The Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program at Penn State Hazleton is at risk of closure despite strong employment outcomes, exceptional certification pass rates, and continued high demand from regional healthcare partners, raising concerns that eliminating the program would worsen existing workforce shortages in medical laboratories across the state.

Please read the impact statement below and consider signing the petition to indicate your support of keeping the MLT program open.

I wish to express my strong support for the continuation of the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program at Penn State Hazleton and to urge against any action that would lead to its closure. The program plays an essential and irreplaceable role in meeting regional workforce needs, supporting local healthcare systems, and providing students with a highly employable degree.

The value and viability of the MLT program are clearly demonstrated through its consistent outcomes and the critical demand for its graduates. The program has maintained a 100% graduate employment rate over the past three years, showing that students completing this degree move directly and successfully into the workforce. Clinical partners regularly reach out to the program—often proactively—to inquire about upcoming graduates and to share job opportunities. This ongoing engagement illustrates the sustained and urgent demand for trained MLT professionals in our region.

Moreover, the program produces graduates of exceptional quality. Penn State Hazleton’s MLT graduates have achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the ASCP-MLT national certification exam—an extraordinary accomplishment in a field where certification is required by most employers. This success rate is even more significant when considering that Pennsylvania has only eight NAACLS-accredited MLT programs statewide. Because only graduates from NAACLS-accredited programs may sit for this certification exam, the Penn State Hazleton program fills a crucial educational and workforce pipeline that cannot be easily replaced.

It is also important to recognize that enrollment capacity in MLT programs is inherently constrained by the clinical training infrastructure across the state. Clinical sites can accommodate only one to two students per year due to staffing shortages and expanding laboratory demands. Maximum enrollment for the program is therefore capped at 12 students—a limitation driven not by lack of interest or program performance, but by statewide clinical placement realities. These structural constraints must not be misinterpreted as indicators of low program viability or declining demand.

Despite these limitations, the MLT program is deeply engaged in outreach and continues to explore avenues for growth. The program coordinator actively visits schools, attends career fairs, and participates in community events to raise awareness of this critical healthcare profession. There is also clear opportunity for expansion through shared delivery with other Penn State campuses—a strategy previously explored with support from clinical partners in regions such as the Lehigh Valley. With modest institutional investment, there is realistic potential to broaden access and amplify the program’s impact.

Perhaps most importantly, the program serves as a vital contributor to local and regional healthcare. Hospitals and laboratories across the Commonwealth continue to face severe staffing shortages in the medical laboratory sciences. The Penn State Hazleton MLT program directly addresses this gap, preparing graduates who are immediately employable and who support essential diagnostic services that affect every area of patient care.

In light of these significant strengths—demonstrated employment outcomes, exceptional certification success rates, ongoing clinical site demand, statewide workforce shortages, and opportunities for strategic growth—I strongly urge the University to maintain and invest in the MLT program. Closing the program would not only hinder our students’ access to an in-demand healthcare career pathway but would also exacerbate existing shortages in medical laboratories across the region.

Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to supporting academic programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities and in the lives of our students. 

Please show your support to save the MLT program by:

1. Signing the petition - your signature indicates you wish the MLT program at Penn State Hazleton to remain open
2. Writing a letter of support and sending it to Lori Yeager at LAY5071@psu.edu       Here is a letter of support template should you choose to write a letter - you can edit as you wish

Thanks in advance!

Lori Yeager, MS, MLS(ASCP)
Assistant Teaching Professor and Program Coordinator
Medical Laboratory Technology Program

The Pennsylvania State University
76 University Drive
Hazleton, PA 18202
570-450-3054
LAY5071@psu.edu
https://hazleton.psu.edu/associate-science-medical-laboratory-technology