Meet the new face of lab analysis at VCH
Many of us think of Pathology as a behind-the-scenes specialty, but the work Dr. Sophia Wong and her team are carrying out is increasing the department’s visibility within our hospitals. Dr. Wong, who was recently appointed as lead for pre- and post-analysis at Vancouver Coastal Health’s laboratories, says her focus is on maximizing efficiency and reducing errors in these two critical phases of the laboratory testing process.
“About 100 to 150 patients use the outpatient lab in the Diamond Centre every day,” says Dr. Wong. “We’re prototyping an online booking system to reduce their waiting time. This will be especially helpful for transplant patients who have to use the lab for blood work on a daily basis.”
“This is an innovative approach that demonstrates that with very little change, you can have a big impact on patients,” says the department’s medical director, Dr. David Schaeffer, who notes Dr. Wong’s emphasis on ensuring the lab’s front line workers are recognized for their important work.
“We have about 100 medical laboratory assistants—they’re the face of the lab,” says Dr. Wong. “They’re the people who have direct interaction with our patients; they do the blood work and order requisitions. They are a vital part of our team.”
Decisions that make a big impact
Dr. Wong, who is trained as a medical biochemist, is grateful to have the opportunity to create positive change throughout VCH and she enjoys the opportunities her work presents to get involved in teaching and research.
“A decision I make can affect hundreds of thousands of patients,” she says. “The reference ranges set for lab tests, for instance, can increase the number of people who are diagnosed with a disease. Therefore, it’s important to set these correctly while being mindful of the health system’s limited financial resources.”
Always learning
An avid learner, Dr. Wong graduated from her medical residency in 2015 and has also earned an MBA. She enjoys incorporating both her medical training and business skills into her work. Currently, she is enrolled in Harvard Medical School’s one-year Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership program, which aims to provide participants with the tools they need to become global leaders in health care delivery.
The best part of her job, though, is interacting with her colleagues.
“People think when you work in Pathology you don’t spend a lot of time with others, but that’s not the case,” she says. “Pathology is actually a very social specialty and I have a lot of fun and am close with the people I work with.”