In the early 1970s, Tallulah Gorge, Georgia, was pretty far off the beaten
path. Jane Spence grew up in a house overlooking the Gorge in a time when
girls weren’t encouraged to study science. “I’m the
only one of six siblings working in the medical field. My dream of working
in a laboratory started in my 10th grade science class taught by Mr. Russell
Smith. I absolutely fell in love with science and medicine and never looked
back,” she says.
A Pivotal Moment
Smith’s influence sparked Spence’s interest in microbiology
and molecular biology and a career that has kept her interested and engaged
for more than 40 years.
After earning her associate of science degree and attending Laboratory
Assistant School, Spence became a Certified Medical Laboratory Technician
in 1977. She worked in a lab for five years before becoming a stay-at-home
mom. When her children were three and five, the family moved to Augusta,
Georgia and Spence eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in Medical
Technology from The Medical College of Georgia. That was 1987, the same
year she became certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology
as a Medical Technologist. She kept furthering her education, attending
class on weekends at the Valdosta State University (VSU) program at Kings
Bay Naval Station, while working full-time at Waycross State Laboratory
and raising a family. In 1989, she received her master’s in Public
Administration from VSU.
The years of study only fueled Spence’s passion. “I woke up
excited to go to school. I’ve stayed friends with my teachers and
developed a professional support system.”
The Challenge of a Lifetime
Spence has worked a total of 18 years at Southeast Georgia Health System
and served as the microbiology team coordinator for
Laboratory Services for eight years. She oversees the part of the lab that identifies and
tests bacteria and viruses to see which drugs will fight a particular
illness. “It takes a long time to learn certain things. It’s
like trying to solve a puzzle, but I still enjoy sitting at the bench,
quietly studying bacteria and viruses.”
Though Spence’s excitement for microbiology never dimmed in her 43
years in the field,
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the laboratory science world. “This has been the
hardest year of my career. COVID-19 consumes our focus. It’s like
nothing we’ve ever seen before. In the beginning, my first thought
was to protect our team. Our microbiology lab does all of the testing
so we knew we could be exposed if we weren’t careful.”
Spence quickly mobilized her team. They obtained additional personal protective
equipment (PPE), established an isolation room for testing respiratory
viruses and changed their workflow to accommodate increasing demand. “I
knew we had to get on top of this threat quickly and safely.”
Along with her staff, Spence worked long hours and weekends. She was driven
in part by the thought of her daughter, Jessica Sellars, a nurse who also
works at the Health System. “It was scary at the beginning, but
I think we’re beginning to catch up. We’re now able to run
up to 300 COVID-19 tests per day. However, a vaccine will be really important
in allowing us to return to normal.”
Sharing the Passion
The Health System’s lab isn’t just an integral component of
patient care, it’s a training site for students from Georgia Southern
University, home of the state’s largest medical laboratory science
program. Students work in the lab for six months before taking the national
certification exam. Spence enjoys teaching students and watching their
interest grow. She’s concerned that fewer people are entering the
field, despite a critical shortage of medical technologists.
“I love my job and enjoy working with people who have a passion
for helping patients. The Health System is very supportive and we have
some great physicians,” shares Spence.
The focus and persistence required to turn a high school dream into a lifelong
career are integral elements of Spence’s personality. Those qualities
allow her to manage the lab with precision and dedication, knowing that
her team’s work can make or break a patient’s prognosis. In
these times, that has never been more important, or more appreciated.