Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
New Location for Stratford General Hospital Outpatient Lab Tests & ECGs
Effective Monday, July 13, 2015, patients being seen at Stratford General Hospital for lab tests or ECGs will go directly to first floor of the West Building to the Outpatient Clinic Area (W1-300) located near Patient Registration.
After entering through the double doors, patients will take a number and be seated in the waiting room on the right. A staff member will call the patient’s number when tests are ready to be completed. This number system will only be used by lab patients in this area, which also serves patients who have scheduled appointments such as MRIs, Bone Density Scans and Hand Therapy, etc.
This relocation will be more accessible for patients and will also utilize the space within the hospital more effectively.
“The change in venue for the Laboratory Specimen Collection Service is a long time in coming and we expect the new location will be more pleasing for the hospital outpatients needing to have specimens collected for laboratory tests,” says Dr. Malcolm Carlson, Director of Laboratories for the Interhospital Laboratory Partnership, of which SGH is a member.
The patient experience was an essential element in planning for this move with two patient members of the Laboratory’s Unit Action Council actively participating on the planning team alongside Lab staff to create an optimal service that best meets the needs of patients.
“I believe the move to the first floor will be a positive one for patients as well as staff,” adds Thurman Reynolds, Laboratory Unit Action Council member and Patient Representative. “Grouping lab staff and patients with other outpatient clinics eliminates the isolation they felt in their former location on the fifth floor.”
“At HPHA our team prides itself on providing care that encourages involvement from our patients and their families,” concludes Robert Scheuermann, Laboratory Manager. “The voice of the patient and family along with the voice of our staff are working together to co-create the way we deliver care.”
Fast Facts: Laboratory Services @ HPHA
HPHA Laboratories are members of the InterHospital Laboratory Partnership (IHLP) that consists of the four HPHA site Labs (Clinton, St. Marys, Seaforth and Stratford) as well as South Huron Hospital, Alexandra Marine & General Hospital, Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance, Hanover & District Hospital, North Wellington Healthcare Corporation (Mount Forest & Palmerston Sites) and Groves Memorial Community Hospital.
All of the HPHA laboratories accommodate urgent and routine test requests for Emergency and hospital inpatients and outpatients. Depending on the test ordered, the tests will be processed on-site or referred to neighboring laboratories or other specialty laboratories within the province. Over 95% of the actual testing can be done within the highly equipped and fully accredited HPHA laboratories.
Outpatients must have a valid Health Card and requisitions must be fully completed by a Physician or Health Care Practitioner.
In the 2014-2015 fiscal year the HPHA Laboratories performed almost one million inpatient and outpatient tests.
Media Contact:
Robert Scheuermann
Laboratory Manager
519-272-8210 ext 2864
robert.scheuermann@hpha.ca
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