Programs & Services

Other Health Services

Laboratory Team

The Department of Laboratory Medicine includes a wide range of laboratory health professionals who provide clinical support to both inpatients and clinic patients, at both the Mississauga and West Toronto locations. As integral members of the Laboratory team, they each bring a level of knowledge unique to their respective roles:

Medical Laboratory Assistants

Medical Laboratory Assistants are involved in the pre-analytic processing of specimens. This includes many tasks from specimen reception, inspection, and sample preparation for analysis.

Medical Laboratory Technologists

Medical Laboratory Technologists perform routine as well as highly specialized tests to diagnose disease. They also troubleshoot (prevent and solve problems with results, specimens, or instruments), and communicate technical information, including test results, to the pathologist or treating physician.

Cytotechnologists

Cytotechnologists are specialized Medical Laboratory Technologists who prepare and examine samples of cells under a microscope to look for signs of cancer or other diseases by recognizing changes in the cells, such as their color, size, or shape.

Resource Medical Laboratory Technologists

Resource Medical Laboratory Technologists are responsible for the supervision of the day-to-day operations within a laboratory discipline, for example Biochemistry, Blood Bank, Haematology, Pathology and Microbiology. They also act as a resource for technical experience for their respective departments.

Medical Laboratory Secretaries

Medical Laboratory Secretaries organize office activities, maintain paper and electronic files and provide a variety of administrative duties such as transcribing dictation and medical data retrieval from databases, as well as answering the phone and providing supportive activities needed by Pathologists and other medical staff to enhance patient care.

Pathologists

Pathologists are physicians who specialize in the examination of cells, tissues or the body for diagnostic purposes. They also advise physicians regarding the management of diseases, for example cancer, anemia and diabetes. Often, attending physicians' treatment decisions are based on pathologists' recommendations.

Pathologist Assistants

Pathologist Assistants provide anatomic pathology services under the direction and supervision of a pathologist.

Clinical Microbiologists

Clinical microbiologists identify ways to prevent and treat infectious diseases through ongoing research into changing micro-organisms. By testing the virulence and strength of specific microbes, they aim to identify new methods to diagnose and treat infections. They provide information and advice to medical staff, as well as work to prevent the spread of infections within hospitals.

Clinical Biochemists

Clinical biochemists analyse and interpret data related to patient samples. They assist with the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. They are responsible for the evaluation and quality assessment of diagnostic tests, playing a role in developing and managing hospital and community analytical services.

Laboratory Managers

Laboratory Managers are responsible for overseeing the entire operation of the laboratory in accordance with the instructions of the Laboratory Directors, to whom he or she reports and who is ultimately responsible for the operation of the laboratory. They are also involved in the areas of human resources, financial management, operations management, and quality management.

Medical & Administrative Directors

The Medical Director is a pathologist who is responsible for managing overall operations within the laboratory, including maintaining the standards of agencies that inspect and accredit the Laboratory. They are also accountable for ensuring that all technical, clinical, and administrative functions of the Laboratory are performed.

The Administrative Director is responsible for the planning and coordination of all activities for all divisions within the Laboratory Services department. The Director provides central leadership ensuring that departmental activities are consistent with strategic initiatives and will work in partnership to achieve established departmental goals and priorities within the scope and limitations of resources allocated.