Four Decades Together: Senior Quality Specialist Celebrates Her Anniversary and ARUP’s

Jan Wintch, CQA(ASQ), senior quality and regulatory affairs specialist, is one of just three employees who have worked at ARUP Laboratories since its inception in 1984. As ARUP celebrates 40 years of operation in 2024, Wintch is also celebrating her 40th anniversary and reflecting on her long history with the company.

She remembers ARUP's early years fondly and is excited to see the company achieve the 40-year milestone. "I remember our 10-year anniversary reception. Looking back, ARUP seemed so small compared to today," she said. "And now we're coming up on 40, which is amazing."

Wintch started her career at the University of Utah as an administrative assistant to the chief medical technologist shortly before ARUP's founding. When she learned that ARUP was splitting off into a separate company, she didn't think much of it. She was happy to continue working in her current job without much change to her routine other than moving to a new building.

Early in her career, Wintch didn't expect to stay at ARUP for long and planned to look for work elsewhere after she earned her bachelor's degree in business administration in 1991. However, when she began working in ARUP's Quality Department in 1994, Wintch found a place at ARUP that allowed her to use the skills she had gained from her education and past experiences at the company. Even in her early years at ARUP, Wintch's responsibilities included various quality-related activities.

Wintch has enjoyed seeing ARUP's growth over the years. "When we first moved to Research Park, we were in a building on Wakara Way that no longer exists," she said. "We stayed there while ARUP built a new building. Since then, ARUP has built several additional buildings and expanded to other existing buildings within Research Park. We have quite a campus now, and it's been fascinating to see ARUP grow and change over time."

During her time in Quality, Wintch gained certification through the American Society for Quality as a Certified Quality Auditor in 2002 and worked as a quality auditor for several years in that department. She continued in that role when Quality transitioned to the Quality and Compliance Department. During those years, her role expanded to include additional responsibilities and interests.

Along with the physical expansion of ARUP, the number of departments and specializations within the company grew to accommodate new complexities and higher test volumes. Over time, and after Quality and Compliance split into two separate departments in 2017, Wintch found a perfect fit for her skills when she began specializing in quality and regulatory work in the Quality Systems and Support Department.

ARUP has changed in many ways, but Wintch recognizes that many of the processes the company currently has in place started long ago. "I can still see some of those processes in what we do today," she said. Wintch finds it interesting that while ARUP has made many improvements over the years, those improvements are based on a strong foundation.

Although she has seen numerous changes in ARUP, Wintch said the company culture of prioritizing employees and patients has remained the same. "Employees have always been important to ARUP executive management," she said. "And it's even more true today."

After 40 years with ARUP, Wintch said she is still happy with her job. She enjoys working in Quality Systems and Support and knows that maintaining high-quality testing in the healthcare industry is essential to protecting patients.

"I am happy to have a job where I can make an impact on patient care. A lot of people would think reading regulations is boring, but I find it quite interesting," she said. "I enjoy being able to apply the regulations to what we do here at ARUP and helping the laboratory stay in compliance."

One of the many things Wintch loves about her job, she said, is "how much I enjoy my current department." She loves working with the people she's collaborated with for several years as well as the more recently hired employees. She appreciates and values the work they do.

For Wintch, the enjoyment of working with others at ARUP extends beyond her own department. "I like working with people at ARUP in different departments with different jobs. I've learned a lot from other ARUP employees," she said.

To this day, Wintch finds satisfaction in all she learns on the job. "I learn something new almost every day, even after being here for 40 years. There's always something new to learn, a different or better way to do things, and that's what I like the most."

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