Students access the courses online anytime

Director of Copyright Business Wire 2009. ARUP Laboratories and Weber State University Team Up to Provide LaboratoryEducation SolutionsSALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ In response to a critical shortage ofqualified laboratory professionals nationwide, ARUP Laboratories, a nationalmedical reference laboratory and a leader in innovative laboratory researchand development, and Weber State University (WSU), a pioneer in thedistance-learning arena, have partnered to promote and facilitate theeducation of medical technologists (MT) and medical laboratory technicians(MLT). ARUP and WSU initiated this unique distance-learning curriculum inSeptember of 2008, successfully providing ARUP clients with the means toeducate laboratory personnel without taking them away from their work sites.The application deadline for the spring 2009 semester is coming up quickly onFebruary 1, 2009. Information on the program and registration is available at"According to the U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period of 2002through 2010, 12,400 graduates will be needed annually to staff the nation'sclinical laboratories. However, on a national basis less than half of thenecessary laboratory personnel are graduating," said ARUP President and COORonald L Weiss, MD, MBA. "We are seeing these shortages become more criticalwithin community health systems that are growing their outreach programs. Thiscollaboration provides our client laboratories with an opportunity to educatelaboratory personnel, without removing them from the workplace."The partnership between ARUP and WSU is providing enhanced opportunities forARUP client institutions to access Web-based education in the field of medicaltechnology to obtain Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) bachelor's degrees andClinical Laboratory Technician (CLT) associate's degrees online.WSU, based in Ogden, Utah, has been recognized for its groundbreaking academicprograms and was the first university to offer a complete CLS bachelor'sdegree and CLT associate's degree online. The program includes the study andperformance of laboratory tests vital to the detection, differentialdiagnosis, treatment, and study of diseases."Students access the courses online anytime. Completion of their laboratorycompetencies for each course occurs after work in their own facilities withapproval and support of their employers.

Students who participate in thisonline program utilize the resources of their respective work facilities tosuccessfully complete required laboratory competencies rather than travelingto off-site classes," said Yasmen Simonian, PhD, MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA), dean ofthe Dr Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions at WSU and formerprofessor 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, theDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences will waive thedistance-learning program application fee for ARUP client institutionapplicants.Applicants and participating client institutions must provide evidenceof referral from ARUP's Web site in order to utilize the financialincentives. This information can be accessed at: must meet WSU's and the Department of ClinicalLaboratory Sciences' acceptance criteria and will be ranked andselected in the same manner as other applicants.WSU Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences on-campus and onlineprograms are accredited by the National Accrediting Agency forClinicalLaboratory Sciences (NAACLS).Graduates are eligible to sit for the registry exam(s) AAS CLT degreeand again after completing graduation with their BS CLS degree.Online student learning at WSU is equal to or better than learningwithin a traditional classroom as verified with regular, comparativeassessments."We are pleased about building this relationship with Weber State University.It will strengthen the medical laboratory industry and reinforce our clients'community health programs," said ARUP Senior Vice President, Chief MedicalOfficer, and Laboratory Director Edward Ashwood, MD.For more information on this program, please visit ARUP LaboratoriesARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology referencelaboratory and an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department ofPathology.

With 2,300 employees, ARUP offers in excess of 2,000 tests and testcombinations, ranging from routine screening tests to highly esotericmolecular and genetic assays, for patients throughout the country. ARUP'sclients include more than half of the nation's university teaching hospitalsand children's hospitals, as well as multi-hospital groups, major commerciallaboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and governmentfacilities, and major clinics. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader ininnovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUPInstitute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology(R).About Weber State UniversityWeber State University is a teaching university with multiple campuses andcenters serving northern Utah. Morethan 18,000 students pursue bachelor's degrees, two-year associate degrees,and professional certificates in applied science and technology, arts andhumanities, business and economics, education, health professions, science, orsocial and behavioral sciences. Master's degrees are available in accounting,athletic training, business administration, criminal justice, education,English, healthcare administration, and nursing. Distance learning,independent study, evening courses, and an early-college program for highschool students provide additional learning opportunities.WSU is a leader inInternet instruction with more than 350 courses available through WSU Online.SOURCEARUP LaboratoriesRonald L. Weiss, MD, MBA, President and Chief Operating Officer of ARUPLaboratories, 1-801-584-5188; or Scott Wright, MS CLS (M) (NCA), DepartmentChair and Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences ofWeber State University, 1-801-626-6716, .