Month: June 2024

Quest colleagues from coast-to-coast marked Lab Week 2024 with a week full of activities to celebrate our medical laboratory professionals and pathologists. As part of the celebration, we also featured highlights of the professional journeys of Quest colleagues from across the country.

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From Phlebotomist to Group Lead, Medical Laboratory Scientist
10 years at Quest
North Region – Cambridge, Massachusetts

Q: What did you initially want out of your career?
Lisa: When I first started working with Quest in phlebotomy, I wanted it to be the steppingstone into the healthcare world. I know with phlebotomy experience; I can eventually choose to become certified in a particular area like a phlebotomy Specialist or Donor Phlebotomy Technician.

Q: How has what you wanted changed over the years?
Lisa: It changed when there was an opportunity to get into diagnostic testing at an RRL (Rapid Response Laboratory). I went back to school, while still working full-time in phlebotomy. I was being trained as a Medical Laboratory Technician for a couple of years, then became a Medical Technician II. Shortly after that, I was promoted to a Medical Technologist QC (Quality Control) for point-of-care testing, as a supervisor. Eventually, I moved my way to becoming a Group Lead, Medical Laboratory Scientist at Quest’s RRL located in Cambridge, MA.

Q: Did you ever take any risks with taking on a new role and were you encouraged to move into different roles or, did you move on your own?
Lisa: Everyone takes a risk when they move into a new role because it is new and unfamiliar, and certainly questioning yourself if you have what it takes to fulfill this role. I tell myself to just do it, you never know where one role can take you. I had some encouragement to make a move. My wonderful coworkers, supervisors, and managers are always so supportive! Always congratulating me, saying how proud they are. Because of their support, it gives more motivation, and the willingness to go further, to go for it, and keep moving.

Q: What tools or offerings from Quest did you utilize to help you in your career progression? (tuition reimbursement, EMPower trainings, etc)
Lisa: Tuition reimbursement is definitely one of them. It is so great that Quest Diagnostics offers to invest in someone’s education. At the end, the company is helping me so now I am helping them in return. EMPower and Smartsolve training are very helpful to have. It is easy to forget things in the healthcare world. I see these trainings as reminders of what we need to be paying attention to on a daily basis. Being safe, while providing excellent care for patients.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who desires more from their current career?
Lisa: It starts off with the basics, getting to work on time. Not calling out every week. Show that you are dependable. Being able to work in a team and collaborate with one another. If you are a responsible and dependable worker, opportunities will come, whether it is a job promotion or going back to school for a different field. If there is something you desire, find out what you need to do to get there, and just do it.

Q: Which of our 5Cs do you connect with most, and why? (Customer First, Care, Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Curiosity)
Lisa: I connect with Continuous Improvement a lot because we do not live in a perfect world. In a laboratory, there is a lot of room for error, and we try to minimize that as much as we can. I am always trying to continuously find ways to see what else I can do to make things better.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

By Art Martori

A sudden influx of rainbows, marches, and makeup can only mean one thing: it’s almost Pride, baby! While you may already have some Pride events in your calendar, you might be thinking that this is the year you host your own event.

We love this for you. While the cocktails, mocktails, and flags are always welcome, Pride is a time to mark solidarity, visibility, and affirmation for LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide — and it’s just as important today as it was when the first Pride was held back in 1970.

While big marches and events often take center stage, hosting your own Pride event is a powerful way to honor the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQIA+ community while fostering inclusion and diversity.

Whether among friends and allies, in the workplace, or in your wider community, we think Pride events remain crucial. Here’s why, along with our must-have considerations for planning and hosting.

Why Pride events still matter

Pride events serve as a beacon of hope and empowerment, commemorating the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.

And while today we live in an increasingly accepting society, challenges persist, both here in the U.S. and globally, including discrimination, violence, and legislative threats.

Pride offers a platform for individuals to express their authentic selves proudly, despite societal pressures and discrimination. Read: they’re a place to let loose and have fun!

But they’re also vital for continued advocacy for equality, celebrating diversity, and providing a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals to meet and thrive.

Depending on where you’re thinking of hosting a Pride event, they can also be a really powerful way to educate allies and provide meaningful connections.

Planning your Pride event

Thoughtful planning is key to creating a memorable and impactful Pride event, wherever you decide to have one. A few things to consider include:

What’s your goal?

Determine the purpose of your event. Is it to raise awareness and funds, foster community among individuals, or celebrate achievements? Clarifying your objectives will guide your planning process, so it’s best to get clear on this early.

Choose an inclusive venue

If there isn’t already a pre-determined location, like your workplace, select a location that is accessible to all attendees, including those with disabilities. You’ll want to consider the venue’s reputation for inclusivity and its commitment to providing a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals. A good spot for selfies doesn’t hurt, either.

Keep it diverse

We come in all flavors — so ensure that your event reflects the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. Include representation from different identities, including people of color, transgender individuals, and those with disabilities. You might even consider partnering with LGBTQIA+ organizations to broaden your event’s reach and perspective.

Provide learning opportunities

Incorporating workshops, panels, or discussions on LGBTQIA+ history, current issues, and allyship can deepen participants’ understanding and foster a more inclusive environment. This is just as important for young queer people as it is for people who aren’t part of the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a rich, storied history that’s worth talking and learning about.

Prioritize safety and inclusivity

Implement policies and procedures to ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees. This may include providing gender-neutral restrooms, establishing a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination or rude comments, and offering support resources for individuals in need.

Hosting Pride in different settings

If you want to host your own Pride event, you’ve got options. You can make these events as big or small as you’d like and as serious or playful as you feel is appropriate.

In the workplace

Organizing a Pride event in the workplace demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Consider hosting a lunchtime panel discussion on LGBTQIA+ experiences in the workplace, organizing a company-wide diversity training, or hosting sessions on how to be a supportive colleague. Of course, don’t skip out on decorating communal areas with Pride-themed decorations!

Community Pride event

This is an opportunity to bring together your neighbors and celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture. Collaborate with local queer organizations, businesses, and artists to host performances, art exhibits, and community forums. Parade marches, picnics, and film screenings are also popular options for community Pride celebrations. These take a bit more work, but the payoff can be huge.

Intimate gathering among friends

Hosting a small Pride gathering among friends can be just as meaningful. Create a welcoming atmosphere with Pride-themed decorations, music, and refreshments. Because this is a smaller event, you may want to play closer attention to the guest list to make it more likely that your attendees will mesh well together and hopefully even learn from one another. Encourage attendees to share their stories, experiences, and aspirations for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Closing thoughts

Hosting a Pride event is a powerful way to celebrate LGBTQIA+ identity, promote inclusivity, and advocate for equality. No matter where you hold your event, you’re helping to create an impactful experience and fostering a culture of love—and that’s what it’s all about. Happy Pride!

Small and growing businesses make a big impact on our local communities and the U.S. economy. But they don’t all have equal access to the resources, education, products, and services they need to thrive. We’re committed to helping remove those barriers, so more diverse-owned businesses can feel confident taking the next step, whatever it may be.

Meet Lori Vodraska, head of innovation and strategy for our Benefits & Protection area. She’s been helping Principal® triple the number of diverse small and midsize businesses we support by 2025. Find out more here: Financial inclusion | Principal.

For many people, accessing the medicines they need is a matter of picking up a prescription at a pharmacy or hospital. But what many don’t see is the intricate ecosystem that works to get the right medicine to them, at the right place, at the right time. Hundreds of extraordinary processes come together seamlessly to produce and deliver these medicines through the global pharmaceutical supply chain.

Many years before a patient picks up their medicine, the journey begins with drug discovery followed by research and development work as part of a closely-regulated process – intended to assure the public that approved medicines and medical devices work correctly and as intended.

To then bring an approved drug or device to patients, companies like Viatris undertake a rigorous process categorized in four steps: sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and delivery. Throughout each step of our operations, we are focused on producing, safeguarding and distributing our medicines in a safe, compliant and responsible manner along each crucial point of the supply chain.

Viatris operates a large internal network of manufacturing sites, along with many strategic partnerships to produce different medicines. This diverse network supports our ability to minimize disruption and enable supply continuity. Because no single country or company can meet the needs of all patients, the geographical range of our local, regional and global supply sites provide significant supply chain resiliency.

“At Viatris, access to medicine is fundamental to our mission and it begins with the ability to sustainably deliver high-quality medicines, to people around the world, regardless of geography or circumstance,” says Peter McCormick, Chief Supply Officer at Viatris. “Our global and diverse supply chain allows us to be nimble and flexible to better serve the evolving needs of our customers and patients in countries across the globe. It is what enables us to supply medicines to approximately 1 billion patients worldwide every year.”

Viatris was featured in the Healthier Together series, which goes behind the scenes to uncover the incredible efforts being made to create a healthier world for all. Check out our story on the importance of a global pharmaceutical supply chain for access to medicines.

Healthier Together is a video series, developed in consultation with the WHO Foundation and produced for organisations by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.