The workforce shortage of clinical laboratory professionals is an issue that has developed over many years and continues to become more severe. There are several factors that have contributed to this crisis, including a high rate of retirements with not enough new medical laboratory professionals entering the field. A decline in the availability of educational programs is compounding the problem.
An aging population means the need for laboratory services continues to grow. According to the CDC’s Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS), 70 percent of today’s medical decisions depend on 14 billion laboratory tests conducted annually. The importance of clinical laboratory testing to our healthcare system should never be underestimated.
CLP recently published an article discussing the causes and potential solutions to this critical shortage. One underlying cause is laboratory staff work behind the scenes, which means the field of laboratory medicine doesn’t receive as much publicity as other healthcare professions. More visibility, especially to school counselors, could help attract new entrants to careers in laboratory science.
Additional initiatives that would help strengthen the profession include expanding career growth opportunities and offering competitive salaries. Within the lab, process improvements and advanced technology can help reduce the burden on laboratory staff. Standardizing systems and equipment also supports operational efficiencies and can reduce the amount of time staff must spend on less productive activities.
As clinical labs continue to face unprecedented challenges with staffing, poorly performing or unreliable cold storage equipment is the last thing lab professionals should have to worry about. Helmer Scientific supports the efforts of clinical laboratories by providing reliable medical-grade cold storage products that our customers can depend on.
GX Solutions professional medical-grade refrigerators and freezers provide reliable temperature-controlled storage for patient specimens, reagents, and controls. Powered by OptiCool™ technology, our next generation models pair variable capacity compressors with natural hydrocarbon refrigerants, delivering a reliable storage option to safeguard stored materials.
Only professional medical-grade laboratory refrigerators and freezers deliver optimized control in three important areas:
- Temperature management to safeguard stored products, including excellent uniformity, recovery, and stability
- Noise management to provide a more comfortable working environment for staff
- Energy management to reduce operating costs and support facility sustainability initiatives
- Within the GX Solutions brand, the i.Series® line offers monitoring with downloadable documentation, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual temperature checks
In addition, all Helmer products are designed and built to ensure they last for the long term to limit downtime and disruptions to workflow. During the design process for GX Solutions laboratory refrigerators and freezers, thorough Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) was conducted to ensure reliability.
ALT identifies and addresses possible issues before equipment is released for general use. It exposes units to very high levels of stress to challenge the system and ensures the unit’s design can withstand the rigors of daily use through a 10-year life.
Other Blogs You Might Be Interested In...
- Supporting Sustainability Initiatives with Temperature-Controlled Storage
- Clinical Labs Can Save Staff Time with the i.C3® Information Center
- Video Series: i.C3® Intelligent Monitoring for Clinical Labs
- GX Solutions Refrigerators Support Sustainability & Reduce Cost of Ownership
Visit GX Solutions from Helmer Scientific for more information on the performance of professional medical-grade cold storage. We also have a white paper on the benefits of OptiCool™ technology.
