Every day, practitioners in hospitals, long term care facilities, outpatient clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers perform biopsies and order a variety of laboratory tests, but do you know what happens once the specimen is collected from the patient and sent to the lab? This session will provide an overview of the numerous specialties covered by the laboratory medicine umbrella, discuss the unique risks and liability issues that arise in the lab setting, and offer ideas for reducing errors and improving patient safety.