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Lab aces inspection

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  If you wear a military uniform and work at Tinker, the 72nd Medical Group lab has helped you be as healthy as possible.

But it doesn't stop there. The lab serves some 56,000 area beneficiaries, providing vital medical tests for active and retired personnel and dependants.

With a devoted cadre of 13 lab personnel, the Tinker community is in good, gloved hands. Thankfully, medical industry experts think so too.

Last week the lab went through a rigorous inspection and came out on the other side with an impressive rating. A three-person team from the College of American Pathologists was on-site for the no-notice inspection. Inspectors looked the lab over top to bottom, reviewing some 760 checklist items throughout the day-long process.

When Capt. Melissa Casapao, chief of laboratory services for the 72nd MDG, got to work Sept. 23, she heard the words that will make any supervisor bristle.

"When we got to work Thursday we were told 'the inspectors will be here in an hour,'" she said.

But the captain and her team had little to worry about, as excellence isn't something they practice on inspection days only. The lab's attention to detail throughout the year is apparent from the inspection results.

The inspectors noted only two discrepancies of 760 possible. Of those, one was corrected on the spot, and the other was a minor concern that will shortly be amended, Captain Casapao said.

"Two findings on an inspection is quite good. It means that the reports we're providing are spot-on and that we're providing quality patient care," Captain Casapao explained.

"I'm supremely proud of my lab professionals. I'm glad that the College of American Pathologists inspectors were able to come in and confirm what we already knew -- that our folks provide absolutely fantastic care every day," said Lt. Col. Timothy Dykens, 72nd Medical Support Squadron commander.

The Med Group lab technicians perform 88 in-house tests for patients, from blood-draws, urinalysis exams, Iron level tests and bacterial infection tests. They also process pregnancy tests, examine blood samples for things such as Mononucleosis, STDs and cholesterol, among many other services.

"Our job makes a really big impact that many people don't see," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Stover, a medical lab craftsman. "Our work carries down the hall to the doctors as they diagnose and treat patients."

Seventy percent of all diagnoses made by Med Group doctors are a direct result of lab samples, Captain Casapao explained.

"We're saving lives with the critical tests that we do," Captain Casapao said.