These "technologists" analyze blood samples, study bacteria cultures, scrutinize pap smears and examine cell structures to alert physicians to signs of illnesses ranging from cancer to strep throat infections. The hospital's labs also accept blood donations from the public and test blood samples from physician offices around the region.

The administrative director of the hospital's laboratories, Peggy Simpson, is a nationally recognized, award-winning technologist who has spent a lifetime in the profession. Her enthusiasm for the hospital's lab work is, well, contagious.

"I love getting up and going to work every day to meet the challenges," she says. "When we work in the lab, we realize there is a patient behind every blood sample. That is an enormous responsibility because our results will determine a diagnosis and the course of treatment for a patient."

Simpson is a winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. The award was established to honor a member of the organization who has demonstrated a commitment to the profession through work, attitude and society activities.

Her duties at Danville Regional include: managing staff, budget, quality improvement and accreditation.

The lab's services include:

• Hematology - Testing blood for a variety of cells, including the characteristics of red and white blood cells and platelets. Also, malaria parasites are confirmed by detection on a blood smear.


• Chemistry - Measuring levels of chemicals, including cholesterol and enzymes. The amount of certain enzymes can determine if a patient has heart damage after a heart attack or stroke.


• Microbiology - Cultures are used to identify bacteria, viruses or fungi that cause, for example, strep throat, kidney infections or meningitis. Parasites also are detected in this laboratory.


• Cytology - Reviewing pap smears for abnormal cells.


• Histology - Determining whether tumor cells are malignant or benign.


• Blood Bank - Testing blood and preparing it for patient transfusions. "We want to make sure the blood we give to our patients will benefit them," Simpson says.

The laboratory also operates the Medical Center's own blood donor center. "Our donors are neighbors giving the `gift of life' to their neighbors and loved ones," Simpson says. "Our donors are fantastic."

Another service, LabCare, analyzes blood samples from area physician offices. "Patients at doctor's offices should ask that routine tests are sent to our local community laboratory, rather than an out-of-town reference laboratory," Simpson notes. "We can provide personalized, timely service through this outreach program."

Simpson began her career in the laboratory profession in 1967 at York General Hospital in Rock Hill, S.C. From 1975 to 1984, she took on various medical technology instructor positions at nearby colleges. She then became chemistry supervisor at Anderson Regional Medical Center in Anderson, S.C., and in 1988 she became program director of medical laboratory technology and phlebotomy programs at Alamance Community College in Graham, N.C. She joined Danville Regional in 2003.

She has been an active member of the professional organization, having served on the American Society of Clinical Pathologists' Board of Governors Board of Registry. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and on the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. She has written and edited several articles that have appeared in medical and scientific journals.

Simpson is a graduate of Winthrop College and earned a master's degree from Longwood College. She is active in the Danville community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Free Clinic of Danville and is a volunteer with the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Reach to Recovery program.

The laboratory services of Danville Regional Medical Center are accredited and licensed by a number of parties, including the College of American Pathologists (CAP), Health & Human Services (CLIA), Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and licensure by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Danville Regional is the leading medical center in the Dan River Region of Virginia and North Carolina, providing open-heart surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Approximately 140 physicians are on the medical staff. The Medical Center employs approximately 1,540 people. Learn more at: www.danvilleregional.com.