We Are IH: Med lab technologist plays direct role in patient care

During high school, Michelle worked on a science fair project in the microbiology lab at KBRH. “Oddly enough, a career as a medical lab technologist never crossed my mind,” she says. “I wanted to work in cancer research and started working on my Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.” After moving and completing her biology degree at the University of Victoria, Michelle realized through co-op work experience that she wanted to have a more direct impact on patients and less reliance on grant funding. 

She attended BCIT's medical laboratory science program. After graduation, she was offered a position at KBRH.

“As lab techs, we really get to play an integral role in patient care since such a large percentage of diagnoses involve lab results,” says Michelle. “I see each patient specimen as a puzzle to solve, and finding all the pieces ensures the best patient result. This career allows me to learn new things every day, share knowledge with my peers and students, and contribute to helping patients receive the proper care.”

In the microbiology lab, a typical task for Michelle involves taking patient swabs or body fluid specimens and processing them to grow any bacteria present.

After the specimens are left to grow overnight, she works on identifying what bacteria is growing and determines if that bacteria is likely to be causing an infection. If it is determined to be causing an infection, Michelle sets up tests to find what antibiotics may be effective at clearing the infection.

“We issue reports to physicians to let them know what organisms are growing and the susceptibility (antibiotic testing) results,” Michelle explains. “Performing quality control and maintenance is also a big part of my job.”

There are other departments in the lab that have workdays that look quite a bit different. The core lab, which includes chemistry, hematology and transfusion medicine, would be involved in maintaining analyzers and performing quality control testing, testing patient samples using both manual and automated methods, issuing reports to physicians and matching blood products to patients for transfusion. Technologists working in histology examine and process tissue specimens to prepare microscopy slides so that diagnoses can be made by the pathologist.

Michelle is proud of having worked in her medical lab technologist role throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating the unique challenges alongside her co-workers, she always maintained the love for her work. 

Recently, Michelle joined the KBRH sustainability team. She is very much looking forward to helping the team brainstorm new ideas and implement some changes to make a positive difference in the impact on our environment.

Outside of work, Michelle loves doing fun outdoor activities with her husband and children, especially in the Kootenays where there is so much to explore. On her days off, you would probably see her at the Red Mountain ski hill in the winter, and at the beach or pool in the summer. She also loves to travel.
Despite working full time and having many hobbies and interests, Michelle still finds time to volunteer with a children's camp organization, and play the flute in a local community band!

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