Florida Southern College and Lakeland Regional Health Develop New Medical Laboratory Science Program

Lakeland, FL – Florida Southern College and Lakeland Regional Health are pleased to announce a new college major that utilizes the resources of both institutions to enhance healthcare capabilities in Central Florida. A Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science (Medical Technology) will launch at Florida Southern in the 2017-2018 academic year.

As part of the curriculum, students will take three years of coursework on the Florida Southern campus, and their fourth year of studies will include on-site coursework in Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. Courses at Florida Southern College include Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Science, Immunology, and Molecular Pathology Methods, as well as foundational courses in biology, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and biostatistics. The clinical rotation at LRH involves working in each area of the Medical Center laboratory: Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, Urinalysis, Immunology, Coagulation, Immunohematology and Molecular Pathology.

The program is limited to six students per year. To gain entry into the program, students must submit a competitive application and meet stringent academic requirements.

“Florida Southern College places a strong emphasis on experiential learning, and we prepare our students to make a positive and consequential impact on society,” said Nancy Morvillo, PhD, Nelson C. White Professor in the Life Sciences and Chair of Florida Southern College’s Department of Biology. “The new Medical Laboratory Science program is a wonderful career option for our students. It supports the mission of the College, and it helps strengthen our community through this important collaboration with Lakeland Regional Health.”

A medical laboratory scientist, also referred to as a clinical laboratory scientist or medical technologist, is a healthcare professional who performs laboratory testing on blood and body fluids. This testing then allows care providers to determine diagnoses and treatments and monitor diseases.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment of medical laboratory scientists and technicians will grow by 16% through the year 2024.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with Florida Southern College to create learning opportunities in the fast-growing field of medical laboratory science,” said Scott W. Dimmick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Lakeland Regional Health Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “To strengthen the health of our community, we find it important to educate, train and retain these talented scientists in our community.”

The Florida Southern College degree program is applying for accreditation through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. This will give each student the opportunity to sit for the national exam of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the primary registering organization for the industry.

“Receiving national accreditation is extremely prestigious in the realm of laboratory science,” said Theresa Ohrmund, Director of Laboratory Operations for Lakeland Regional Health. “The highly qualified scientists at our Medical Center are such an integral part of our organization, and there are many employment opportunities once students attain this degree.”

About Lakeland Regional Health
As a catalyst for community health, not-for-profit Lakeland Regional Health is reaching beyond its hospital walls to promote wellness, education and discovery in new places and new ways, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at its Medical Center, Hollis Cancer Center and ambulatory care locations. LRH holds Most Wired status from the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and has earned workplace awards from Forbes, Gallup and Becker’s Hospital Review. Its 849-bed comprehensive tertiary referral hospital, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, operates a Level II Trauma Center, a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine and the nation’s busiest single site Emergency Department. For more information about Lakeland Regional Health, visit http://www.mylrh.org.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive college and the oldest college in Florida. Florida Southern maintains its commitment to academic excellence through more than 50 undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business, accounting, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio; is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning; and boasts 30 NCAA Division II national championships. It is ranked among the Top 20 Best Universities in the South by U.S. News and World Report; named a 2016 Top ROI College by Forbes; and included in The Princeton Review’s 381 Best Colleges and The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2017. The College is committed to the development of the whole student through vibrant student life programs that prepare graduates to make a positive, consequential impact on society. FSC is conveniently located within an hour’s drive of both Orlando and Tampa and home to the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Named the “Most Beautiful Campus in the Nation” for two consecutive years by The Princeton Review and one of the nation’s “Ten College Campuses with the Best Architecture” by Architectural Digest, Florida Southern is an internationally recognized place of beauty and academic excellence.

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