Medical Laboratory Technologist / Medical Laboratory Technician

Patient First joins the Bash in Allentown, PA. George Yanoshik August 17, 2026 For the second year in a row, Patient First was thrilled to join the Allentown School District's Back to School Bash! This school district is the third largest in Pennsylvania and includes 25 schools and more than 16,000 students. Each year, event organizers bring many people together at Allentown's amazing Cedar Beach Park to kick off the new school year. This year Patient First had beautiful weather and more than 100 vendors, activities, resources, food, and a popular backpack giveaway kept the energy fun all day. Its Patient First tent stayed busy, too. Families stopped by for blood pressure checks, giveaways, and conversations about back-to-school and sports physicals, injury treatment, telehealth, and more. The day was especially meaningful for Patient First because of its valued partnership with the Allentown School District, an Occupational Health client of Patient First. Patient First is proud to be part of this great community and school district, and grateful to be welcomed back for another fantastic Back to School Bash event. Two years in, and Patient First is already looking forward to next year! Patient First also hope to be invited to school events within the district since Patient First love meeting parents and families, and of course teachers, principals and school personnel as well.

A gift that helps students find their voice at Wharton ES. At the School District of Lancaster, the success of its students is deeply connected to the support of its community. Wharton Elementary School received a $1,000 donation from Patient First, a gift that reflects a long-standing commitment to helping students thrive in ways that are both immediate and lasting. Patient First has included school support in its mission since the organization was founded in 1981. Each year, they identify elementary schools within the radius of their centers and select a group of schools to receive funding with one guiding belief. Schools should have the freedom to determine how the money will best serve their students. No requirements. No restrictions. The only expectation is that the donation directly benefits children. Todd Krickler, who has been visiting schools on behalf of Patient First for the past four years, shared how meaningful the work has become for him. "In times like this, when schools are facing cutbacks at the federal and state levels, it feels good to find a way to offer support," he said. "The schools and the community have always supported us. This is our opportunity to give back in a way that has a clear and direct impact." Wharton Elementary has been part of this partnership for several years. Although Todd did not personally select the school, he shared that Wharton has always stood out for its strong communication, responsiveness, and willingness to collaborate. Returning to Wharton this year was an easy decision. For Wharton Principal Dr. Welters, this gift could not have arrived at a better moment. The school is currently halfway toward a $10,000 dollar campaign to build a student media studio. This space will serve as a creative hub where students can grow skills in reading, writing, speaking, interviewing, and visual storytelling. While traditional assignments support many students, the staff at Wharton recognized that some students connect more deeply with hands-on expression, verbal communication, and creative production. The studio will give those students a place where their strengths can shine. "We wanted to create a space where students who do not always engage with traditional literacy assignments can express themselves in ways that feel natural to them," Dr. Welters explained. "The studio is a way to help them build confidence, develop their voice, and discover new skills that they can carry into middle school, high school, and beyond." Dr. Welters sees this project as a launch point, not a standalone program. The goal is for Wharton students to arrive at middle school already familiar with media production, storytelling, and studio equipment. From there, they can grow into the more advanced programs available at the secondary level and begin to see future possibilities in communications, journalism, broadcasting, technology, and media production. "We want this to be their point of origin," she said. "A place where curiosity begins. A place where confidence begins. A place where a future career can start to grow." The donation from Patient First helps push the project closer to reality, but Wharton is still actively looking for partners who want to be part of this work. For community members interested in contributing, the school has made the process simple. Anyone can contact the office, request a tour, learn about the vision, meet the team of community stakeholders already supporting the campaign, and explore ways to get involved. The hope is that families, organizations, and neighbors will join together to help bring this space to life. Patient First's generosity is an investment in student creativity. It's a vote of confidence in the importance of literacy, communication, and self-expression. And it's a reminder of what becomes possible when the community and its schools stand beside one another. At Wharton Elementary, students will soon step into a space built for imagination, skill-building, and the discovery of new pathways. And it begins with partnerships like this one that help open doors today so students can walk through new ones tomorrow.