Mark Douesnard

Mark Douesnard, MSc, MHM, MLT is a manager in the Genetics & Genomics and Molecular Pathology Program with APL in Calgary. His career with APL spans eight years starting out with the Public health Lab (ProvLab) in Calgary.

“In my current role, I’m able to try new things everyday and there is always opportunity for personal and professional growth in the field,” says Mark. “I feel very proud that my work can directly impact patient care.”

Mark says his work is also about standing behind his team to celebrate their success and stand in front of them when things don’t go as planned, especially the last year since the pandemic began.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the work we’ve done behind the scenes has been remarkable. We have been able to achieve some of the highest testing rates per capita in the world. This was made possible due to our organizational structure as one provincially integrated lab system and our ability to pivot and innovate quickly during a very uncertain time. I was extremely fortunate to work with such an amazing team during the COVID response”

Bev Tomkins

Working as a Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technologist (CLXT) is a particularly rewarding profession for Bev. She supports primary investigations into patients’ health and wellbeing, having a direct impact on patient care. CLXTs are often employed in rural settings and have the opportunity to witness a wide variety of different patient diagnoses.

“I feel it is often like putting pieces of a puzzle into place when trying to understand the bigger picture of overall patient health dynamics. We contribute to the success of this understanding from the unique perspectives of each of the laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments.”

Assisting in the patient’s medical journey and helping them feel comfortable along the way is an important aspect of the job, adds Bev. The ability to interact with patients, listen to their health stories and contribute to positive patient outcomes, are key highlights for Bev in her role.

Keith Steinbach

Keith is a MLT, MSc. (IPT), LSSBB, Prosci Change Facilitator for APL. Although he would prefer to just be called an ‘educator’ his career spans just over 30 years and he says he still wakes up full of curiosity about the lab world and says there is always something new to teach and also learn.

“The great thing about my role as an educator is I get to help other medical professionals understand how the Lab works and help connect the dots to good patient care,” says Keith. “It’s almost like helping people solve a puzzle. I truly love what I do.”

Keith says he is learning as much as he is teaching. In his role, he admits there are many times when he doesn’t have the answer to a question but he will know who to talk to and track it down.

After three decades in the lab profession, Keith credits the key to many of his successes along the way to the relationships he’s built with his colleagues.

“Lab is not just about performing and analyzing tests, it’s about connecting with and supporting your colleagues. These connections will always lead to positive patient outcomes”.