Lab Move to 670 Albany Street

BMC’s Clinical Chemistry, Hematology and Microbiology Laboratories are moving to 670 Albany St., 7th floor: APRIL 28 – MAY 2

REMINDER Sunday, May 1, Lab Info System Full Downtime 10 AM to 3 PM. A Corp Comm will provide more details, as with any downtime.

When?
The move begins Thursday, April 28, and will conclude on Monday, May 2.

How will we get our lab tests during the move?
The Laboratory will provide uninterrupted services during the move. More details will follow.

Will there be any Downtimes?
We will have a Lab Information Systems downtime on Sunday, May 1, for approximately four (4) hours beginning at 10 a.m. As with previous downtimes, Lab staff will fax all lab results and call critical results.

How will we get our specimens to the new lab?
New stations for the P-Tube will deliver the specimens to the new lab, the same way it did for the old locations. A courier service will continue to transport specimens that cannot be transported through the P-Tube or when the P-Tube is down. More detailed information about the P-Tube will follow.

What about the Blood Bank?
The Blood Bank will remain in its current locations:
• H4 on Newton Pavilion
• 2nd floor, Menino Pavilion

What about Blood Gases?
• Menino Pavilion: The blood gas laboratory will remain on the 1st floor.
• Newton Pavilion: Blood gases will continue to be performed in the current location on H3, until the new blood gas laboratory is created on H4, adjacent to the Blood Bank.

Will there be changes in how we order our lab tests?
• No. The lab test ordering process will remain the same.

Will the telephone numbers remain the same?
• Yes

Will the hours of lab service change?
• No, we will continue to provide the same scope of service 24/7.

Will I be able to bring specimens to the new lab myself as I sometimes do now?
• The 670 building is a secure building. As it is currently managed, only those with ID access will be able to enter the elevators and select a floor.
• There are security guards in the lobby 7 days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM if you need assistance during those times.
• There is also a video phone at the outside door which will connect you directly with the laboratory on the 7th floor.

Will there be changes in specimen collection?
• We are changing the supplier of the collection tubes.
• We are changing instrumentation for blood cultures. There will be some changes with the bottles and transfer devices.
• SKIN PREP for blood cultures will remain the same.

How will I know what blood collection tube to use or how to collect blood cultures if you are changing vendors?
• We will provide a tube conversion chart soon. It will be posted in multiple locations around campus as well on the Lab Move intranet page.
• Unit-based education sessions will occur the week of April 18th. Educational materials will be available in patient care locations as well as posted on the Laboratory Medicine intranet site.
• We are working with the nurse educators and the medical staff leadership to ensure education and changes are communicated.

With the specimen collection container changes, how will I get the new blood culture bottles, blood, or urine collection containers?
• Materials Management and the Laboratory have worked out a conversion plan for all locations in the hospital.
• The conversion plan will be sent out soon.

How will I know which containers to use?
• Unit-based training is scheduled for next week.
• A conversion chart and the powerpoint presentations used for training will be posted on the Department of Laboratory Medicine intranet page, under Lab Move, and in many locations around the campus shortly.
• The changes are not dramatic for most containers i.e. a blue top for coagulation is still a blue top with the new containers.
• Note: The laboratory specimen labels will also have the container type on them, on the right hand side of the label, in shaded area. That code corresponds to the “Tube Color Code” listed on the conversion chart.

Why did we change the containers?
• We changed the containers for several different reasons, which include:

• The new blood culture media contains an antimicrobial removal component that will improve recovery of bloodstream pathogens. The system also has a separate bottle for pediatric patients.
• All of the new collection containers are plastic, allowing for safer transport through the p-tube.
• Many of the Chemistry tests will now be plasma-based, rather than serum-based. The shorter time to separate the plasma from the red cells will help reduce turn-around time on our new instruments.
• Most of the new collection containers represent a cost savings.

Will there be changes in lab test ‘reference ranges’ (sometimes referred to as ‘normal ranges’)?
• Yes, there will be some changes, based on our new instrumentation.
• Reference ranges are always included with every lab test, each time a test result is reported.
• Pathologists, residents, laboratory managers, and staff are always available for questions or consults. Our contact information remains the same. Please see the Department of Laboratory Medicine intranet page for contact information.