Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario

Day 9: From snowball fights to gathering with family - what’s your best holiday memory? Winner gets an MLPAO Toque. *RULES* To enter, you must like us on Facebook, and participate in the daily contest post. Prizes will be awarded via a random draw of all those that have entered. Each daily contest will end at 11:59 PM. Winner will be contacted the next business day. Prizes are non-transferable nor refundable. For full details, contact the MLPAO office.

Today we made an effort to make sure you were heard in Ontario and across the country... We need to applaud these lab professionals across the country as they are working above and beyond to hit these rolling targets Michelle Hoad our CEO raising your profile on CTV News today. ... Keep up the great work everyone!#onpoli #medlabtx #medlabON https://youtu.be/DixScoGeHxU

For several years, the MLPAO has been highlighting the health human resources shortage in Ontario labs. We had an opportunity to provide input into Auditor General's COVID-19 Special Report released today. This report confirms the current situation in Ontario labs is a result of multiple governments not heeding the warning signs of public health officials and medical laboratory experts for many years. #ActionNOWForONLabs #MLTShortageON #MedLabON https://www.mlpao.org/media

Did you know? MLPAO Members can share a resume on our job board. We've also got new MLT and management postings at University Health Network, Sault Area Hospital, Lake of the Woods District Hospital, Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Canadian Blood Services and Blanche River Health. Join a rural medical team! #MedLabCareers https://www.mlpao.org/job-board

Our labs are like an elastic band that have been pulled and stretched as far as possible.’ Our CEO Michelle Hoad on CP24 this morning discussing the many reasons why there are many tests waiting to be processed. ‘These are healthcare workers that leave their family and go into work everyday, they are not taking Christmas off or New Years off, they are going into work to get everyone their test results. ‘... #onpoli #medlabON #medlabtx https://youtu.be/NkDfKranbqA

Your MLPAO Membership means our voice is louder in the media! CEO Michelle Hoad spoke with Leslie Roberts on 580 CFRA about making sure everyone is following the protocols: "Every time we make a decision that's not good, it impacts someone, and in our case it's impacting the lab." #MedLabON https://omny.fm//ottawa-at-work-with-leslie-roberts-for-fr

Out CEO Michelle Hoad on CP24 this morning discussing the importance of safety and the accuracy of the new Rapid Tests. saftey is a concern especially if they plan to use these tests in LTC homes. Biosafety cabinets in our labs are used to keep people safe. PPE would need to relied upon, in settings outside the lab and there is a shortage of PPE #medlabON https://youtu.be/kyLg_y7ur-Q

CEO Michelle Hoad telling 580 CFRA's Kristy Cameron about a short-staffed rural lab bringing on rapid testing who also just lost three technologists to the GTA. "Now they're trying to figure out how are they able to do all their regular testing and now have this extra machine in their lab they need somebody else to run." Everyone is starting to understand what medical laboratory professionals do and also some of the roadblocks! https://omny.fm//hour-2-of-ottawa-now-for-thurs-november-1

- Such festive songs! We just did a draw and our Day 7 winner is Laurie Teather. - Such festive songs! We just did a draw and our Day 7 winner is Laurie Teather.

We are looking for someone to help us find solutions to the Clinical Placement bottleneck in Ontario. med lab experience have time to dedicate in the next 4 months passionate about #medlabON ... Please share with your network. https://www.mlpao.org//rfp-research-initiative-clinical-pl

Save the date! Our MLPAO Member Rally is Wednesday, December 9 at 7 PM. It'll be part rally, part year-in-review, part holiday party and 100% a good time. This week's newsletter has a registration link plus an advocacy update, continuing ed, survey, and more. - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/save-the-date-member-rally

Our new ADVOCATE has arrived in your mailbox! If you haven't read it yet, here's our MLPAO Member Profile with Rajwant Johal, cMLA/T^MLPAO. Read about her work in phlebotomy in the Brampton Civic Hospital Emergency Department and her advice to new job-seeking MLA/Ts here: https://www.mlpao.org/post/member-profile-rajwant-johal

Are you curious about using albumin in the lab? MLPAO Membership keeps you learning, for free! Join us for our Pop-Up Learning webinar this Saturday, November 21 at 10 AM with Dr. Justyna BartoszkoAssistant Professor and Staff Anesthesiologist, University Health Network. You'll have a change to ask Dr. Bartoszko some questions and will come away with some new knowledge and a certificate of attendance for your professional portfolio. Non-Member Tickets available for $75, or join as a member before registering. FREE for MLPAO Members but registration required here by Friday: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_tzXTQ51_TQ2BjM20nhAHuw

Day 8: Fridays mean big challenges for big wins! Make a quick video about what you do in the lab. The winner will get a free 2021 MLPAO Membership. *RULES* To enter, you must like us on Facebook, and participate in the daily contest post. Prizes will be awarded via a random draw of all those that have entered. Each daily contest will end at 11:59 PM. Winner will be contacted the next business day. Prizes are non-transferable nor refundable. For full details, contact the MLPAO office.

New jobs for MLTs and MLA/Ts at Mattawa & Area Health Hub, Blanche River Health, Lake of the Woods District Hospital, University of Guelph, North Shore Health Network, Grey Bruce Health Services, Sinai Health, Kingston Health Sciences Centre. Maybe your career will take you to a new part of Ontario! Check them out here: https://www.mlpao.org/job-board

We've been asked to share the experience of COVID-19 for Medical Laboratory Professionals with the media. Complete this 2-min survey to help us inform Ontarians about how you are feeling after this year: - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/how-are-you-feeling-after-2020

Our CEO Michelle Hoad on CP24 this morning taking the opportunity to clarify the misuse of the term technicians. Medical Lab Technologists and Med Lab assistants work together, it’s MLTs that do the interpretation, a special shout out to them #hiddenheros #medlabtx https://youtu.be/e4rYoJHXgx8

We are proud to be representing medical laboratory professionals through over 50 media appearances over the past 8 months of COVID-19. All this work has resulted in the MLPAO being the first call from the government and media for questions about testing capacity, new lab tests, shortages of reagent, and much more. This week's newsletter is all about your voice in the media. - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/ontarios-source-for-lab-updates

Are you stressed, tired, or burned out? We need your voice. Researchers at the University of Toronto and University of Guelph are examining the mental health and well-being of MLTs and MLA/Ts in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. This newsletter is all about the survey, our October renewal contest, our fall member profile, and more. Read here: - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/are-you-feeling-burned-out

We've got new items up on our shop! Keep your head warm and show your professional pride with our MLPAO Toque. This beanie has a double layer of rib knit for a cozy and comfortable fit. The perfect hat for any outdoor activity--show a little love for your lab mates this holiday, or treat yourself at the end of a tough year. $13.99 each or 3 for $40 - https://www.mlpao.org/shop

Respiratory Therapists! Medical Laboratory Professionals thank you for your hard work through the #COVID19 pandemic and in healthcare every day. Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists American Association for Respiratory Care - AARC

Last Day to register for our Virtual #MLPAOConnect Day TOMORROW: Sat Oct. 17 from 9-11:30 AM! MLPAO's CEO Michelle Hoad will present on the ongoing advocacy work of the association during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants receive a certificate for their professional portfolio. To help you learn and keep costs low, this virtual conference is FREE for MLPAO Members. Non-Member tickets available for $95. ... Register here by today at 2 PM: https://www.mlpao.org/virtualoct

MLTs and MLA/Ts are working 24/7 and have been for 9 months into this pandemic. The government is spending money on solutions but they are forgetting there are people behind these tests’ Another weekend making sure your voice is heard. Our CEO Michelle Hoad on CP24. #actionnowforOnlabs #medlabON... https://youtu.be/WqLWTi6jmOM

It's also #NPWeek2020! Thank you to all Nurse Practitioners for your work providing exceptional care to our collective patients, in COVID-19 and beyond. #MedLabThx Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario Ontario Nurses' Association

We're excited to hear Dr. Julie Shaw's presentation about improving Point of Care Testing at our Virtual #MLPAOConnect Day this Sat Oct. 17 from 9-11:30 AM. Dr. Shaw is Division Head for Biochemistry and Director of POCT at the The Ottawa Hospital - L'Hôpital d'Ottawa hospital and EORLA - ALREO. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at uOttawa Participants receive a certificate for their professional portfolio. To help y...ou learn and keep costs low, this virtual conference is FREE for MLPAO Members. Non-Member tickets available for $95. Register here by Friday at 2 PM: https://www.mlpao.org/virtualoct

"Every single lab professional...knows that at the end of every test is a human. They are pretty much risking their lives every day--they are working 24/7." MLPAO CEO Michelle Hoad on Global News last week. #MedLabON https://globalnews.ca//70-of-ontario-labs-were-understaffe

Have you been experiencing occupational stress and burnout as a result of working through the COVID-19 pandemic? If you are a medical laboratory professional, we want to hear from you--your input is important. This survey is part of a study by researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph to identify the health, social, and economic impacts of MLTs and MLA/Ts psychosocial work environment due to COVID-19. Participate here: ... https://redcap.rehab.utoronto.ca/redcap/surveys/index.php See more

Attention all future MLA/Ts: online exam information packages have been emailed to all registered exam candidates for the November 21 exam date! Registration for the March 13, 2021 exam opens on November 9.

Watch tonight on Global National as the real story is shared. We can’t keep this pace Michelle Hoad CEO of the MLPAO. https://globalnews.ca//ontario-lab-worker-training-covid1/

Your membership makes our collective voice stronger - renew for 2021 before October 31 to enter our draw. This week's newsletter is a chance to win one of two $50 gift cards, an initial update on human resource shortages, and a 50% discount for healthcare professionals: - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/2021-renewals-are-open

"The Virology Lab at [St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton] actually has processed 200,000 of the 4.3 million that we've done. They're working 24/7 - there's a lot of people giving up and sacrificing a lot at home in order to meet these demands" - MLPAO CEO Michelle Hoad last week on CHCH TV https://www.chch.com/medical-testing-needs/

We're excited to hear Dr. Mahmoud Aarabi's talk on Genomic Medicine and Health Disparities at our Virtual Connect Day this Sat Oct. 17 from 9-11:30 AM. Dr. Aarabi is a Laboratory Geneticist at North York General Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Pathobiology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Toronto. Participants receive a certificate for their professional portfolio. To help you learn and keep costs low, this virtual conference is FREE for MLPAO Members. ...Non-Member tickets available for $95. Register here by Friday at 2 PM: https://www.mlpao.org/virtualoct

We don’t have a lot of backfill in expertise...You can’t just grab someone and train them up" - our friend Dr. Rodney Rohde of Texas State University-Clinical Laboratory Science Program included in this article on the burnout and pace of clinical laboratory testing in COVID-19. https://www.wsj.com//help-wanted-at-covid-19-testing-labs-

We've been reaching out to members a lot this year, and we want to know what ways you engage with the MLPAO. Take this quick 1-minute survey on MLPAO communications for a chance to win an MLPAO toque and mask set! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MLPAOCOMS

Happy Thanksgiving from the MLPAO! We're giving thanks this weekend for the Ontario Medical Laboratory Professionals behind every single COVID-19 test (and the 500,000 tests for other medical conditions every day!). Share your selfie with #MedLabThx--let's fill our pages with the MLTs and MLA/Ts who are the hidden heroes working behind the scenes. ! - https://mailchi.mp/mlpao/your-voice-in-the-media-9451881 #MedLabThxgiving

Le gouvernement doit cesser de considérer les laboratoires comme un secteur secondaire et réaliser qu’ils sont partie intégrante de l’équipe des soins de santé, affirme CEO Michelle Hoad. https://ici.radio-canada.ca//tests-depistage-retard-analys

MLPAO CEO Michelle Hoad on Global News last week on how the new rapid COVID-19 tests will impact Ontario medical laboratories: https://globalnews.ca//ontario-to-receive-2-rapid-covid-19

MLPAO face masks are back in stock! We've still got a few grey ones left, and a whole bunch of new masks in navy. This reusable mask has two layers, an integrated metal nose frame, and interior filter pocket. With soft lining to keep you comfortable when you're out of the lab at the grocery store or pharmacy. Adjust straps securely around your ears with the movable toggles. $6.99 each or 3 for $20 - shipping included. https://www.mlpao.org/shop #facemask #medlab #COVID19 #nonmedicalmask #clothmask #StoptheSpread #maskup #superheroes #washablemask

We are feeling like we’re at the precipice day to day, week to week...(Some of) our laboratory technologists are having moments where they have to stop and cry. - Dr. Jerry Zaharatos Great article on the supply chain crises causing backlogs in labs, including MLPAO CEO Michelle Hoad on the staffing shortages: http://ow.ly/zP1R50BXzjC

We’re going to get to a point where we’re going to have a mass exodus, which looks like it is going to occur in the next 12 months, she said. There’s a lot of people now threatening to leave because the level of stress is just too high. Our CEO Michelle Hoad in the National Post. Your voice during this pandemic. #hiddenheros #actionnowforONlabs ... https://nationalpost.com//ontarios-covid-testing-system-sl

What a week! Such an honour to be representing medical laboratory professionals in the media. Here's an overview of CEO Michelle Hoad's appearances this week: Monday, October 5:... CBC Toronto - Metro Morning CP 24 Global News Toronto CHCH Hamilton City TV Toronto Tuesday, October 6: CBC Radio Ottawa Ottawa Morning 640 AM Toronto NewsTalk 1010 Wednesday, October 7: CBC News National Post CFRA Ottawa Radio Thursday , October 8: CTV Ottawa Friday, October 9: Radio-Canada Global News More in the weeks to come!

Happy Thanksgiving from the MLPAO! Let’s show Ontario the faces of the Medical Laboratory Professionals behind every single COVID-19 test. You are amazing and we want to show everyone how hard you’re working. Share your selfie with #medlabthx! https://youtu.be/_55n80o8zeI

CEO Michelle Hoad speaking with CTV news on getting through the backlog and the new rapid testing coming to Ontario: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2055527

Dr. Julie Shaw presenting on Point of Care Testing at our virtual #MLPAOConnect !

MLPAO CEO Michelle Hoad on CTV News Ottawa yesterday: "We can't expect these people to keep this pace...let's follow the protocols and let's remember that there's actually a human behind every single test that gets processed." https://youtu.be/cnXQ4YIy25c