A note from Dr. Joe McConnell

A note from our laboratory director and chief medical officer

By Joseph P. McConnell, PhD, DABCC, Laboratory Director and Chief Medical Officer, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.

HDL, Inc. is committed to providing the highest quality service to its clients, while in full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. To maintain this commitment, it is important that HDL, Inc. clients adhere to the following policies and legal requirements of our accrediting agency when preparing a specimen for testing.

Specimen Identification Policy (CAP - GEN.40491, CLIA Subpart K Sec. 493.1232)

All specimens must have two person-specific identifiers on the specimen.

Specimen Handling Policy (CAP - GEN. 40100, 40125, CLIA Subpart K Sec. 493.1242)

Once a specimen is collected properly, it must be processed, stored, and transported correctly to ensure the specimen integrity is not compromised.

To help HDL, Inc. adhere to these policies and regulations, HDL, Inc. is requiring that clients follow the guidelines listed below when collecting and handling patient specimens.

1 Clearly label each specimen with the patient’s first and last name and one of the following:
           a. Date of birth
           b. HDL, Inc. requisition label

2 Centrifuge all serum and plasma separator tubes — allow blood to clot a minimum of 30 minutes, but no longer than two hours. Centrifuge for 15 minutes at approximately 3000 rpm for most standard bench-top centrifuges

3 Ensure specimens are shipped to HDL, Inc. within 24 hours of collection

4 Patient signature signifying informed consent

To comply with regulations, beginning October 1, 2011, testing will not be performed on specimens that do not meet the requirements.

We greatly appreciate your business. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 877-443-5227 ext. 101.