New Weekend Hours Offer Added Convenience to Local Patients and Physicians
COQUITLAM, BC, Sept. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - LifeLabs today announced extended Saturday hours and Sunday service at its patient service centre on Gordon Ave. where patients can go to have specimens collected for an extensive menu of laboratory tests ordered by area physicians.
The patient service centre is located at 208-3001 Gordon Avenue in Coquitlam and is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Saturday hours are now extended, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the location is now open Sundays from 8 a.m to 12 p.m.
LifeLabs delivers a broad range of community laboratory tests, which are used by healthcare providers to accurately assess individual patient needs and identify effective treatments. Laboratory testing is integral to the healthcare system. Some reports estimate that lab results constitute 70% of a patient's medical record, while up to 80% of all clinical treatment decisions are based on results from laboratory tests.
"We've been focused on improving patient access to community lab testing for some time," said Brian Jones, LifeLabs' Director of Client Services for B.C. "Across the province, we've been extending hours where possible, opening earlier in the morning to better accommodate fasting patients, and adding weekend service. Monday to Friday obligations often make it hard for patients to fit in important diagnostic lab tests. After all, health concerns don't take a break over the weekend."
In addition to standard walk-in service, LifeLabs also offers the option of booking appointments through its online tool: http://booking.lifelabs.com. Patients can now choose the option most convenient for them: to drop by for lab testing or schedule an appointment online. If patients are not required to fast for their test, it is recommended they visit in late morning or in the afternoon for optimal wait times.
Tests performed by LifeLabs which are covered under MSP are provided free to patients and the vast majority of testing is conducted in Burnaby (for the Mainland) or in Victoria (for the Island). In addition to providing local access to lab testing services through LifeLabs' patient service centres, LifeLabs also offers home visits to housebound patients and long-term care facilities.
LifeLabs has been operating in British Columbia for 50 years and today has over 80 patient service centres on Vancouver Island and across the Lower Mainland. For a complete list of LifeLabs locations, visit www.lifelabs.com.
About LifeLabs:
LifeLabs provides laboratory testing services, which help physicians and other healthcare professionals diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease in patients. LifeLabs employs more than 3,000 professionally trained staff, who deliver more than 50 million laboratory tests annually to over 10 million patients and nearly 20,000 physician customers. LifeLabs has operated in Canada for 50 years. It is owned by Borealis Infrastructure, a global leader in infrastructure investing, with assets in energy, transportation and infrastructure buildings, including long-term care facilities and hospitals, pipelines and telecommunications.
SOURCE: LifeLabs LP
Lisa Rostoks
Manager, Communications
1-800-268-0902 (x2015)
[email protected]
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