Browsing Tag

Corewell Health West

Hematology

Hematology Testing Updates (Corewell Health West Michigan)

Effective Wednesday, July 30, 2025, changes to result reporting will be implemented across all Hematology Departments at Corewell Health Laboratories. These updates will help align all regions within Corewell Health Hematology Departments to provide a high-quality and standardize patient care experience.

The following are the most impactful changes for the Corewell Health West Michigan Region:

  • The Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF) will continue to be performed once every 24 hours if the platelet count is <100 x10^9/L, but the IPF results will now be located within the CBC.
  • The ‘immature cells’ component of the manual differential will be changed to ‘other cells’.
  • The Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) within a CBC w/Differential order will be EITHER an Automated ANC or a Manual ANC.
    • A CBC with Differential order with an automated differential will receive the automated ANC. A CBC with Differential order reflexing to a Manual Differential will receive a manual ANC.
  • The RBC Morphology will no longer include Anisocytosis, Microcytosis, or Macrocytosis components.
  • The RBC Morphology grading will change from “Moderate/Many” to “Present” for the following components:
    • Sickle Cells
    • Basophilic Stippling
    • Howell Jolly Bodies
    • Pappenheimer Bodies
    • Toxic Granulation
    • Dohle bodies
    • Vacuolated Neutrophils
    • Neutrophil Hypogranulation
    • Giant Platelets
  • The following RBC Morphology components will STILL be reported as Moderate/Many:
    • Hypochromia
    • Polychromasia
    • Schistocytes (Few, Moderate, Many)
    • Bite Cells
    • Spherocytes
    • Target Cells
    • Teardrop Cells
    • Acanthocytes
    • Blister Cells
    • Echinocytes
    • Macro Ovalocytes
  • Given the limited clinical utility and labor intensiveness of performing RBC counts, lower reportable limit for non-cerebrospinal fluid (non-CSF) body fluid red blood cell (RBC) counts will be updated to 2000 cells/uL. This means, if an RBC count on a non-CSF Body Fluid is <2000 cells/uL, Epic will report out the RBC count as <2000 cells/uL.
    • CSF will continue to report out all RBCs present within the cell count.

References:

  1. Kjeldsberg CR, Hussong, JW: Body Fluid Analysis. ASCP Press; 2015
  2. Collins, l. Examination of Body Fluids: Evaluating Gross Appearance; Performing Cell Counts. Clin Lab Sci 2009;22(1):46
July 18, 2025 by
General Information

Test Update: PD-L1

Effective July 30, 2025, PD-L1 testing will be performed at Corewell Health Reference Laboratory East and will no longer be a sendout to Neogenomics. Collection instructions and other information may have changed, please visit the lab catalog for more information.

For questions and inquiries, please use the “Contact Us” link above.

 

TEST INFORMATION

New test: PD-L1 [LAB3658]

Former test: PD-L1 to Neogenomics (LAB848)

July 18, 2025 by
General Information

Test Update: Vitamin D Testing Via Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LAB1230925)

Corewell Health Laboratories has discontinued routine Vitamin D testing via Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LAB1230925). The new test for diagnosing Vitamin D insufficiency and monitoring therapy is Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy (LAB1231583), performed daily using an in-house immunoassay method.

Vitamin D screening for deficiency/insufficiency will now be conducted via immunoassay. Current requests for Vitamin D2/D3 by Mass Spectrometry will be sent out.

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Corewell Health West Laboratory.

 

TEST INFORMATION

Discontinue: LAB1230925 25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 and D3, Serum

Replacement: LAB1231583 Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy

June 27, 2025 by
Chemistry

βhCG Preliminary Results

Effective June 4, 2025, Corewell Health Laboratories will include a preliminary result of >10000 mIU/mL for Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG + β) (LAB142) specimens that require dilution. The preliminary result will provide a quick insight on the status of the βhCG quantification analysis. It is important to remember that these results are not definitive, therefore final interpretation should be made alongside the fully validated results.

Continue Reading

June 2, 2025 by
Advanced Technology Laboratory, Cytology, General Information

Reflex HPV Testing Update

Effective April 2, 2025, the Reflex HPV algorithm will more closely align with ASCCP recommendations. HPV testing will no longer be performed for a normal Pap result in patients aged 30 years and older when a provider orders HPV Reflex.

Specimens will qualify for HPV Reflex with a cytologic diagnosis of:

  • ASCUS (Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance) for patients aged 21 and older.
  • LSIL (Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion) for patients aged 25 and older.

HPV testing will continue to be performed for all Paps, regardless of results, for patients aged 30 years or older when a provider orders Co-Testing.

If a provider wishes to request HPV testing on a normal pap for patients under 30, they must either place an electronic order at the time of the initial pap order or request an add-on test for:

  • HPV High Risk Screen with HPV Genotype Reflex – Cervical Source (LAB1231770)
  • HPV High Risk Screen with HPV Genotype Reflex – Vaginal Source (LAB1230722)

Updated Pap and HPV Testing Algorithm

Continue Reading

March 28, 2025 by
General Information, Microbiology

Influenza Antigen Testing (December 2024)

Influenza prevalence fluctuates seasonally, and case numbers are currently increasing throughout West Michigan. The onset of “flu season” varies year-to-year though typically begins its upswing in the month of December. It is important for providers to have an awareness of influenza prevalence (in addition to other respiratory viruses) to help guide when influenza testing should be pursued.

The use of point of care (POC) antigen testing reduces both the cost to the patient and turn-around-time as compared to lab-based molecular methods. POC antigen tests are typically available for COVID-19, influenza A/B, and as a COVID-19/influenza A/B combination test. During warmer months when influenza prevalence is negligible yet COVID-19 may be circulating, a COVID-only antigen test may be helpful for diagnosis. As influenza increases into colder months, a COVID-19/Influenza A/B combo test would act as a screen for both viruses.

POC tests generally have high analytical specificity but lack the sensitivity of nucleic acid amplification methods (e.g. PCR). For this reason, PCR testing is still recommended for hospitalized patients and for outpatients with a negative POC result if influenza is still suspected and if the result will impact clinical decision making. Influenza PCR may be ordered as a standalone test (LAB3255) or as a part of a panel alongside COVID-19 and RSV (LAB1230746).

 

Test Information

  • Influenza PCR Epic Code: LAB3255, Interface EMR Code: 11594, CPT Code 87502
  • COVID-19, Influenza A/B, RSV PCR Epic Code: LAB1230746, Interface EMR Code: 1230746, CPT: 0241U

 

Contact/Resources

Local Infection Prevention Team

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

 

December 24, 2024 by