Lompoc Valley Medical Center Builds Local Pathway for Future Clinical Laboratory Scientists

Lompoc Valley Medical Center is expanding opportunities for those interested in laboratory medicine careers by developing a local pathway for Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) training.

LVMC employee April Villarreal recently became a licensed CLS and played a key role in helping design a program that allows students to complete their clinical laboratory training at LVMC.

Through collaboration with hospital leadership, Villarreal helped develop an opportunity for CLS students to complete their required clinical training at LVMC’s hospital laboratory -- an option that was not previously available locally.

Villarreal graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2016 with a degree in microbiology and completed her phlebotomy training at LVMC in 2017. After gaining experience in the hospital laboratory, she pursued additional education to advance her career and ultimately become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.

To continue her training, Villarreal attended College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita for two years to complete a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program. The program also required 40 hours of clinical training each week for the second year, which she was able to complete at LVMC. With the support of her partner, Myles, and her family, she balanced school, work and family responsibilities while advancing her professional goals.

Medical Laboratory Technicians perform testing on blood, tissue, and body fluids and play an essential role in diagnosing and monitoring disease. In microbiology, for example, laboratory professionals identify bacteria and determine which antibiotics are most effective for treating infections.

“I like the problem-solving aspect, trying to find out what is wrong,” Villarreal explains. “In microbiology, we have to find out what antibiotic works for that patient’s infection causing bacteria. Two people could have the same bacteria, but an antibiotic might not work on one. I like figuring out the sensitivity of the bacteria.”

Clinical Laboratory Scientists build on this work by performing more advanced laboratory testing across multiple disciplines, including hematology, blood banking, chemistry and microbiology.

LVMC’s CLS new training program creates a clear pathway for students in the Lompoc community who are interested in laboratory careers. Individuals can begin by obtaining a phlebotomy license through Lompoc Adult School, which is a prerequisite for many MLT programs. After completing clinical training and certification, students may pursue an associate degree as a Medical Laboratory Technician and, with a bachelor’s degree and additional training, continue on to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.

Having a local clinical training site allows students to remain in the Lompoc area while completing their education, rather than traveling long distances to larger cities where most CLS training programs are located.

“It gives more opportunities to Lompoc,” Villarreal said. “You can actually get a professional degree and become a CLS here. There’s a pathway from start to finish.”

By establishing this training tracjectory, LVMC is expanding access to professional healthcare careers within the community and supporting the development of the region’s future laboratory workforce.

“It gives more opportunity to the people who didn’t think they could do that here or felt they had to leave to get some opportunities,” Villarreal said. “A lot of people think there’s no opportunity here, or very little. This is such a huge opportunity. Without it, I would have had to sacrifice with my family by being so far away. The fact that it’s here in this small town is huge. Usually, these programs are in big cities, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego. That’s where all the programs are. I like that something this big is in this small town.”

LVMC currently has openings for the positions of Medical Laboratory Technician and Clinical Laboratory Scientists. For more details, see www.lompocvmc.com/careers/.