Donors are funding new technology for faster medical intervention.

Thanks to donor support, the CGMH lab has been able to introduce new technology that is improving the reporting of critical lab information and ultimately, patient care.

The new transfusion analyzer allows the lab to now process blood bank test results in half the time – and a lot more of them. In the past it would take a single Medical Laboratory Technologist 1 hour to manually process a single sample. Now, the machine can process numerous samples in half the amount of time.

Improving laboratory automation is critical as hospitals work to keep up with demand and patient needs. Turnaround time (TAT) is often used as a key performance indicator of laboratory service and performance. Last month, CGMH’s lab hit an extraordinary goal, achieving over 90% turn around time for all specimen types.

Additionally, the automated method frees up our Laboratory Technologist’s time so they can focus on reporting other tests, greatly impacting the turnaround time for all tests, decreasing processing time and delivering information to the patient sooner. 

Made possible through donor support, the analyzer was purchased and arrived on-site last November. From there, the team went to work validating the machine and connecting it to MEDITECH, CGMH’s internal health system information platform.

“While many larger centres have this type of equipment, it is innovative for a smaller lab like ours to have it, and it’s a step in the direction of lab automation. This new process improves efficiency and helps improve the patient experience with reduced turnaround times.”  – Sarah Hamilton, CGMH Manager, Laboratory and Quality Lead

Giving Circle funds Stat Centrifuges – Reducing time to patient diagnosis and treatment.

With the introduction of Stat Centrifuges, our laboratory has reduced turnaround times by as much as 46% depending on test type. Patients will have critical test results reported faster, meaning quicker medical intervention. For example obtaining a troponin test result faster can indicate whether or not a patient is experiencing a heart attack.  Stat Centrifuges also enable patients requiring blood transfusions to be matched with compatible blood products faster.

We are so grateful to our donors for creating real change for CGMH and providing better care to our community. Thank you.