The value of the laboratory professional in the continuum of care.

The community laboratory often is relegated to the subterranean levels of the hospital, and it feels, at times, that the laboratory profession has been put in the basement as well. It is incumbent upon those of us who work in the clinical laboratory to ensure that the daily contributions made by the laboratory to the lives of our patients are not overlooked by our colleagues or by the future generation of laboratorians. We can expand our parochial view of the laboratory and begin to understand and to achieve the institutional goals of cost-effective patient care. Using a data-driven approach, we can articulate the real benefits of delivering quality laboratory service near the patient and secure the institution's investment in that core competency. Fostering the growth of community laboratory insourcing compounds these benefits and provides an environment for the creation of job enrichment opportunities.