April 14 - 20, 2024, is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, an annual celebration to highlight and show appreciation for laboratory professionals, including those at the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) at the University of Iowa.

Lab Week is sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and coordinated by 17 national clinical laboratory organizations.

“At the State Hygienic Laboratory, our teams have demonstrated again and again that we are prepared to skillfully respond to evolving emerging public health threats, adapting to meet the changing needs of laboratory medicine and the evolution of diagnostic testing,” said Michael Pentella, SHL director.

Established in 1904, the SHL works closely with local, state, and federal partners to fulfill its mission in the Iowa Code to investigate and evaluate any issues that are in the interest of environmental quality and public health in the state. The lab serves all of Iowa’s 99 counties through disease detection, environmental monitoring, and newborn and maternal screening. Today, the SHL also quickly responds to infectious disease threats, including mpox, SARS-CoV-2, whooping cough, and much more.

“Our teams are continually forward-thinking in terms of taking continuing education classes to prepare us for the future challenges of laboratory medicine,” said Pentella. “We are proud of our role to help ensure that Iowa communities are healthy places to live, work, and play.”