By Kelly Pingleton | May 16, 2023

ST LOUIS – What happens when an employer innovates for the type of workers needed tomorrow instead of simply recruiting them away from their competitors today? Results, engagement, and talent development!

Quest Diagnostics, a medical laboratory in Lenexa, KS has collaborated with Science Coach of St. Louis to pilot with selected public, private, and home school high school students and teachers in the greater Kansas City, Missouri and Lenexa, Kansas areas. Together we will build a pipeline of future Medical Laboratory Scientists for their workforce. The pilot is scheduled to begin in July 2023.

“The Kansas City/Kansas pilot will replicate a successful Cigna Corporation and Barnes-Jewish Hospital partnership program concluding this May 2023. We have seen a 300% increase in students who engaged in and are now performing medical laboratory science research,” said Jill Ott, Executive Director, and Co-Founder of Science Coach.

Starting in July 2023, through Quest Diagnostics’ sponsorship, Science Coach will provide the resources, supply budget, materials and support to both students and teachers to ramp up and participate in the year-long flagship Science Coach Pro-Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Research Program. The program provides hands-on opportunities, research practices and MLS career awareness for students. Teachers receive comprehensive curriculum materials, mentoring, support, and MLS/research skills training as part of this year-long professional development experience that begins in July 2023. Two students with advanced MLS research topics will be selected to receive $1000 of supply funding along with a completion stipend for both the student and teacher Coach.

Students can compete in the spring of 2024 for money, internships and scholarships entering their unique research projects in various regional, state, national and international research competitions.  “Developing a pipeline of talented, engaged future scientists in such a creative way fits so well with Quest’s vision and recruitment strategy,” said Doug Hamilton, Vice President-Laboratory Operations.  “With success of this pilot, we plan to expand this model.”

Also available to read in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.