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Improving Health, Improving Lives
May 13, 2021
Celebrating Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Labcorp
Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates the numerous accomplishments of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) in the United States who have made a difference in the world. From the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Pacific Islands, the breadth of countries and regions represented are significant, such as China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India, among many more. Not only does Labcorp have extensive operations across Asia through India, but we also have many employees in the United States and Europe who are also of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. Our AANHPI colleagues at Labcorp make significant contributions every day for our patients and clients.
While we celebrate, we also recognize that this community has seen an increase in harassment and violence since the beginning of the global pandemic. We stand by our AANHPI employees and communities, and do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind at Labcorp. This is a reminder and opportunity to unite together in support of our colleagues.
We invite you to learn more about Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month and get to know a few of our team members who work alongside us to help inform decisions and advance global health. Please hear from three of our outstanding colleagues at Labcorp.
Medical Director
Medical Director
Jeanelle Kam, MD, CPI
In her fourth year of medical school residency, Jeanelle decided to apply her medical background to explore early phase clinical research and fell in love with the work. Thirteen years later, she has grown in her career and is working as a medical director with our Dallas, Texas, team.
Jeanelle has found that the organization has supported her need for continuous learning. She is currently enrolled in an MBA program and plans to graduate by next spring.
“At the end of the day, our work is about safety for our patients and quality data for our clients,” she explained. “I want to add more value by thinking about the business of the site and the corporation as a whole.”
Jeanelle also recognizes the value in her team members who share her standards for making people feel welcome and included.
“Each person brings value to our company. Whether you are collecting vital signs on an EKG machine or sending samples to a lab, we are all bringing the miracles to medicine sooner.”
Senior Vice President
Senior Vice President
Rajat Mehta, MBA
After lengthy career supporting scientific organizations, Rajat joined Labcorp a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I joined at the best of the times and the worse of the times,” he laughed. “My division on the West Coast was one of the first areas to get hit by COVID, and I saw the way were able to impact the lives of patients and meet the demands of our communities around the nation. This company truly showed what it’s built on as everyone came together.”
Rajat has lived in many parts of the world and appreciates the “melting pot” aspect of the United States with people from many different backgrounds.
“Every background has its own stereotypes that can create unconscious biases,” he said. “I think that as an organization, we must understand, recognize and proactively manage these biases wherever we can so everybody feels included and respected. At the end of the day, we all have the same goals, no matter which culture or country you are from. We all want to make an impact in our clients’ and patients’ lives.”
Associate Director of Operations
Associate Director of Operations
Shareen Lee, MBA
Shareen became a part of Labcorp as part of an acquisition and has found that the experience has provided her with new avenues for career growth and networking.
“The acquisition definitely opened more doors for me,” she said. “I had earned my MBA degree and was looking to grow in my role. My manager at Labcorp signed me up for the “Ignite Your Impact” training program, and I saw how the organization was investing time and energy to me.”
As Shareen is getting settled in her new role after a recent promotion, she has also recognized and appreciated the feeling of inclusion in the workplace.
“Labcorp has been nothing but welcoming and encouraging. I’ve seen that in some points of my life that diversity initiatives have lacked the inclusion aspect, but Labcorp understands how to include people and make them feel welcome.”