DLS’ Culture of Learning and Innovation Set This Senior MT Up for Success

Local girl Joyce Iwata had her eyes set on the medical technology field ever since high school when a Career Day speaker shared about the benefits of working in a laboratory. “I wanted to help people, and I liked the idea of being in the background assisting doctors by providing test results to help patients,” says Joyce. After graduating from the medical technology program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, she was encouraged to apply at Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc (DLS) by a former classmate who worked there.

“DLS was well-known, and my classmate had only good things to say about it,” says Joyce. “Plus it was part of Queen’s Health Systems, and I knew Queen’s was a really good hospital.” She joined DLS seeking experience and a broader skillset—and found a supportive, dynamic employer with whom she could grow.

More than two decades later, Joyce enjoys being a Senior Medical Technologist in the Core Laboratory, Hematology department at DLS’ headquarters on O‘ahu. In this specialized role, she supervises and trains other technologists as well as oversees the lab’s day-to-day performance. She’s responsible for a variety of vital testing procedures, including CBC (Complete Blood Count), coagulation tests and serological tests, to name a few. Previously, she was a generalist in the fast-paced DLS Stat Laboratory at the Queen’s Medical Center (QMC). QMC is a Level II Trauma Center, where turnaround times for urgent tests are routinely under an hour.

“We never are going to be the same or stagnant. We will always be moving forward.”

Raising two boys, Joyce is grateful for the company’s stability, flexibility and opportunities for advancement. The competitive benefit packages and myriad ways the company supports its employees have also been a strong factor in her and many others’ long tenure at DLS. “We have a lot of loyal people here,” she says. “Several of my colleagues have also been with the company for over 20 years!” She feels lucky to have found DLS fresh out of college, as it fostered her development of new skills and confidence.

Joyce also appreciates the culture of learning and innovation. The company sponsors continuing education opportunities and local industry conferences. It also sends employees like Joyce to the mainland for specialized training on new systems and has them, in turn, share the knowledge with staff. “DLS is always focused on staying competitive and making things more efficient by improving instrumentation and processes,” she says. “I like that. We never are going be the same or stagnant. We will always be moving forward.”

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