Browsing Tag

William Chopp

Referral/Sendouts, Southeast Michigan

Meconium Drug Screen Testing Update

Effective December 3, 2025, meconium drug screen testing for Southeast Michigan will transition from ARUP to Corewell Health Reference Laboratory West.

This change ensures consistent, high-quality testing across all Corewell Health regions and clinically standardizes the services we provide as a system.

What’s Changing:

Southeast Michigan specimens will now be tested at Corewell Health Reference Laboratory West

Collection and transport processes remain unchanged.

Purpose of Test:

Meconium drug screen testing detects and documents fetal drug exposure during approximately the last trimester of a full-term pregnancy

For more information, please refer to the Lab Test Directory: Meconium Drug Testing LAB479

November 26, 2025 by
General Information

Albumin Testing Update

Albumin Reagent Conversion

Corewell Health Laboratories (formerly Spectrum Health) has utilized the Bromcresol Purple (BCP) method for the measurement of albumin concentration in serum, plasma, and serous body fluids for well over 20 years. The test principle consists of a reaction where the BCP binds selectively with albumin, causing a color change that is measured photometrically. A vast majority of labs across the country, including reference labs such as Mayo Medical Laboratories, utilize an alternative method for albumin measurement that consists of Bromcresol Green (BCG) instead of BCP. To align with the majority of institutions this size, and to be included in a larger peer group for proficiency testing purposes, Corewell Health Laboratories – West, has been transitioning to BCG for the measurement of albumin over the last few weeks. Continue Reading

January 26, 2023 by
General Information, Toxicology

Test Update: Cystatin C

Effective Wednesday, December 18, 2019, Cystatin C will change from a sendout reference test performed by Mayo Clinic Laboratories to an in-house test performed by Spectrum Health Regional Laboratory. This test will be performed in the Toxicology Laboratory and will include a new reference range (please see link in Test Information below).

Questions may be directed to Toxicology via the “contact us” link above.

TEST INFORMATION

Cystatin C – Epic Code #LAB3226, Interface #11631, CPT #82610

December 17, 2019 by
Education & Training, General Information, Test Utilization

Appropriate Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody Ordering

The most conclusive evidence for using thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) is predictive in nature when evaluating possible subclinical hypothyroidism. If this test is positive, hypothyroidism occurs at a rate of 4.3% per year versus 2.6% per year when the antibody is negative. While this scenario does not cover all clinical indications for ordering TPO, there is no definitive evidence that repeat TPO testing provides additional information.1

Based on this information the ordering of TPO within Spectrum Health is being modified. If the test is ordered more than once on a patient, a screen will appear in EPIC indicating the following: “This test should typically only be resulted once per lifetime. The duplicate checking indicates that this patient has already had this testing performed. Please see chart review for results.” This is not a “hard stop” but providers will need to click “Continue” to proceed with the order. Continue Reading

December 9, 2019 by