Angela Hill
Emil Kit, 80, peeked inside the region's new Laboratory Service Centre, on Friday afternoon and he liked what he saw.
"We're excited ... I go frequently (for blood work). I had open heart surgery and they keep tabs on me," he said.
"I'm very happy because when I go to the small places ... there's 12 or 13 people waiting and only one girl working ... You sit there for an hour."
The Prince Albert Parkland Health Region's new lab centre at South Hill Mall held a media and staff open house Friday before launching into full swing Monday morning.
"It's bigger, more space, centralized, has more parking spots," Kit said.
The reasons mentioned by Kit are what health region officials were aiming to provide.
"It is a location that is more convenient for a lot of people and it is accessible with parking and bus service to the door," said Lennie Balicki, regional director of diagnostic services. "It's very significant and something that will serve the community very well."
Until last spring, South Hill Medical Clinic, Crescent Heights Medical Clinic and Associate Medical Clinic acted as collection points that sent samples to Victoria Hospital for analysis.
A temporary collection site was also set up at Victoria Hospital.
Now, when physicians require basic blood work people will go to either the new centre at South Hill Mall, just inside the West entrance, or to the Co-operative Health Clinic.
Some people will still be referred to the hospital, including cancer clinic patients, two-hour glucose tolerance tests and transplant program patients. This division of patients for blood work and other tests will alleviate congestion at the hospital.
"One of the reasons is improve efficiency throughout the whole system," Balicki said.
The decision to consolidate the testing facility was not a cost saving measure, said John Piggott, vice-president of operations for the health region.
Money from the Health Ministry was used for the initial renovation of the space, but the operational costs will be picked up by the region and is roughly equal to what the region was paying before, Piggott said.
The facility was designed from scratch, so there is good flow-through and is new, bright and cheery, said Balicki. Along with additional privacy provided by solid walls, the new location has bariatric equipment allowing them to accommodate everyone, she said.
THE VITALS
Laboratory Service Centre
South Hill Mall
Just inside the west entrance
7:15 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday to Friday
