Around Our Regions: NY-Presbyterian Lab Tech Joins SEIU COVID Advisory Committee
January 12, 2021
“I have knowledge of how testing and science work,” she says. “Sometimes the sciences are misunderstood, so [the Committee] must have people with a background in science. It’s also important that I work in a hot spot.”
Smith has been a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at NY-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan for 38 years. Though she planned to pursue a career in nursing, a career day in high school introduced her to the laboratory sciences; she was captivated by lab work and its ability to unlock the mysteries of the human body. Smith specializes in immunology, where her work has focused on multiple myeloma, a plasma cell cancer that affects the blood, bones, and immune system.
Today, like all healthcare workers, Smith is largely focused on COVID and ways to treat and contain the virus. “I want to stop it, so we won’t continue to lose so many lives,” she says.
A Union delegate for over 25 years, Smith credits her late mother with instilling in her the desire to advocate for herself and others. “I think this is really important,” said Smith. “We must be devoted to protection and safety for healthcare workers and for everyone.”
1199 Magazine | November & December 2020