For National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, KSFY's cameras were invited in to the core lab at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. We honor all of you for all the work that takes place without most of us giving it a second thought.

How many of you have wondered what happens to that urine sample you gave after you set it on the counter? We are going to show you. A lab tech puts it in a bio-hazard bag and places it in the pneumatic machine and in 45 minutes from sample to the lab they'll know what's wrong with you.

All samples that come from patients at the Avera McKennan Hospital come through this tube station in the core lab. All others are delivered here. Once it arrives, your info is put in to their computer system and your electronic medical record.

Dawn Ver Hoeven, a Clinical Lab Scientist (ASCP) and Supervisor of the Core Lab says, "Then they circulate in to the automated core. Which consists of 9 analyzers which do your chemistry. It does cholesterol, lipids, hormone testing and complete blood count (CBC and white count)."

And if anything is flagged in round one, the clinical lab scientists take a smear and examine it under the microscope for abnormalities. It is a constant buzz of activity in here. Although you never see it, your doctor's rely on it.

Dawn Ver Hoeven says, "We are the behind the scenes. We are the ones that tell the doctor the likely diagnosis based on the results we give them. Behind every tube is a patient to us. It's not just a tube, it's a patient. We just aren't the hands on care."

So remember the next time you have to give up some of your fluids for testing... there is a whole other team in white coats working on your behalf for your betterment.

75 medical laboratory technicians and clinical lab scientists make up the core lab.