Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin wins Lab of the Year

Laboratory services might not be something you think about much during a hospital stay or visit, but they are a crucial part of having a successful experience. And at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, you get the very best.

And that’s not just us talking. Medical Laboratory Observer recently honored Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin as having the Lab of the Year, selecting our Laboratory Services department among a field of candidates that included adult and pediatric, academic and private, and small and large labs from across the nation.

Why is it so important to have a high-quality lab? Well, it’s estimated that 60-70 percent of all decisions about patient treatment are made on the basis of lab tests.

How we earned national recognition

Part of why we were recognized for the national award is our pediatric focus. Our laboratory staff specializes in tests for children, and we understand the stress a blood draw can cause for you and your child. We use pain management techniques and therapies, such as pet therapy — where a cute, charming canine comes in to visit to help keep everyone calm during the visit — to make everything as stress-free as possible. Our outpatient phlebotomists also have lots of experience and tricks up their sleeves to make drawing blood easier for kids.

Our specialized menu of tests is geared toward childhood illnesses and can be done by taking smaller samples. We have eight pathologists who are board certified in pediatric pathology, and three lab directors with doctoral degrees in their specialties, so this expertise, along with our work style, make laboratory testing easier and more useful for our patients, their families, and our physicians. Having that level of dedication from our staff allows our teams (such as chemistry, hematology, microbiology, etc.) to focus on larger issues and to assist our clinicians in delivering top-notch care.

We’re proud of the award, but what makes us even more proud is what got us there. We receive hundreds of thousands of samples each year, and everyone in the our lab treats each one with the care and attention to detail as if it were from their own child. Whether we are on the front lines administering a test, or back in the lab getting the results, we believe kids deserve the best.

Jason Jarzembowski, MD, PhD Interim Medical Director Children’s Wisconsin Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Children’s Wisconsin is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. At Children’s Wisconsin, we know kids aren’t just little adults and we tailor care specifically for the unique needs of a small, growing body.