DCMH’s Laboratory Honored for Emergency Preparedness Training

Laboratory professionals are the “unsung heroes in health care,” who work behind the scenes on tests doctors need to make diagnoses, according to Keith Wendlandt, director of laboratory services at Door County Memorial Hospital/Ministry Health Care (DCMH/MHC).

But the DCMH/MHC laboratory staff took center stage April 1 when a state official recognized them for completing training in handling large-scale emergencies.

Carol Kirk, laboratory network coordinator, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, came from Madison to visit the Sturgeon Bay hospital and present Wendlandt and his staff with a certificate recognizing their completion of laboratory training in emergency preparedness developed by the Wisconsin Laboratory Response Network (WLRN).

“This is a big deal and it shows an important commitment by the staff,” Kirk said.

Also, Wendlandt is one of nine clinical laboratory leaders statewide who make up an advisory group to counsel WLRN on a number of issues facing hospital laboratories. He represents Door County and other communities in the northeast Wisconsin region.

All DCMH/MHC laboratory employees completed training modules aimed at helping them respond to diverse emergencies such as chemical or biological terrorism, emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats.

While the WLRN requests that at least two employees in a hospital laboratory go through the modules, DCMH/MHC had participation by its entire 17-member laboratory team last year.

For more information about the DCMH/MHC laboratory, visit http://www.dcmh.org or call 920.743.5566.