LARNED - While healthcare professionals at the St. Joseph Memorial Hospital lab are using a new piece of up-to-date technology, patients won’t notice much difference. Except in many cases, they may have their lab results quicker.
The re-design of the SJMH lab includes the addition of an iStat. This is a hand-held instrument that works with cartridges to provide results for a variety of lab tests.
“The results are almost instantaneous,” said Kathy Cushing, Central Kansas Medical Center chief operating officer. (SJMH is part of the CKMC family.)
The iStat is widely used in a variety of healthcare facilities, including free-standing emergency rooms in urban areas. Because new cartridges become available as new testing panels are developed, SJMH will be able to stay current with what is available.
“The iStat will give results for heart attacks, bleeding problems, electrolyte testing and other conditions,” Cushing said.
The SJMH lab will continue to perform outpatient lab procedures as it has always done. Emergency testing that cannot be performed as a point-of-care test will be couriered immediately to Great Bend. The iStat and other point-of-care testing will be done at SJMH.
“Patients and their families can be assured of the same high-quality service at our Larned lab,” Cushing noted.
The College of American Pathologists and the Clinical Lab Improvement Act accredit the lab in Great Bend. The Larned lab continues to meet all CLIA, state and federal requirements.
“Our patients who come in to have lab work drawn should not see any difference,” Cushing said. “Some lab tests are already sent to Great Bend, and in the case of specialty testing, they are sent out of the area. The Larned emergency room will continue to have critical testing available at the bedside.”
The SJMH lab changes, which will go into effect in February, were the result of an overall review of services, Cushing added.
“Because of the constant on-call requirements and the highly regulated environment, it is difficult to keep qualified staff at any lab,” Cushing explained. “As we looked at these issues and at ways to cut expenses throughout our healthcare system, we felt this was a service we could continue to provide – just in a different manner,” she said.
One or two employee positions may be affected by these changes. |
