Proclaiming April 19-25 of 2026 to Be "Medical Laboratory Professionals Week" in the State of Rhode Island

WHEREAS, Medical Laboratory Professionals Week began in 1975 as National Medical Laboratory Week under the auspices of the American Society for Medical Technology; and

WHEREAS, The 2026 theme for Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is “Lab Story: To Infinity and Beyond For Our Patients”. This theme highlights the expansive reach and crucial role of lab professionals in patient care, diagnosis and treatment, highlighting their journey and impact; and

WHEREAS, The health and well-being of all Rhode Islanders depends upon educated minds and trained hands; and

WHEREAS, The practice of modern medicine at the exacting standards we now enjoy would be impossible without the accurate and timely scientific tests performed daily in medical laboratories across the state; and

WHEREAS, Maintenance of these standards and progress toward improvement in the quality of laboratory services depends on the dedicated efforts of professional clinical laboratory science practitioners; and

WHEREAS, Through this dedication, medical laboratory professionals in Rhode Island and across the United States have made vital contributions to the quality of our nation's health care; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby proclaims April 19-25 of 2026 to be "Medical Laboratory Professionals Week" in the State of Rhode Island in recognition of the essential contributions of these professionals; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this House furthermore thanks all of the dedicated laboratory professionals in the State of Rhode Island who work tirelessly to protect the health and safety of our State's residents; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Dr. Jerome Larkin, MD, Maddie Josephs, Chair, Allied and Rehabilitative Health at CCRI, Leslie Martineau, Director, Laboratory Services, Wound Clinic and Sleep Disorder Center at CharterCARE Health Partners, and Betsy Reilly, Retired Cytotechnologist and Laboratory Manager at Women & Infants Hospital.