Laboratory Staff Enhance Education Thanks To Scholarships

For the second year in a row, laboratory staff at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre have the opportunity to pursue further education thanks to scholarships funded by the Dr. Douglas Rathbone Scholarship Fund.

Created thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Lyla Rathbone and through memorial gifts made in Dr. Rathbone’s honour, the Endowment Fund was established to provide scholarships to laboratory staff for continuing education. Dr. Rathbone was a well-known and respected physician; most fondly remembered in the community as the coroner.

This year’s recipients include: Mary Foster, a Medical Laboratory Technologist, Wendy Gouliquer, Clinical Coordinator for Microbiology, Savana Marino, a Charge Technologist, and Lauren Daberer, a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Each recipient has a common goal; to increase her knowledge and to share her learnings with her colleagues.

Specifically Foster is enrolled in a course re the Clinical Applications of Flow Cytometry and is looking to take a Bone Marrow course in the future. She said, “I’ve always been interested in science and wanted to work in the medical field. I’m looking to learn more about flow cytometry and eventually become proficient in bone marrow differentials.”

For Gouliquer, the scholarship presented an opportunity to enhance her safety education and in her words, “better serve people.” The laboratory operates continually providing critical test results for patient care and Gouliquer knows it’s important to stay current with procedures to maximize efficiency and staff safety.

Marino also hopes to serve patients better and will be using the scholarship to pursue an Ethics course. “I enjoy science and learning new things,” she said. “I provide quality care to patients and I look forward to ongoing learning that allows me to help patients even further.”

Daberer is excited about the prospects that continuing education holds for her as she begins her career in the laboratory. Her long-term goal is to become a Pathology Assistant. She said, “I like to work behind the scenes. Since starting in the lab, I’ve gained a much better appreciation for what our laboratory does for patients and healthcare. I’m delighted that I’ve been selected as a recipient so I can continue to work with this team.”

 Georgia Carr, the Manager, Clinical Laboratory is thrilled that four recipients were chosen this year to receive the scholarships. “When this opportunity presented itself last year, we were so excited, and to have it happen again, but with even more scholarships is just terrific. The best way our laboratory can continue to serve the increasing needs of patients and families is for our staff to be well-trained and constantly pursuing additional education. These scholarships are a perfect way to encourage staff to do so.”