Officials at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance are showing off their newest, state-of-the-art lab equipment.
A new chemical analyzer, the Quidel Ortho Vitros 7600, and track automation line went online at the Chatham hospital earlier this month, automatically moving samples through the testing process.
CKHA officials say after 12 years of use, the previous chemistry platforms used for analyzing blood and other bodily fluids were in need of an upgrade to maintain the highest standard of care.
The project, which came with a $1-million price tag including infrastructure upgrades and building renovations, was a collaborative effort with Bluewater Health in Sarnia.
“Investing in modern technology like the Quidel Ortho Vitros 7600 is a key part of our strategic plan commitment to being responsible stewards of our resources while maximizing patient care,” said CKHA President and CEO, Adam Topp. “By streamlining our laboratory operations, we are not only improving efficiency, we are also ensuring that our team has the best tools available to support the health and well-being of the Chatham-Kent community.”
Mary Poulin, CKHA’s Manager of Laboratory Services, said the new technology means the hospital can better meet the increasing demand for high-volume diagnostic testing with greater precision and reliability.
“Our team was manually uncapping and recapping 300-500 samples every single day,” Poulin explained. “Part of the track’s installation helps to locate samples that need to be retested for better patient care and testing needs.”
By automating how samples are loaded with built-in backups, the new equipment reduces manual work and prevents delays in patient care.
Poulin said she thinks about patient care like a wagon wheel.
“The patient is really at the centre of that wheel and we’re one of the many spokes that allow that patient journey to go around. The laboratory is an allied health service that supports the hospital as much as diagnostic imagining does, as much as the pharmacy does, as much as dieticians do, to help focus in on you as our patient.”
Unveiling of the latest automated technology coincides with Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, recognizing pathologists, technologists, and assistants who perform vital diagnostic tests; and promoting behind-the-scenes work that is crucial for patient diagnosis, treatment, and public health.