The program uses the facilities of the WellSpan York Hospital Department of Laboratory Services to provide much of the clinical experience for its students. The hospital laboratory performs more than five million billable test procedures each year. State-of-the-art instrumentation includes an automated line for chemistry and immunochemistry testing, an automated line for hematology testing, analyzers for coagulation testing, analyzers for urinalysis testing, blood gas analyzers, blood cell separators for therapeutic and preparative procedures, micro-processor-based identification systems for microorganisms, analyzers for molecular diagnostics testing and point of care analyzers.
The clinical laboratories are accredited by the College of American Pathologists and licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Transfusion Services and Blood Resources divisions are accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks and licensed by the Federal Drug Administration. The various divisions of the laboratory participate in proficiency testing programs as part of continuous quality improvement monitoring.
Laboratory administration includes eleven pathologists, four pathologists' assistants, two doctoral scientists, an administrative director, and an operations manager. Each technical area of the laboratory is directed by an operations manager. More than 360 technical and support employees staff the Department of Laboratory Services.
The laboratory is integrated with a system-wide computer network covering south central Pennsylvania. The laboratory system handles patient data reporting, statistical compilations, workload organization, quality control functions and data retrieval. Laboratory patient data is compiled with data from other areas of the health system to comprise a clinical information system that is used by physicians and other caregivers to serve the needs of patients.
Most laboratory instrumentation is interfaced directly with the computer; this facilitates data reporting. Students as well as the laboratory staff use the laboratory computer system routinely.
Other Facilities
WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital is a non-profit health services organization providing preventative services, primary care, diagnostic services, acute care and rehabilitation services to the residents of Ephrata, Pa., and surrounding communities. Students will rotate through the various areas of the laboratory and experience additional instruments and procedures not found at WellSpan York Hospital.
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, located in historic Gettysburg, Pa., has been serving the communities of Adams County and northern Maryland for nearly 100 years. Today it is a nationally recognized acute care community hospital providing patient-centered services and programs that feature highly skilled clinical staff, life-saving technology and modern facilities to address complex medical, surgical and emergency conditions. Students will spend time in various areas of the laboratory and participate in hands-on opportunities with experienced technologists.
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital is located in Lebanon, Pa. This facility rivals those of big city hospitals. With an ultra-modern emergency department, a life-saving heart center that’s on par with the nation’s best, and a complete women’s center. The laboratory offers state-of-the-art testing and students will be able to rotate through two different laboratories and experience some unique testing not offered at other WellSpan campuses.
Additional student rotations may be utilized at the WellSpan Health Donor Center located beside WellSpan’s Rehabilitation Hospital at Apple Hill, WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital located in Chambersburg, Pa., and WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital located in Waynesboro, Pa. Students may elect to spend some clinical time at these hospital laboratories for additional experience.
Other Student Resources
The Philip A. Hoover, M.D. Library houses many volumes of health-related books, numerous medical, nursing and allied health journals, and on-line search capabilities.
The student laboratory houses two computer workstations with Internet access, as well as access to a variety of other programs and applications. Three additional computers are available for student use in our conference room next door. Additional computers are available in the Hoover Library, as well.
