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Solving Medical Puzzles to Treat Patients
“A typical day for me mainly consists of identifying organisms causing infection while also performing susceptibility testing for treatment,” explains Joanaly Cintron, who has been with Sentara for nearly six years. “In microbiology, we test organisms to see what antibiotics are resistant or susceptible, meaning which drugs should be used for treatment purposes.”
The lab can get results back anywhere from two hours for COVID-19 testing to eight weeks for some specimens that need a much longer time to culture and examine, she says. This detective work provides providers and patients with a well-researched treatment plan.
Joanaly knew she wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity but found her exact path through the medical laboratory technician program Tidewater Community College. Since working for Sentara, Joanaly has tapped into the tuition assistance program to work toward completing her bachelor’s degree.
In microbiology, we test organisms to see what antibiotics are resistant or susceptible, meaning which drugs should be used for treatment purposes.”
Today, Joanaly works the evening shift at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Besides enjoying her job and the role she plays in patient care, she’s grateful for her generous and kind coworkers. Recently, her colleagues threw her a baby shower for her daughter, Evalys, who was born in September at Sentara Leigh Hospital.
“My baby is five months old, and I have yet to buy diapers!” the new mom adds.
One fact you might not know about Joanaly: She was voted class clown in high school. So that leads us to ask what she does for fun with her full schedule.
“There’s an abundance of things to do in our area,” says Joanaly, who lives in Chesapeake. “Long stretches of warm weather give us opportunities for many festivals and outdoor concerts. We also have tons of breweries, and my personal favorite is MoMac (in Portsmouth).”
With a new baby, it’s not surprising that Joanaly is staying closer to home lately. She’s got a lot of favorite TV shows to entertain her – “The Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones ” and “Dexter,” to name a few.
Solving Medical Puzzles to Treat Patients
“A typical day for me mainly consists of identifying organisms causing infection while also performing susceptibility testing for treatment,” explains Joanaly Cintron, who has been with Sentara for nearly six years. “In microbiology, we test organisms to see what antibiotics are resistant or susceptible, meaning which drugs should be used for treatment purposes.”
The lab can get results back anywhere from two hours for COVID-19 testing to eight weeks for some specimens that need a much longer time to culture and examine, she says. This detective work provides providers and patients with a well-researched treatment plan.
Joanaly knew she wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity but found her exact path through the medical laboratory technician program Tidewater Community College. Since working for Sentara, Joanaly has tapped into the tuition assistance program to work toward completing her bachelor’s degree.
In microbiology, we test organisms to see what antibiotics are resistant or susceptible, meaning which drugs should be used for treatment purposes.”
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