Fit and Well: Phlebotomist Recognition Week

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Phlebotomist Recognition Week is well underway. Phlebotomists are crucial in providing lab results that help guide patient care.

St. Luke’s employs more than 60 phlebotomists across the Magic and Wood River valleys. These professionals are trained to perform blood draws and handle other bodily fluids that will be used to screen, diagnose and monitor health conditions, such as diabetes.

Angie Knight, laboratory supervisor at St. Luke’s, said there are some risks in their job.

“Phlebotomists put their lives on the line every single day,” Knight said. “We’re dealing with body fluid that is potentially contaminated with disease, and if we don’t handle that body fluid properly, we can infect ourselves or the people around us that we love.”

When hospitals look for a phlebotomist, they often consider personality and some background in health care.

Phlebotomists work closely with doctors and nurses and are often the first people patients see when they come in.