ARUP Laboratories and Weber State University Announce Educational Collaboration

SALT LAKE CITY, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- ARUP Laboratories, a national medical reference laboratory and a leader in innovative laboratory research and development, and Weber State University (WSU), a pioneer in the distance-learning arena, have entered into a personnel education collaboration that will address critical shortages in qualified laboratory testing personnel. Under this agreement, ARUP and WSU will partner to provide enhanced opportunities for ARUP client institutions to access Web-based education in the field of medical technology to obtain Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) bachelor's degrees and Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT) associate's degrees online.

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period of 2002 through 2010, 12,400 graduates will be needed annually to staff the nation's clinical laboratories. However, on a national basis less than half of the necessary laboratory personnel are graduating," said ARUP President and COO Ronald L. Weiss, MD, MBA. "We are seeing these shortages become more critical within community health systems that are growing their outreach programs. This collaboration provides our client laboratories with an opportunity to educate laboratory personnel, without taking them away from their work sites."

WSU, based in Ogden, Utah, has been recognized for its groundbreaking academic programs and was the first university to offer a complete CLS bachelor's degree and CLT associate's degree online. The program includes the study and performance of laboratory tests vital to the detection, differential diagnosis, treatment, and study of diseases.

"Students access the courses online anytime. Completion of their laboratory competencies for each course occurs after work in their own facilities with approval and support of their employers. Students who participate in this online program will utilize the resources of their respective work facilities to successfully complete required laboratory competencies rather than traveling to off-site classes," said Yasmen Simonian, PhD, MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA), dean of the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions at WSU and former professor and chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Key elements of this collaboration include:

-- A WSU application fee will apply to all applicants. However, the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences will waive the distance-learning program application fee for ARUP client institution applicants.

-- Applicants and participating client institutions must provide evidence of referral from ARUP's Web site in order to utilize the financial incentives. This information can be accessed at: http://www.aruplab.com/weber

-- Applicants must meet WSU's and the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences' acceptance criteria and will be ranked and selected in the same manner as other applicants.

-- WSU Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences on-campus and online programs are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

-- Graduates are eligible to sit for the registry exam(s) AAS CLT degree and again after completing graduation with their BS CLS degree.

-- Online student learning at WSU is equal to or better than learning within a traditional classroom as verified with regular, comparative assessments.

"We are pleased to build a relationship with Weber State University that will strengthen the medical laboratory industry and reinforce our clients' community health programs," said ARUP Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, and Laboratory Director Edward Ashwood, MD.

For more information on this program, visit http://www.aruplab.com/weber.