressional district. This year, more than 10 billion 
laboratory tests are being performed--tests that are important to the 
health and, often, the very lives of our family members, our friends, 
and ourselves.
  Thirteen percent of the U.S. population is already over the age of 65 
and every seven seconds one of us turns 50. Combine these facts with 
the steadily lengthening life expectancy of the average American, and 
today's emphasis on preventive medicine and early detection of disease 
conditions. The result is an exponentially growing, almost overwhelming 
demand for medical laboratory services across the nation.
  The American Society for Clinical Pathology advises that among the 
highly trained and dedicated professionals who work in medical 
laboratories are histotechnologists, histologic technicians, 
pathologists, medical technologists, cytotechnologists, medical 
laboratory technicians, and phlebotomists who engage in life-saving 
work every day.
  Given the critical nature of their work, laboratory professionals 
require state-of-the-art technological support. Take, for example, the 
preparation of microscope slides for biopsies. Three hundred million 
tissue slides--most of them key to detecting cancer--are processed in 
U.S. histology labs each year. Actively working to eliminate patient 
identification errors and cross-contamination, the nation's top lab 
professionals have replaced outdated labeling and slide preparation 
processes with smart solutions--fully automated, integrated individual 
slide staining systems and workflow management platforms that offer 
confidence in their ability to deliver the right patient results.
  I am proud to note that the leading global provider of such patient-
focused, tissue-based cancer diagnostics is Ventana Medical Systems, 
Inc., headquartered in southern Arizona's eighth congressional 
district. Their mantra underscores the mission of every medical 
laboratory: deliver the right patient results in a timely manner.
  With the approach of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week 
(April 24-30), I join Ventana's 1,300 employees in saluting our 
nation's medical laboratorians. Their dedication, professionalism and 
hard work, combined with state-of-the-art technology, are essential to 
prolonging the healthy lives of millions.

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