CARBONDALE (WSIL)---Friday is the end of Lab Week, a time set aside to honor those who work behind the scenes with lab testing.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, lab technicians have been working hard to provide test results for COVID-19.
"When COVID hit, laboratories across America knew we would become the forefront. And we sure did," said SIH Carbondale's Laboratory Manager, Theresa Keith.
Since March of 2020, SIH facilities have conducted over 130,000 total tests for COVID-19.
Those tests could not have been done without the work of those in SIH's COVID labs.
"Labratory folks are often under recognized. So this is a week to celebrate all the people that work so hard behind the scenes," said Diana Biggs, the Assistant Lab Director at SIH Carbondale.
When testing first began at SIH, tests had to be sent off site to the IDPH.
"We had a great need for it in the community for testing. And our turnaround time in the reference lab were not as great as we wanted it to be or needed it to be," said Keith.
Keith worked at the Carbondale IDPH, and was able to help set up a lab to help get COVID results quicker.
"So obviously being able to do that testing in house and get rapid results to people changes everything. Quicker treatment, quicker isolation so that we don't have spread. It was really a game changer when we brought things in house," said Biggs.
And efforts are paying off.
SIH is seeing more vaccinations and less testing, and the unsung heroes appreciate the recognition for their work.
"I feel that the lab has become more recognized now. We are celebrated even as much as nursing and other ancillary departments. It's really been tremendous to see support from other departments to the lab," said Keith.
