December 8, 2022
Raleigh, N.C. [December 7, 2022] – MAKO Medical Laboratories, a national full-service reference laboratory and national leader in COVID-19 testing, today announced the first graduates of MAKO University’s (MAKO U) phlebotomy training program.
The program, launched in August, is accredited by the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT), a top phlebotomy certifier in the U.S.
Five MAKO employees completed the 14-week training course and graduated as certified phlebotomists on December 6, 2022.
“Being here today at graduation is a huge accomplishment for our students and for our program. The planning and development of this program started over a year ago and to see it all come to fruition has been nothing less than amazing,” said Tiffany Filbeck, phlebotomy program director.
The course to certify participants in drawing blood, consists of two, four-hour virtual instruction days per week, along with online assignments. Students conducted 25 successful draws before progressing to their clinical rotation where they completed an additional 75 successful draws before taking the ASPT exam for final certification. The exam included a written portion and a practical blood draw simulation.
MAKO team members are able to sign up for the Phlebotomy course through MAKO U, a career enhancement effort established during this rapidly changing time in health care. MAKO offers this program at no charge to team members across all MAKO locations.
“I think the future and possibilities are endless. We have so many accounts all over the state, we do so many things, that’s the MAKO Way. You can pretty much do anything,” said graduate Erica Mayor. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I can’t see what happens next.”
MAKO U graduates will be able to return to assist with future classes as instructors. This keeps them involved in the program while also allowing them to stay up-to-date on their skills. Further, as more graduates return to serve as instructors, MAKO hopes to increase teaching capacity enough to open the program up to the public in 2023.
Founded in 2014, MAKO Medical is a College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited laboratory that operates more than 85,000 square feet of laboratory space across three laboratory facilities along the East Coast of the United States. In total, MAKO has the capacity to process over 200,000 tests per day.
Since April 2020, MAKO Medical has processed more than 13 million COVID-19 tests utilizing RT-PCR technology and industry-leading testing assays, including the Applied Biosystems TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Assay. The MAKO team also partnered with the CDC to provide next-generation sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 during the height of the pandemic.
MAKO’s core business is setting a higher standard in serving as a diagnostics partner for healthcare providers across the United States. The MAKO Way delivers turnkey lab services with precision and accuracy.
Company Highlights
- August 2022: Inc. magazine recognized MAKO Medical as one of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.
- March 2022: Forbes recognized MAKO Medical as one of America’s Best Startup Employers.
- May 2021: Triangle Business Journal recognized MAKO Medical with a 2021 Life Sciences Award.
- August 2020: MAKO Medical announced the company scored 100% on CAP COVID Proficiency Testing, demonstrating MAKO’s commitment to quality lab results.
- Committed to the U.S. Military—At MAKO’s founding, leaders carved out divisions of the company to hire U.S. military veterans. These teams are foundational to MAKO’s elite and high-touch client services model. In November 2022, MAKO held its third annual Veterans Day lunch to honor veterans, handing out more than 400 free meals to Vance County veterans and their family members.
About MAKO Medical
Founded in 2014, MAKO Medical is a diagnostics partner for businesses, physicians, urgent care facilities, and hospitals around the United States. MAKO Medical has recruited chemists and scientists to provide industry-leading innovation. MAKO Medical Laboratories’ methods and assays are validated for reproducibility, precision, and accuracy. MAKO Medical invests heavily in state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology. To learn more, visit makomedical.com.