In this new series, the University of Kentucky thanks the many people it takes to keep the university moving forward in a time of pandemic uncertainty. Today's shoutout goes to UK HealthCare’s clinical laboratory workers, who are working day in and day out to complete the constant flow of COVID-19 tests coming in from UK HealthCare patients. Dr. C. Darrell Jennings, chair of the UK Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, says it’s the latest example of his team giving their best efforts to help keep Kentuckians healthy.

“I am continually impressed and grateful every day for the effort and dedication of the staff of UK Healthcare’s clinical laboratories,” Jennings said. “They are in the lab working to improve the lives of patients 24/7 throughout the year. They routinely handle infectious materials and dangerous pathogens with grace and skill. A good patient outcome depends on the right treatment, and the right treatment depends on the right diagnosis. Most of the time, the correct diagnosis relies on a critical test result that must be accurate and timely. Every day, this lab staff lives our motto: ‘The right test for the right patient at the right time.’ They are UK!”