All Posts By

Laboratory Services

Compliance & Safety, Hemostasis/Coagulation

Update: Platelet Aggregation Studies Scheduling

Effective immediately, platelet aggregation testing will require a pathology consult prior to scheduling for testing performed at Corewell Health Reference Laboratory West, Grand Rapids. This consult request must be completed prior to scheduling the patient for testing.

After consultation the testing may be ordered and scheduled.

As a reminder testing is performed for scheduled patients Monday – Thursday from 7:30 am-9:30 am at the 35 Michigan Street Laboratory. Patients should be resting, fasting, non-smoking, and should not be pregnant. Patients should avoid taking any prescription or over the counter medications known to affect platelet function for ten (10) days to two (2) weeks prior to the test. Click for a list of medications with known anti-platelet effects.

Test Information:

 

December 19, 2024 by
General Information, Gerber Laboratory, Ludington Laboratory

Corewell Health Gerber and Ludington Outpatient Laboratory Hours of Operation Update

Effective January 1, 2025, the outpatient laboratory (“draw station”) in Gerber Hospital and in Ludington Hospital will have new hours of operation.

New Hours: Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; closed Sunday and all major holidays

Corewell Health Gerber Laboratory

212 Sullivan, Fremont, MI 49412

Corewell Health Ludington Laboratory

1 Atkinson Drive, Ludington, MI 49431

Continue Reading

December 18, 2024 by
General Information

Reminder: Laboratory Holiday Availability – Corewell Health West Michigan

COREWELL HEALTH OBSERVED HOLIDAY LIST†:

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)*
  • Martin Luther King Jr, Day (3rd Monday in January)
  • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
  • Independence Day (July 4th)*
  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving Day (3rd Thursday in November)
  • Christmas Day (December 25th)*

† There may be varied hours for the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, and earlier closures for Christmas Eve (December 24th) and New Year’s Eve (December 31st). Please review site hours or contact site to ensure it is open.

* If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the Friday before the holiday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the Monday after the holiday.

 

COURIERS

Laboratory specimen pickup and delivery schedules will be altered due to holiday observances.  To ensure specimen stability and prevent delays, follow these guidelines:

  • The couriers that support Corewell Health Laboratories in Grand Rapids (Kent County, Holland and Muskegon) will send a paper communication via your courier in the weeks leading up to the observed holiday, asking for information on if the office will be open and what the hours will be. Holiday routes are built around this information, a STAT courier will be available.
  • The couriers that support Corewell Health Laboratory Greenville Hospital in West Michigan will notify clients the week before a holiday via flier. An on-call STAT courier will be available on holidays. The phone number and name of the courier will be on the flier.
  • The couriers that support Corewell Health Laboratory Hospitals in the rest of West Michigan (Big Rapids, Gerber, Ludington, Pennock, Reed City, Zeeland) will not have courier pickup available. It is best to not schedule collections or to hold specimens at your facility if the specimen stability allows for it until your next available courier pickup.

 

SPECIMEN COLLECTION – Referral Testing

Please note that the following tests should not be collected before an observed holiday due to FedEx shipping.

  • Please do not draw the following tests 2 days before through the observed holiday:
    • CD107a
    • CMV T Cell Immunity Panel
    • Immuknow
    • Lymphocyte Mitogens and IABCS (Immune Assessment B Cell Subsets)
    • NK Cell Function to Cincinnati
  • Please do not draw the following tests 1 day before through the observed holiday:
    • TB Spots (Transplant TB Screen)
    • AlloMap
  • This does not include standard Mayo, Specialty or Viracor testing.

 

OUTPATIENT DRAW SITES AND ORDER ENTRY

Outpatient draw sites and the order entry team will be closed on observed holidays and may have altered hours on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve†. For a list of sites, phone numbers and hours please visit: Laboratory Locations

December 11, 2024 by
General Information

Ludington Lab Test Discontinuation

Effective Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Corewell Health Ludington Laboratory will discontinue the send out test, Semen Analysis with Strict Morphology.

We recommend to our healthcare providers they send patients to a specialty clinic for fertility testing.

Post-vasectomy testing will not be affected.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please use the contact us link above.

December 2, 2024 by
General Information, Hemostasis/Coagulation

Reference Range Updates Coagulation Laboratory

Effective December 2, 2024 at 08:00 AM, Corewell Health West Laboratory Coagulation Department will be updating the reference range for several assays. The following will be impacted by these changes:

APTT testing for the BCS XP analyzers will be updating to 22.0 – 27.0 seconds.

This will include the following tests:

Effective December 2, 2024 at 08:00 AM, the Corewell Health West and South Coagulation Departments will be updating the reference range of the Fibrinogen Level (LAB 314) to 190-450 mg/ dL.

Questions may be directed to the Coagulation Laboratory using the Contact Us link above.

November 27, 2024 by
General Information, Immunochemistry

Update to Breath Tests

Effective December 4, 2024, breath methane will be added to Bacterial Overgrowth, Breath Test (LAB3295) and Lactose Intolerance, Breath Test (LAB3097). As a result, the test will include both breath hydrogen and methane. Methane is being added as a small percentage of patients who have either bacterial overgrowth or lactose intolerance will not produce hydrogen when challenged during the test. These patients are considered methane-producers.
In addition, the collection time point of 150 minutes is being eliminated to align with system-wide standards.
Questions may be directed to the Immunochemistry Laboratory using the Contact Us link above.
November 19, 2024 by
Cytology, General Information

Update to PAP-HPV Reflexing Algorithm

The algorithm that reflexes HPV testing off the PAP Test (LAB1230097) when the “HPV Reflex” option is selected during PAP ordering will no longer include pregnancy status as a criterion for reflexing on LSIL patients. Prior to this update, if HPV Reflex was selected, a PAP Diagnosis of LSIL on patients 25 and older would only reflex HPV testing if the patient was non-pregnant. Starting 11/6/2024, if HPV Reflex was selected, a PAP Diagnosis of LSIL on patients 25 and older will reflex HPV testing regardless of pregnancy status. This update aligns with current ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus guidelines.

November 7, 2024 by