Celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week

by Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

HAZARD, Ky. — Sherae Absher wants to say thank you.

As a Medical Laboratory Science student who is about to graduate, she is especially grateful for those who developed the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Medical Laboratory Scholarship, a $20,000 subsidy that will allow her to graduate debt-free. But even more importantly, she says, it allowed her to keep food on the table for her two children while she pursued a new career.

“(The scholarship) made it possible for me to continue my education without worrying about finances or feeding my children,” she says. “I cannot wait to see where this opportunity takes me.” 

Last year, ARH and the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program teamed up to help those students who want to become medical technologists. They offered an opportunity for students who had completed their first semester of UK’s Medical Laboratory Science program to apply for a $20,000 scholarship at the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, supplies and other student needs. In return, students are required to make a commitment to work in an ARH facility for two years after graduating.

It’s a win-win for the students and the community, which desperately needs more health care professionals across the state, says Bianna Music, Clinical Lab Services Coordinator in the Center of Excellence in Rural Health.

“Do most people know what a Medical Laboratory Scientist is? No,” Music says. “And there are hundreds of jobs across the state begging for MLS professionals to hire.”

Students can also apply for additional supportive services through federal Department of Labor grants. But first, Music says, students need to know this possibility is an option.

“This year marks 90 years that UK has distributed a Medical Laboratory Science degree,” she says. “If people knew about it, then they would want to pursue it, just like I did. This week, we’re celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, and I want everyone to know the opportunities we have.” 

“I chose to utilize the scholarship from ARH because it is an amazing opportunity,” Absher says. “I do not have to worry about paying for school and I will have a great employer upon graduating. I hope to find my place in the laboratory in a healthy environment where I will be able to make a difference.”

ARH President and CEO Hollie Phillips says the health system is experiencing a shortage of Medical Technologists across its 14-hospital system and the investment ARH will make through presenting the scholarships will help reduce a barrier that might keep students from completing the program.

Tylan Collins, another MLS Class of 2023 student, says she chose the scholarship because she had two concerns: Paying for college and getting a job. “I knew I had to jump on it because college is very expensive and knowing that I’ll have a job after graduation, are two big weights off my shoulders,” she says.  

Perhaps Absher said it best for all students who have benefitted from the opportunity:

“If I could speak to the people that made this possible,” she says, “I would say, ‘Thank you.’”

For more information on UK’s MLS program contact Angie Phipps, Student Affairs Officer in the Center of Excellence in Rural Health: 606-439-3557.

Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), is a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., which serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. As staff of the Eastern Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (EKWIB), the agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers. EKCEP’s services provide access to an array of employment and training assistance opportunities for job seekers and employers with the mission to prepare, advance, and expand the workforce of Eastern Kentucky. 

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies. ARH employs nearly 6,500 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $330 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health was established by state legislation in 1990 to address health disparities in rural Kentucky and the unique challenges faced by our communities. The mission was and still is today to improve the health and wellbeing of rural Kentuckians. For more than three decades, the Center has partnered with communities, providers, students and individuals to provide health professions education, health policy research, health care service and community engagement toward reaching this mission.