PIQUA — Funding from Upper Valley Medical Center (UVMC) has been used to buy equipment for a new lab for students in the Edison State Community College medical laboratory technician and clinical laboratory assistant programs.

The equipment is a BS200 Chemistry analyzer system that performs automated routine chemistry tests.

“We are working to create a simulated laboratory setting so our students can get more hands-on experience before they enter into their internship sites. In the near future, we can foresee the loss of experienced lab employees due to retirements. We need to work on ways for our younger generation to learn and absorb some of that experience from the staff,” said Vickie Kirk, director of Medical Laboratory Technician, Phlebotomy and Clinical Laboratory Assistant Allied Health.

“If we can get them some more of the technical skills before they enter their internships, I’m hoping the students can have more conversations with the staff and absorb some of that knowledge and experience from them,” said Kirk, also an assistant professor at Edison State.

“We very much value our ongoing community partnership with Edison State,” said Tom Parker, UVMC president. “The college’s allied health and nursing programs help ensure we have well-trained professionals for important jobs in the hospital and outpatient care settings.”

“We are grateful to the UVMC Board of Directors for providing the grant to purchase this equipment through the UVMC Community Benefit Fund,” he added. The fund was established as part of UVMC’s mission to support local programs that help serve the community’s health needs. The grant was for $24,000.

The new lab will be located at the Edison State campus in Piqua.