CSI Star William Petersen Salutes Lab Professionals During Lab Week, Addresses Shortage
The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is proud to announce that they teamed up with William Petersen, star and co-executive producer of the highly rated and critically
acclaimed CBS drama, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” to promote laboratory professionals as the “real heroes” during National Medical Laboratory Week. ASCP is a non-profit medical society with 140,000 members who are the highly educated and skilled pathologists and laboratory professionals who work in hospitals and other medical laboratories.
National Medical Laboratory Week is April 18-24 and honors the more than 280,000 pathologists and medical laboratory professionals across the country. They are the people who perform, analyze and interpret the 10 billion laboratory tests that save lives and keep people healthy each year.
“Working with William Petersen, we created a special 15-second public service announcement that delivers his personal salute to pathologists and laboratory professionals,” said David F. Keren, MD, president of the ASCP. Petersen also asks people to consider a career as a laboratory professional — a field that is experiencing a serious shortage. The CBS network has agreed to broadcast the Petersen-ASCP announcement during Lab Week.
In the public service announcement, Petersen looks directly into the camera and says: “It’s National Medical Laboratory Week. I want to salute pathologists and laboratory professionals across the country. Every day, they use their skills and knowledge to save lives and solve crimes. If you are interested in a career in laboratory sciences, check out ASCP.ORG.”
“It’s a great career for a young person interested in science and health,” said Dr. Keren. “There aren’t enough people going into the field to fill the positions that are available now, and we know that 50 percent of the current laboratory workforce will be eligible to retire in 2010.”
“Laboratory professionals do their important work behind the scenes,” Dr. Keren said, “so they rarely get the recognition they deserve. Year after year, Lab Week offers laboratorians a chance to be recognized for the important work they do!” They are the professionals who help diagnose diseases like cancer and diabetes, identify emerging diseases like SARS and
bioterrorism agents, and through advance science and technology, identify the remains of those who, otherwise, might not be given a proper resting place.
Through producing and acting on the hit CBS show, CSI, Petersen has become passionate about medical laboratory professionals and calls them “the real heroes.” In 2001, he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for increased funding for crime labs.
“Did you know that 70% of the diagnostic and treatment decisions made by doctors are based on medical laboratory test results?” asked Dr. Keren. Every day doctors across the nation look to this team of experts to provide them with accurate test results. Laboratory professionals confirm the diagnoses so that doctors can select the best treatments. Results of laboratory tests often identify the presence of disease in its earliest stages, when the possibilities of a cure are greatest and when treatment is least costly.
During Lab Week, laboratories across the country will host open houses, tours, lectures, and demonstrations to help acquaint the public and other health care professionals with the workings of the medical laboratory.
For more information about Lab Week or the shortage of laboratory professionals, visit www.ascp.org/general/labweek or call the ASCP at (800) 621-4142.
