A Day in the Life of Children's of Alabama's Lab

The laboratory department at Children’s of Alabama plays a vital role in testing and diagnosing our patients. Atonya Brown and Lauren Spivak, both members of the lab team, offer an insiders’ look of what a day is like at Children’s. 

The Seasoned Specialist Perspective with Atonya Brown

Atonya has been at Children’s for 13 years and currently works as a Reference Test Specialist. “I send out genetic lab work to different reference labs to find out if the child’s disease is genetic. It’s all about figuring out how the disease came about,” she said.

Over the years, Atonya has learned many different tasks within the lab and is always happy to aid others with their work. “I assist with new employees and let them know how our process works. I also answer questions from nurses and help the doctors with sending out or ordering tests.”

Atonya said her penchant for helping others is commonplace within the lab. “Our team is very oriented in helping each other out. Everyone has a different role, but everyone comes together for the child to get those tests done and get the process done in a timely matter. We all chip in to get the best results for the hospital.”

Along with helping new hires learn the ropes in the lab, Atonya shares with them the difference they’re making for the hospital. “I tell everyone when they first start in the lab we all play a role when it comes to the care of children. If we didn’t have a part in the diagnostic process, there are some things that just wouldn’t happen. We are a team with the physicians and the nurses in helping care for the child.”

Atonya’s passion for lab stems from her everyday experiences at Children’s. “When I first started, I worked on the floor drawing blood. I got to know all our staff’s love for Children’s and the work they do here. Also, seeing the parents’ appreciativeness for what we do here makes you appreciate what you’re doing.”

The New Hire Perspective with Lauren Spivak

Lauren, a Medical Technologist/Medical Laboratory Scientist, has been at Children’s for just over a year, however, she was part of the team before being officially hired. “I had the privilege of being here during my clinical rotation. I got to know the team and they became one of the main reasons I wanted to work with Children’s. They were always so welcoming and encouraging and willing to teach me. I knew I wanted to be part of a team like that.”

Now a full-time employee, Lauren describes her days working with the team she fell in love with as a student. “I check in with the outgoing shift to see how things have been and make sure there are no problems with our lab database analyzers or anything going on with patient’s samples. One of our responsibilities on day shift is, of course, to run patients’ tests, but we also do maintenance and run quality assurance on our machines to make sure we’re getting the most accurate results on our samples. Our role is definitely big; we take it very seriously and do everything we can to help the doctors figure out what’s going on with the patients.”

The affinity Lauren has for her lab team has only grown over the last year. “I can always count on my team. We’re always there helping each other. Not only do we interact every day inside of work, but we’re also connected outside of work.”

Above all else, Lauren pursues her passion for lab work in a setting that makes the job unique. “I love testing samples and so I get to do what I love here – work in a lab – but I also get to serve a patient population I love. We get babies who are hours old, so we do get a lot of requests to see what the minimum volume can be for a certain test; I think that is just one aspect of what makes our job here at Children’s very unique.”

No matter how long you’ve been part of the lab team at Children’s, your role is invaluable. Join the Children's lab team today and see the difference you can make in the life of a child.