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Published March 25, 2024

CAPTION: Congresswoman Julia Letlow, along with representatives from Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½, LDCC, and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, cut the ribbon at a grand opening for the new Medical Lab Technician Laboratory on the campus of LDCC.Ìý

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MONROE, LA – In a continued effort to bridge the bayou, Louisiana Delta Community College and the University of Louisiana Monroe will share resources to jointly deliver instruction for medical lab science career pathways. At LDCC, the 65-credit-hour Medical Laboratory Technicians Program includes certifications or exit points as a phlebotomist, a medical lab assistant, and terminating as a medical lab technician. Upon successful completion of the program, students will earn an associate of applied science degree. Students will then be eligible to seamlessly enter Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½'s medical lab science bachelor's degree program. After successfully completing thirty hours online at Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½, students will graduate with their bachelor's degree in medical lab sciences.

Nathan Hall, dean of student services at LDCC, says, "We are excited to offer another program that meets the needs of local employers and provides opportunities for students in our area. We appreciate the partnership with Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ and Julia Letlow for helping make this program a reality."

TheÌýMedical Laboratory Technicians programÌýis designed to prepare students for medical lab jobs by giving them the necessary know-how and abilities. "Our region has a great need for medical lab professionals to help meet the ever-changing needs in healthcare. We are excited to be able to provide hospitals with highly trained technicians to meet those needs," shares Alicia Jones, Medical Lab Technicians program director.

The importance of work done in labs cannot be overstated. "Many critical medical decisions that are often life-changing are based on the laboratory results generated by these professionals. Medical laboratory educational programs and partnerships, such as these, will create a variety of laboratory career paths for students and help fill the void of laboratory personnel in our regional hospitals and clinics," explains Paula Griswold, Ph.D., associate dean of the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ College of Health Sciences. Once students complete the program, graduates will be skilled at running tests that help doctors spot, diagnose, and treat illnesses.

The student lab at LDCC boasts about $400k in equipment, including the Alinity-m by Abbott. LDCC is the only education-only institution to have one for purely training purposes. Congresswoman Julia Letlow was instrumental in securing funds earmarked for this program and other educational initiatives.

This collaboration is business as usual for LDCC and Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½. Both institutions work earnestly to provide the maximum opportunities for the students they serve. "This is a great example of what can happen when people and different entities work together for the community. Congresswoman Letlow helped make this true partnership between Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ and LDCC possible. Our community and others in the region will benefit from it for generations," explains Dr. Randy Esters, chancellor at LDCC.

The Medical Laboratory Technicians program launches this fall, but applications are being accepted through July 1. "The Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Medical Laboratory Science Program is excited about our partnership with the LDCC Medical Laboratory Assistant/Medical Laboratory Technician Program. The LDCC MLA/MLT Program will provide competent and ethical medical laboratory personnel to fill positions in medical laboratories across the nation," says Jessica Lasiter, program director for Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Medical Laboratory Science.

More information can be found under The School of Nursing atÌý. For more information about the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Medical Laboratory Science program, visit. www.ulm.edu/mls.

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