Benefis Point-of-Care Testing Coordinator Wins Global Award
Benefis Point-of-Care Testing Coordinator Max Mauch recently accepted the Point of Care Coordinator of the Year Award from the Point of Care Testing Division of the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) at the organization's annual conference in Chicago.
The ADLM is a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to clinical laboratory science and its application to healthcare.
"An award like this is a capstone achievement and validation that you are doing a good job," Max said. "I'm proud of the system I built."
Max is the first Montanan to win the award in its 25-year history. He also received the most of letters of support from colleagues to date.
Here is a sample of the accolades they shared:
Max consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership, dedication, and a profound commitment to improving patient care at the point of care. He has shown an outstanding ability to streamline workflows, ensure the accurate implementation of policies, and foster a collaborative among the healthcare team through communication and mutual respect.
- R. Craig Carson, MD
Laboratory Medical Director
Among Max's many achievements, his implementation of streamlined point-of-care testing protocols stands out. By integrating cutting-edge methodologies and ensuring comprehensive staff training, Max has enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of diagnostic processes. These efforts have fostered stronger interdisciplinary collaboration across departments, directly contributing improved patient outcomes and underscoring the vital role of laboratory sciences in healthcare delivery.
- Casey Buckingham
System Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Max has developed a laboratory student point-of-care rotation, increasing the Laboratory Department's visibility and knowledge sharing among different disciplines throughout the hospital. This opportunity gives students different perspectives from different levels of care. The different environments that lab plays a vital role in aids in providing mutual respect to everyone's specialty and how that contributes to great patient outcomes and best practices.
- Crystal Todd
Manager of Respiratory Therapy, Mercy Flight Safety Officer
Last year, Max was recognized by the Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO) magazine for his expertise in the field of point-of-care testing. MLO included Max in its 55 Under 55 list. He was one of only four point-of-care coordinators nationally recognized and the only honoree from Montana.
Max was selected for the list because of his work coordinating POC testing at Benefis, including the heparin assay used in the operating room, the i-STAT device utilized by the Mercy Flight team, and whole blood glucose testing. Max also established a medical laboratory scientist student POC rotation about eight years ago, offering students the opportunity to witness POC testing firsthand and establish a better connection between samples analyzed in the lab and the real-life patients they come from.
Those achievements and more led to Max being selected as the winner of the Point of Care Coordinator of the Year Award.
Read more about the point-of-care testing program at Benefis by watching the videos below.
Now, Max is focused on preparing for a lab inspection in the spring, along with the lab's role in Benefis' expansion efforts in Lewistown and the Goodnow Healthy Aging Center.
Join us in congratulating Max! The award is a reflection of the dedication, expertise, and passion he brings to Benefis.
