SALT LAKE CITY, April 12, 2002 – ARUP Laboratories, Inc., a Utah-based clinical reference laboratory, will join in honoring medical laboratory professionals during National Medical Laboratory Week, April 14-20, 2002. It is a time of celebration nationwide for the approximately 265,000 medical laboratory professionals and 15,000 board-certified pathologists who perform and interpret medical laboratory tests throughout the country.

Using state-of-the-art technology, these highly-educated laboratory professionals help to prevent disease by detecting unknown health problems, and aid in the diagnosis and treatment of existing medical conditions. Results of laboratory tests often identify the presence of disease in its earliest stages when the possibilities for successful treatment are greatest and least costly.

To celebrate National Medical Laboratory Week, laboratories across the nation will host open houses, tours, lectures, and demonstrations to help acquaint the public and other health care professionals with the workings of the medical laboratory.

“We are proud of the work we do here at ARUP,” says Dr. Carl Kjeldsberg, president and CEO of ARUP Laboratories. “We have the tremendous responsibility of performing complex tests in an accurate and timely manner. The work we do directly affects patients' lives and the treatment they receive.”

“The field of Medical Technology was a huge discovery that satisfied my career desire for laboratory testing and medicine. One reason I enjoy this career so much is that it is forever changing and improving. It still fascinates me every day,” reflects Pamela Carter M.T. CLS (NCA), Product Specialist, ARUP Laboratories.

As the laboratory industry has rapidly expanded in recent years, so has the number of medical laboratory professionals working in settings such as hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, research facilities, blood banks, public health centers, the Armed Forces, universities, and industry. Medical laboratory professionals have a variety of specialties, including pathologists, medical technologists, clinical laboratory scientists, histotechnologists, and cytotechnologists.

For more information about National Medical Laboratory Week, visit the American Society of Clinical Pathologists' Web site at www.ascp.org/general/labweek.

ARUP Laboratories is a national full-service reference laboratory owned by the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, LLC. With revenue of greater than $140 million and more than 1,300 employees, ARUP offers over 2,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine cytology screens to highly esoteric molecular and genetic assays. ARUP's clients include university teaching hospitals, multihospital groups, major commercial laboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and government facilities, major clinics, and major pharmaceutical firms. Further information on ARUP Laboratories can be obtained on the Internet at www.aruplab.com.

Contact Information:

Ronald L. Weiss, M.D., M.B.A.
(801) 584-5188