SALINA — Laboratory Alliance of Central New York, LLC is concerned about what it calls an “alarming national shortage” in the medical technology or laboratory workforce. “I call it a silent crisis because nobody really knows what medical technology is,” says Barbara Guiffrida, VP of human resources at Laboratory Alliance. A medical technologist or a […]
SALINA — Laboratory Alliance of Central New York, LLC is concerned about what it calls an “alarming national shortage” in the medical technology or laboratory workforce.
“I call it a silent crisis because nobody really knows what medical technology is,” says Barbara Guiffrida, VP of human resources at Laboratory Alliance.
A medical technologist or a medical technician handles a patient’s blood work, she notes.
“So when you want to see if you’re a diabetic or you have high cholesterol … that’s how they’re diagnosed … through lab results,” says Guiffrida.
Laboratory Alliance, which says it is the region’s largest clinical laboratory, contends the open jobs have outpaced the number of medical technologists and technician graduates for years.
A medical technologist is also known as a clinical laboratory scientist, Laboratory Alliance says.
The clinical-laboratory worker is an “important player” in the health-care industry, but it’s not a “top-of-mind” career choice because they’re workers who do their jobs behind the scenes and not directly with the patients, Laboratory Alliance contends.
“They’re hidden. They’re behind the scenes. They’re not up front like the nurses or the doctors,” says Guiffrida.
The company argues that a career in laboratory medicine is a “smart choice” for students who enjoy science and want a “strong job market” when they graduate.
Laboratory Alliance is telling anyone contemplating a two- or four-year degree in science to choose medical technology and “there will be a career waiting upon graduation.”
A medical technologist is a person who has a four-year degree in medical technology. A student needs only a two-year degree to become a medical technician. The positions require licensing from New York State, which started about a decade ago, according to Guiffrida.
A graduate with an associate degree can begin with a starting salary about $37,500, a figure that rises to about $42,000 with a four-year degree, says Guiffrida.
“When you go and get your degree, you come out with a career, as opposed to just a degree. That’s why I was so excited about this P-TECH grant for the Syracuse City School District,” she adds.
P-TECH grant
The New York State Education Department awarded the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) a $3 million New York State Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) award. The SCSD announced the grant award in early November.
The district used the award to create the P-TECH Health Careers Academy (HCA) at Henninger High School.
The high school will enroll 56 incoming ninth graders to attend the P-TECH Health Careers Academy beginning in the 2016-17 school year, SCSD said.
They will graduate in five to six years with a high-school diploma, an associate degree, industry recognized credentials, and preference for local jobs, according to Laboratory Alliance.
The SCSD will collaborate with SUNY Broome Community College, Onondaga Community College, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Laboratory Alliance of Central New York on this project.
USBLS study
In its news release, Laboratory Alliance cited a 2012 study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) that indicated 7,100 new jobs in medical and clinical laboratory technology will be created annually by 2022.
In addition, the current workforce is expected to have a replacement rate of 26 percent, totaling an additional 8,500 jobs needed annually for the 10-year period.
Employment of medical laboratory technologists and technicians is projected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022, “much faster than the average for all occupations,” Laboratory Alliance said.
The company also contends that an increase in the aging population will lead to a “greater need” to diagnose medical conditions through laboratory procedures.
And an aging population also means something else.
“We have an aging workforce,” says Guiffrida. “I’ve got more people retiring than people coming in to take their position.”