Additional state-of-the-art testing brought to patients and hospitals through Intermountain Health Central Lab Expansion
(PRUnderground) May 10th, 2024
One of the most sophisticated testing laboratories in the nation, Intermountain Health’s Central Lab, has expanded and nearly doubled in size, bringing even more state-of-the-art testing and advanced diagnostic technologies to help lower testing costs and enhance lab services for patients and hospitals throughout the Intermountain West.
The Intermountain Central Lab, which is located on the Intermountain Medical Center campus in Murray, Utah is unique because it tests millions of medical samples from patients hundreds of miles away and does so at a scale rarely seen by a single hospital system. This high volume helps keep costs lower, which makes healthcare less expensive for patients.
The upgraded Central Lab building more than doubles the previous space from 40,542 square feet to 85,728 square feet.
Last year, the lab processed more than 15-million medical tests, and that number is expected to rise by millions with the expanded capacity.
The new space also allows for the addition of specialty testing previously unavailable at Intermountain facilities in Utah. This includes testing for organ donation compatibility, which previously was sent to labs, including those out of state.
“Medical testing is a vital part of every aspect of healthcare, and doing it efficiently is important for keeping costs low while getting results fast,” said Sterling Bennett, MD, medical director of Intermountain Central Laboratory. “With the technological advancements of medical equipment and the expanded space, our Central Lab can do even more for our patients.”
The Intermountain Central Laboratory first opened in 2006 and was designed to run 24-hours a day.
Putting the most advanced diagnostic medical testing all under one roof saves money and time because hospitals don’t have to have that same equipment. This allows those hospital labs to focus on more time-sensitive medical and patient needs.
Large, automated machinery allows the central lab to handle testing needs for medical offices and hospitals up to several hundred miles away. Electronic medical records allow those results to be uploaded to the patients and providers instantly.
“This lab has played a vital part in setting Intermountain Health apart in how it brings care to patients and this upgrade is going to allow us to adopt the latest technology as it comes,” said Karen Brownell, vice president of laboratory services at Intermountain Health.
One of those advancements includes a new first-in-the-nation specimen delivery system from the emergency department at Intermountain Medical Center that is connected directly to the Intermountain Central Lab.
In the past, caregivers would send over a sample for testing through a tube system and a technician would have to take it out and load it into the machines. Now, caregivers in the hospitals’ emergency department can load a vial directly into a new tubing system which transfers the sample faster and goes into the machine to begin testing.
“While saving a few minutes may not seem like a lot, when testing for a heart attack that time can save a life,” said Dr. Bennett.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
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Original Press Release.
