Lab Week 2024 - Mimi Perdue-Loan
Quest colleagues from coast-to-coast marked Lab Week 2024 with a week full of activities to celebrate our medical laboratory professionals and pathologists. As part of the celebration, we also featured highlights of the professional journeys of Quest colleagues from across the country.
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From Medical Lab Scientist to Change Management Director, Great Midwest Region
44 years at Quest
Great Midwest Region - Lenexa, Kansas
Q: What did you initially want out of your career?
Mimi: I wanted to be in healthcare working behind the scenes to provide clinical data to the physician assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Q: How has what you wanted changed over the years?
Mimi: My primary purpose after 44 years is still to make a positive difference in healthcare. We have additional tools like automation to enhance quality and enable the lab to get patient clinical results to the physician quicker.
Q: Did you ever take any risks with taking on a new role and were you encouraged to move into different roles or, did you move on your own?
Mimi: I have taken many risks in my career, but all of them have been rewarding in their own way. I have had mentors who have encouraged me to take on leadership roles outside my comfort zone over the last 4 decades. I have taken on many roles as part of my personal career goals.
Q: What tools or offerings from Quest did you utilize to help you in your career progression? (tuition reimbursement, EMPower trainings, etc)
Mimi: I have had the opportunity to learn many different continuous improvement methodologies along the way. Each of those quality has contributed to my ability to focus on the root cause of problems and push for solutions. Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Total Quality management have enhanced my leadership in driving for process excellence.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who desires more from their current career?
Mimi: Volunteer to participate on cross-functional teams outside your own area where you can learn comprehensively about the business. Network with others in the organization to understand what your true passion is in this profession. So many opportunities exist; quality assurance, IT, supplier management, lab operations, and customer service are just a few areas where you can make a difference with a clinical lab science degree.
Q: Which of our 5Cs do you connect with most, and why? (Customer First, Care, Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Curiosity)
Mimi: I connect with Customer first because we can never forget that there is a patient who is reliant on our laboratories to provide accurate timely results for diagnostics and treatment. If everything you do is centered on the patient inherently you will be focused on the highest priority in our business. I also connect with continuous improvement. There is always opportunity to improve the quality of results, eliminate rework, and make the customer experience positive from order to cash.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Mimi: I entered into management early in my career. I have had many opportunities to manage at different levels within the organization and all of them have been rewarding in unique and different ways. I have managed at the regional and national level to drive standard work, select national instrument platforms, work with suppliers to improve their products and more importantly provide better tools to the front line to work smarter. I am very passionate about this profession and encouraged my daughter to become a clinical lab scientist. I continue to work with universities and high schools to educate young students about this career. In the last 44 years, I have been blessed to work with the most amazing people in this industry and I am grateful for that experience.
