The two-bay, climate-controlled lab, located at the PMC Diagnostic Center, is equipped to serve patients with efficiency and comfort in mind. With two lanes, the drive-thru system helps reduce wait times, allowing patients to complete their tests without leaving their vehicles.

Services offered, with a doctor’s order, include nose and throat swabs, blood draws and adult vaccinations. The lab is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., giving individuals plenty of flexibility to fit important testing into their daily routine. No appointment is necessary, making it even easier for patients to get the lab work they need.

PMC leaders say the addition of the drive-thru reflects the hospital’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to high-quality care in ways that are both innovative and patient-centered. By making diagnostic services more accessible, PMC aims to reduce barriers that can delay crucial testing and enable patients to take charge of their health.

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The laboratory at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) provides invaluable services to healthcare providers by assisting them in finding accurate diagnoses and treatments for patients. Laboratory staff perform a wide range of tests on various specimens taken from patients that give providers the information they need to diagnose and treat patients accurately and effectively.

The PMC lab is home to a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals who provide invaluable care and service to both patients and the entire hospital system. Staff in the laboratory who work at various levels are each responsible for performing functions that are effective, patient-centered, timely and ultimately, help improve patient outcomes.

“The PMC laboratory and pathology staff exhibit an amazing drive for quality and hard work with a caring, collaborative family spirit,” stated PMC Director of Laboratory Services Paula Keathley. “Being a part of this team is rewarding and fulfilling and we love to welcome those with a passion for laboratory science to our growing team.”

Although laboratory positions may not be as visible or get the same amount of recognition as other healthcare positions, they play a vital role in the health and well-being of patients. Often, lab results are the deciding factor in how a physician ultimately chooses to treat a patient.

To learn more about the PMC Laboratory, visit pikevillehospital.org. To inquire about job openings in the PMC Laboratory, visit www.pmcjobs.org.

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Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) recognizes the importance of having an advanced laboratory and highly skilled staff and has made significant recent investments in state-of-the-art equipment, including a $7 million dollar renovation completed in 2019.  As a result, PMC is home to one of the most advanced in-hospital laboratories in Kentucky.

The PMC laboratory is a multidisciplinary facility consisting of six specialized departments: blood bank, chemistry, hematology/coagulation, pathology, microbiology and urinalysis. Collectively, the laboratory at PMC spans an impressive 18,050 square feet and is driven by 83 staff members, comprised of pathologists, histology technicians, certified phlebotomists, laboratory assistants, medical lab technicians and medical lab scientists.

The volume of work completed inside the PMC laboratory is impressive, with over 3.5 million tests performed each year of many different types. A key component that makes that volume possible is the state-of-the-art Aptio Automation system, a specimen processing line that has the capability of transporting and processing up to 300 tubes per hour. This impressive technology ensures fast and consistent sample handling, processing and sorting without sacrificing reliability.

In addition, the Aptio system is equipped with a refrigerated specimen storage module, capable of storing 10,000 samples, which can eliminate the need for additional needle sticks when a physician orders additional tests.

Another advanced piece of technology that has further increased the capabilities of the lab is the MALDI-TOF. Simply put, this equipment can rapidly identify certain microorganisms in a fraction of the time it has taken in the past. When it comes to matters relating to a patient’s health, speed and reliability within the laboratory can provide better patient prognosis and treatment, decrease length of stay and reduce risks to the patient.

To learn more about the PMC Laboratory, visit www.pmcky.org/services/laboratory-services/

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PMC offers the region’s only fully automated line for transporting and processing patient samples throughout the lab. This new line has decreased test result delivery time by as much as 50% and allows PMC to process over 250 tests which were previously sent outside the facility to external labs. By processing these tests in house, the lab can further expedite the delivery of results to providers and patients, reducing the wait time to begin treatment for many patients.

PMC’s automated line also includes a refrigeration module that allows specimens to be stored and recalled, which can eliminate the need to draw blood or collect specimens multiple times for some patients. “Our large refrigerator module can store our specimens for seven days,” said PMC Lab Information Systems Administrator, Donald Keathley. “If a physician places an additional order for testing from a tube in storage, we can immediately recall the tube and send it straight back to the line for testing in just minutes. This process saves a tremendous amount of time, work and inconvenience.”

Other recent advancements include the recent addition of many bacterial and viral analyzers, including a specialized respiratory panel analyzer called the Bio-Fire Torch. This valuable piece of lab equipment gives PMC the ability to test for multiple respiratory conditions efficiently and quickly.

The wide range of state-of-the-art technology and talented staff has given Pikeville Medical Center the ability to process, on average, 1.5 million tests annually. In many instances, the laboratory is relied upon to provide the answers medical providers need to properly treat patients’ conditions and provide a higher level of care.

To learn more about the PMC laboratory, please scan the code provided or visit https://www.pmcky.org/services/laboratory-services/

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Thanks to the new automated system, called the Aptio, specimens are now processed with greater speed and better accuracy, requiring limited involvement from staff once the vials are placed on the line. Having the process completely computerized saves the techs time because they previously had to manually process every sample. “It minimizes error, reduces turnaround times and standardizes all tests because they are all processed the same way,” explained lab Supervisor Lance Stamper. “Our productivity is so much better.”

The blood bank and microbiology divisions of the lab also benefitted from the renovations that doubled the lab’s size. As one of the largest consumers of blood products from the Kentucky Blood Center, PMC installed the Ortho Vision, which stores and automates blood used by the hospital. In the coming months, the lab will install the Bio-Fire Torch (the latest advancement in diagnosing infectious disease). This equipment provides quick, comprehensive and accurate results “These advancements mean better care for our patients,” said Laboratory Manager Margaret Sparkman. “They can trust their test results are delivered as quickly and accurately as possible.”

Because the PMC lab has more than doubled in size, there is room to expand services as technology improves. Many new instruments, including auto-verify have been added. Auto-verification means that if a test comes back normal, it is resulted to the physician and the techs can focus on doing what they were trained to do, like focus on tests that are abnormal.

Within the year, services will expand to further increase the lab’s testing capabilities. For more information about PMC’s laboratory, please call 606-430-3500 or visit the PMC Laboratory Services page.

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Physicians are now able to get results for multiple tests in under an hour, as opposed to three to five days if sent to an off-site lab.  In many cases, expedited results mean treatment for illnesses can begin sooner.

“When patients are sick, they come to PMC for answers,” explained a PMC Primary Care Staff Physician. “With the new tests performed in our lab, many times, I am able to talk to patients about their lab results before they leave their appointment.  This definitely decreases the amount of time they are worrying about their health.”

PMC Assistant Vice President of Laboratory Services, Leann Hubbard, said the new in-house tests are just the beginning.  Patients with written orders for laboratory testing can take them to the PMC Diagnostic Center located in the Pikeville Riverfill Monday through Friday from 6:30am – 5:30pm, or to the PMC Outpatient Laboratory on the 11th floor of the PMC Clinic building 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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