Phlebotomists Recognition Week – Congrats to Dominic Ziccardi on His Retirement

February 10-14 marks National Phlebotomists Recognition Week, a time to celebrate the important role that Craig Hospital’s phlebotomists play in patient care. Phlebotomists draw blood for medical testing, which is essential for diagnosis and treatment and vital to patient health and laboratory efficiency. 

 

The Craig team would like to thank all our phlebotomists, whose hard work collecting lab samples does not go unnoticed. In particular, Craig would like to recognize our gregarious phlebotomy supervisor Dominic Ziccardi, who is retiring in July 2025 after 30 years at Craig! Dom plays an integral role in delivering better outcomes for patients and their families through his dedication and unwavering empathy. 

 

“He makes a positive impact on patients’ lives because he really gets to know them,” says clinical inpatient lab-transport coordinator David Chattin, MSHA, MLS (ASCP) CM. “Every couple of months, it seems someone who was an inpatient at Craig maybe decades ago will come here as an outpatient and bump into me looking for Dom to say hi. They stop by just to chat with him.”  

 

Dom is easy to find in 3 West, wearing his signature white lab coat, black-framed glasses and a smile. His New York accent is unmistakable. His personality is infectious – the good kind. Dom’s approach to working with patients is rooted in love and respect. 

 

“For me, it’s about putting on their shoes and meeting them where they’re at,” the U.S. Army veteran and former combat medic says, “and not looking at them as a patient per se but looking at them as a person that’s here for help. I try to make them feel special.” 

 

Who else would you want drawing your blood? To Dom, quality phlebotomy is about working efficiently while instilling trust in the patient. 

 

“Let’s face it, it’s an invasive procedure,” Dom says. “It has to be done perfectly or otherwise the results can be affected, and doctors make their decisions off of those results. So we have to do it right every time, and there’s a little more to it than people think, getting it right so the patient doesn’t have to get poked again. A good phlebotomist is worth their weight in gold. A lot of patients that come in, they say, ‘You guys are really good.’” 

 

As Dom sets his sights toward retirement – and an overdue trip to Italy to visit family – we at Craig wish him the best and thank him for three decades of service.