A Healthy Partnership

ERIK HACKMAN

ERIK.HACKMAN@NEWSANDTRIBUNE.COM

NEW ALBANY — Baptist Health, Norton Healthcare and University of Louisville Health have partnered with Indiana University Southeast to build a laboratory science health care degree program.

The partnership was announced Wednesday at a news conference at IU Southeast.

Medical laboratory scientists and technologists have an important role to play in the medical field. They provide clinical diagnostic information to nurses and physicians that will enable accurate and timely patient care in hospitals and clinical settings.

The degree program will start in the Fall 2025 semester and has been in development since 2022. The partnership with the three hospital groups will provide IUS with faculty and operational support, supplying laboratory equipment, remodeling campus laboratory spaces and offering students hands-on clinical experience through internships.

Previously, the program was offered through a consortium with Bellarmine University in Kentucky, but students will now complete the degree fully at IU Southeast.

After graduating in the program, students from IUS will have priority hiring in the three hospitals when they are finished with school.

“This collaboration ref lects our institution’s commitment to addressing community needs while delivering top-tier educational opportunities close to home,” said Debbie Ford, chancellor of IU Southeast. “Graduates of these programs embark on fulfilling and highly sought-after health care careers, with many choosing to remain in the region, strengthening our economy and serving local communities.”

Graduates of this new program will have to pass the American Society for Clinical Pathology national board exam to qualify as medical laboratory scientists.

Over 70% of the information that physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses use to asses their patient comes from the laboratory, said Emily Volk, System Vice President of Pathology and Laboratories at UofL Health.

Without the lab, specialists wouldn’t be able to tell patients

See PARTNERSHIP on A3

Pam Connerly, dean of the School of Natural Sciences at IUS; Debbie Ford, chancellor of IUS; Pamela Whitten, the president of Indiana University; Adrienne Alley, a sophomore at IUS; Cheyenne Helton, a returning student at IUS; Charlotte Ipsan, senior vice president and chief hospital officer at Norton Healthcare; Emily Volk, system vice president of Pathology and Laboratories at UofL Health and Michael Schroyer, president of Baptist Health Floyd. All were gathered for the announcement of the partnership between IUS and the three hospital groups on Wednesday.

Photos by Erik Hackman | News and Tribune

Microscopes were on display for guests to look through to see a little bit of what the students will be observing in the new program.

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how many red blood cells they have, if they have an infection, what the infection is and more.

“Without the lab, our modern health care system is lost,” Volk said. “This investment in that key workforce is absolutely magnificent and critical to the health and well-being of our communities.”

According to Lightcast labor data, job demand in this field has increased by 5.4% over the most recent four-year analysis. From October 2023 to October 2024, monthly job postings for medical laboratory scientist positions averaged 435 across Indiana and Kentucky. Local median salaries for these roles range from $58,740 to $82,900.

“In addition to strengthening our healthcare infrastructure, they’ll (graduates of the program) use their new skills and their knowledge to contribute in countless ways to the civic, economic and cultural life of Southern Indiana,” said Pamela Whitten, the president of Indiana University.

“The opportunity was clear to equip students with specialized training for medical lab careers, to expand access vital field and to meet urgent workforce and healthcare needs in our region,” said Pam Connerly, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences at IUS.

Cheyenne Helton graduated from IUS in 2022 and worked as a pharmacy technician. After working in that

“When I heard about the new medical laboratory science program, I got really excited. This program is an amazing opportunity that will help students like me gain the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference in health care.”

ADRIENNE ALLEY

Sophomore at IUS

field for some time and hearing about being a laboratory technician from her cousin, she decided to go back to IUS and get a degree in laboratory science.

“With a degree in medical laboratory science, there are so many doors open for me,” Helton said. “I could work in a hospital, dive into research and maybe even explore forensic science in the future.”

Adrienne Alley, a sophomore at IUS, will be another student going into the new degree program. She switched from her biology degree to laboratory science.

“When I heard about the new medical laboratory science program, I got really excited,” she said. “This program is an amazing opportunity that will help students like me gain the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference in health care.”

About 75 people gathered for the announcement between the hospitals and IU Southeast.

Erik Hackman | News and Tribune