eLABorate Topics

Co-Hosts Tywauna Wilson, Lona Small, and Stephanie Whitehead discuss the importance of knowledge sharing in the laboratory. 

Key Takeaways from the show:

• With the shortage of Medical Laboratory Scientists, the transfer of information is critical in today's laboratories.
• Strategies labs can use to keep the knowledge in their respective labs include: 
  • Retention through improved career development and engagement 
  • Identify and utilize knowledgeable employees 
  • Always understand your Knowledge Gap
  • Mentoring, Coaching, and Partnering with local programs or schools  
  • Document Sharing 
  
  
• General benefits of Knowledge Sharing:
  a.     Reduced cost to the organization for recruitment 
  b.     Stream of capable staff 
  c.     Pipeline of leaders 
  d.     Positive work reputation 
  e.     Positive Morale
  f.      Better quality 

What Knowledge Sharing strategies are you doing in your laboratories?

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Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iheart radio or your favorite podcast platform

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your phone, tablet or notebook so that you never miss a show!

Be sure to leave a comment, and share with a fellow medical laboratory professional!

Be a Guest!

If you have a leadership or laboratory message to share and would like to be a guest on the show, please submit the guest interest form on DirectImpactbroadcasting.com located under the contact tab. 

Kami Rapp, DNP, MBA, RN is currently a Nurse Clinical Educator and a Professioral Lecturer for the Milkin Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University in the Executive Masters of Healthcare Administration program. In this episode, Kami talks about meaning of “social capital” and discusses the value of relationship building in healthcare. In her career, Dr. Rapp has focused her studies and work on safety culture development in health care institutions. She is most interested in how leadership influences safety culture and how system’s thinking, process improvement, and staff engagement contribute to patient safety. Listeners can reach out to Dr. Rapp at [email protected].

Key Takeaways from the show:

· Harness the power of relationships to drive your projects and goals to success

· Broaden your network! Work to create deep and meaningful professional relationships

· Add Value to others in your network and they will add value to you!

Be a Supporter!

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your phone, tablet or notebook and so you never miss a show!

Be sure to leave a comment, and share with a fellow medical laboratory professionals!

Be a Guest!

If you have a leadership or laboratory message to share and would like to be a guest on the show, please reach out to us at [email protected] or Direct Impact Broadcasting on Social Media.

In this episode of “eLABorate Topics” podcast Lona Small discuss ways to get your team to respond to and sustain changes during a crisis.

With limited time to respond in a crisis, we need a method that is timely and effective.

The C.A.R.E. method:

1. Communicate

2. Be Available

3. Be a Role Model

4. Encourage

This method is not only for leaders with a title but can be used by anyone willing to lead. Parents, Lab technicians, phlebotomists, medical lab scientists, supervisors, managers and lab executives can all use this method.

The CARE method can also be used in other change initiatives and not only in a crisis. The CARE method creates a positive environment of pride, collaboration and support inside the lab and visibility outside of the lab.

Listen to the full show for more!

Tiffany Channer, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM  the current Chair of the ASCP's Council of Lab Professionals gives insight into ways you can use your association with professional organizations to advocate for the profession as well as gain leadership skills to enhance your career. Tiffany is an Assistant Administrative Laboratory Director and Quality Manager for a community hospital in White Plains NY. She has worked various areas of the laboratory with most of her experience being in Transfusion Medicine. She has gained experience from several health systems in both New York and Florida.

A few leadership nuggets that Tiffany shared:
-Get involved being a career ambassador and presenting to high school students
-When you climb the corporate ladder never forget that you started off as a tech
- You don't have to know it all, that's why you build a network of people you can call on 
-Be an advocate for yourself

Listen to the entire show for more leadership gold! 

Don't forget to subscribe to the show, leave a comment, and share with a fellow medical laboratory professional!

This inaugural episode of the “eLABorate Topics” podcast is a roundtable talk with all three cohosts Tywauna Wilson, MBA, MLS (ASCP), Stephanie Whitehead, MBA, MPH, MLS (ASCP) and Lona Small, MBA, PMP, CPBPM, MT (ASCP).

The roundtable discussion is an opportunity for the laboratorians and the audience to get to know the cohosts, their journey in the field of Medical Laboratory Science, their challenges, what they overcame and learned along the way. They also discussed their target audience, why this podcast is necessary, and future topics.

The cohosts have over 60 years’ experience between them in all areas of the laboratory, from reference labs, hospital, outreach, private facilities and academia.

Tywauna is a System Technical Director of a regional laboratory system in the Dayton, OH area overseeing Chemistry and Toxicology including its implementation, standardization, regulatory and compliance in those areas.  In her first leadership role, Tywauna felt as though she was “thrown in the fire”. Through this experience, she is became a John Maxwell certified Coach and has committed to mentoring new leaders so they are prepared to confidently and competently assume advanced supervisory roles and develop the next generation of leaders. 

Stephanie is the Executive Director of Pathology Services of one of the largest public health systems in State of Texas. Years ago, Stephanie was not happy with her boss and pledged that if she was ever in that role she would do a better job. Initially Stephanie’s experience was like “drinking from a fire hose” and she “muddled through it” and learned some great lessons and now has been in a leadership role for over 14 years.

Lona Small is a Quality Assurance Specialist in a large academic health system in Maryland. She rose up in leadership early in her career and encountered challenges with her boss that made her realize that laboratorians were being promoted based on “their technical expertise and not leadership skills”. Lona’s unpleasant encounter with her physician relative made her decide that laboratorians need to be visible and demonstrate their value. Lona now coaches and mentors laboratory leaders.

The purpose of this podcast:

·       Exposure to laboratories and laboratorians

·       Share information with colleagues outside of the lab

·       Mentorship

The podcast is for anybody working the frontline, for phlebotomists, medical lab scientists, specialists, faculty, pathologists, lab managers and executives. 

The podcast is weekly, with short results- driven topics that are relevant to current trends and needs. We will have guests with a wide range of experiences and interests. 

Future Topics (not limited to):

·       Adjusting workflow during COVID-19 pandemic

·       Taking care of teams and ourselves during the pandemic

·       Effective communication

·       Networking and involvement in Professional organizations. 

·       Leadership

·       Career growth opportunities in different industries

·       Advocacy

·       Quality and Patient safety

·       Efficiency

·       Collaboration

·       Team Dynamics  

Stay tuned next week to for more eLABorate Topics!