When most think of a laboratory, they envision people sitting behind microscopes as they analyze samples according to strict protocols. While this is a component of the work that occurs in the Urology Austin Lab, it doesn’t capture the heart of the UA-Lab.
According to Laboratory Operations Manager, Tracy Waldrop Carrasco, “It’s the combination of our hearts and brains that allows us to achieve incredible outcomes for the patients and providers we serve while making our lab a great place to work.”
To understand the unique culture of our lab, it makes sense to look at its roots. “The lab started very small and has organically grown with Urology Austin,” Laboratory Director Dr. Mathew Putzi explains. “We actively recruit talented individuals and have become famous in Austin for our quality lab and great workplace culture.”
Being a member of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), or what Dr. Putzi refers to as the “NFL for laboratories,” illustrates our lab team’s commitment to maintaining standards of excellence. As for the lab’s impressive culture, Dr. Putzi says Tracy is the one to thank.
“My management style is very different from most managers. Our work never stops in the lab, so we spend a lot of time with our coworkers. As a result, I’m all about cultivating and supporting a genuine family atmosphere at work,” Tracy says. “I am proud to say we trust and rely on one another in the same way we do our own, blood-related family members.”
After talking with Tracy, it makes sense that our lab team members are passionate about supporting one another and the patients they serve. However, many people wonder how they remain committed to patient care when they don’t see patients. This comes down to having what Dr. Putzi calls “a medical heart.”
“We all have different skills in the lab, but each one of us has a medical heart. We can cross-train people to do different tasks, but you can’t teach dedication, compassion, integrity, self-discipline or loyalty,” he explains. “We’re always thinking of the patients even if we can’t see them. I compare it to military families. When someone is deployed, you can’t see them but you don’t stop caring about them.”
He also highlights a story that illustrates how he stays connected to patients while secluded in his office behind a scope. “I keep a medal of Saint Peregrine (the patron saint of cancer patients) hanging on my microscope. I got it during my hematology rotation in medical school to give to a child who was dying of leukemia. Sadly, the child passed away before I could give it to them. When I offered it to the family, they asked that I keep it. I’ve kept it to this day to remind myself of the patients I’m helping and the importance of reaching out to others when I’ve reached my limits.”
In addition to wondering how lab team members stay passionate about patients, people on the clinical side of medicine have other questions. The first is why labs need to do things in a certain way, and the second is who to contact in the lab with questions.
The complexity of pathology as a lab process and as a means to establish diagnosis both need to adhere to strict standards. People think that the discipline of pathology provides a yes or no answer when performing the actions to arrive at the diagnosis. However, it is more of a dimmer switch than an on/off switch, as so many factors come into play in both cases. For that reason, we use specialized tools and compare ourselves to other CAP labs, both with our processes and our results.
As for the second query, Tracy explains that everyone in the Urology Austin Lab is happy to help with questions. “We have an open-door policy in the lab. Whether you have questions or want to observe a particular aspect of the work we do in the lab, we welcome you to visit us,“ she says. “We’re here for you and your patients as a resource, so we invite our fellow UA employees to come and get to know us and experience what we do.”
