SEKISUI Diagnostics is well known for supplying innovative medical diagnostics globally to physicians, hospitals, laboratories and alternate testing locations.
Did you know that some of the people who help develop, sell and manage these products came from the lab?
Yes! Some of our employees are former lab technicians, technologists, and scientists with backgrounds working in clinics, hospital, and diagnostic labs.
We want to share their insight on how they found themselves at SEKISUI Diagnostics and how their backgrounds help them provide exceptional customer service, technical expertise, and customer relationships.
Meet our specialists with lab experience in the U.S. and Canada
Each of these professionals brings unique insights from their time in the lab to their roles at SEKISUI Diagnostics. To better understand their journeys and how that has enabled them to better support their customers, we asked them a series of questions about their careers, transitions, and perspectives.
OUR BEGINNINGS
Tell me how you started your career as a Lab Professional and what made you choose that profession?
Diane Schetroma – I loved science and healthcare. I knew a neighbor who worked as a Medical Technologist at a local hospital. She invited me into the lab for a career day when I was a senior in high school, and I decided that was what I wanted to do.
Jennifer Enman – I started my Med Lab Tech career in 2006. I worked in small hospital core lab for 18 months before moving to a large hospital lab. During my 6 years at the large hospital, I was working in Hematology and Transfusion Medicine then Chemistry. I changed career directions and moved to teaching Clinical Chemistry to Med Lab students at the New Brunswick Community College for 5 years. I transitioned to SEKISUI, starting in Technical Services for Clinical Chemistry and then moving to the Customer Operations Analyst role. I went to med lab school after completing my B.Sc. in Chemistry. At the time, I wanted to work in a research lab and thought having the med lab training would give me a leg up over just having the undergrad degree. I was adamant I would never work in a hospital lab... and then I was only going to work in one for 3-5 years... well 7 years is close. I trained at the New Brunswick Community College in Saint John, NB. It was a different campus from where I would later teach but I did work as colleagues with some of my former teachers.
Tell me about your transition from being a lab professional to working in industry (SEKISUI) and what made you decide to work for a manufacturer?
Deanna DeLacerda – In 2019, although I loved laboratory work and the direct impact, I had on patient care and outcomes, I wanted to challenge myself even further and utilize the administrative and people skills I gained through my experience as a Lab Supervisor. It was time to make a change and take the plunge into the world of sales while continuing to use my technical skills.
Zoey Mossman – I entered the laboratory workforce at a challenging time- there were not a lot of jobs for new graduates. I worked as a casual, and a part timer, picking up enough shifts for about 5 of the 6 years I was in the lab, only becoming a permanent full-time employee in the last year. When life circumstances initiated a move to Charlottetown, I was again facing that uncertainty of casual/ part time work at the hospital here. But, as luck would have it, a woman who worked in the lab in Saint John had a son who worked for Bio Vectra which was connected with (at the time) DCL. She suggested I send him a resume, which got passed along through the shared Human Resources department, and it turned out that there was an opening at DCL! I had never imagined working in the private sector, but after I interviewed with (at the time) DCL, I spoke with a lot of people who had worked outside of the hospital lab and had all had positive experiences. It seemed as though the universe was pushing me in this direction, so I went with it!!
HOW WE CARE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
We know that your background makes you unique. How has your lab experience affected your ability to support your customers?
Deanna DeLacerda – Having walked in the Lab Tech's shoes for so long - when I work with my SEKISUI customers, I can closely relate to and understand the ever-changing challenges and needs of the end-user, enabling me to provide them with the best possible experience from first discussion, through the on-boarding process, and continuing with subsequent regular check-ins.
Zoey Mossman – Admittedly it's been a while, but I still remember what it was like to troubleshoot an instrument problem at 2 am while the phone is ringing with people calling for results. That kind of experience sticks with you!! As lab techs, we are often behind the scenes, but we are helping to save lives. I have run down flights of stairs with units of blood to hand deliver to the OR and given critical blood gas results for patients on heart bypass. In Technical Services, we are also behind the scenes, and although we may not be delivering that level of critical care- we are helping to make sure that pregnancy testing is performed accurately, or that acetaminophen levels reported to physicians are correct. Working for SEKISUI allows me to flex my other skills, while still contributing positively to patient care, which is something I remain passionate about after all these years. And my knees are thankful that my days of running units up and down stairs are over!
How does your role at SEKISUI Diagnostics impact the lab or healthcare more broadly?
Diane Schetroma – Since our reagents can be run on all major chemistry platforms, we impact every chemistry department.
Katie MacLeod – Properly performing clinical chemistry reagents in a chemistry lab are a necessity for accurate patient test results needed for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. My ability to help ensure that a customer’s reagents, quality control, calibrator, and linearity material are functioning as intended has a direct impact to patient results and the general well-being of the population.
What was the most surprising for when moving from the benchtop to moving to a manufacturer like SEKISUI?
Jennifer Praught – What surprised me the most when troubleshooting with customers was the fact that many of the problems were with the analyzers and not the reagents.
Susan Marconi – Most surprising has been learning about the importance of the corporate structure in delivering diagnostic testing to the market and how many comprehensive departments (Regulatory, Clinical trial teams, Business and Product development, etc.) must work together prior to them being launched.
ADVICE AND REFLECTIONS
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a lab professional?
Jennifer Enman – Hospital labs are a great place to gain experience, but they are not the only place you can apply your MLT knowledge.
Katie MacLeod – I would tell them that their role is pivotal to the overall health of the population and even though they will be underappreciated and often forgotten by the people they are actively helping, the work in itself is rewarding, and they are important, and they matter.
Any stories from your time in the lab that you look fondly back on and would like to share?
Jennifer Praught – Part of my job was blood collection on the units at the hospital. I got to know some of my patients personally so I would see how they were doing through their blood work and by interacting with them in the day to day.
Susan Marconi – There are so many stories with so many excellent laboratory professionals it's hard to pin them all down! Some interesting evening shifts (way back) included setting out a full dining table in the break room with fine China plates and flowers for a monthly potluck dinner we would have, concluding with a story hour (or 1/2 hr.) read by whoever was chosen that month to do a reading from their favorite book (this of course was predicated on it being a slower night!). Harold and the Purple crayon was one of our favorites! :)
Celebrating the Lifelong Impact of Lab Professionals
The contributions of laboratory professionals, both in the lab or in industry, are invaluable to the healthcare system. The journey from the lab to industry, that our SEKISUI colleagues took, is a testament to the versatility of a laboratory professional background. At SEKISUI Diagnostics, former lab techs and scientists have found new ways to make a difference, using their hands-on experience to improve diagnostic tools and patient care. Whether in a hospital lab or a corporate role, lab professionals make a lasting impact—and that deserves recognition and celebration.