Mobile phlebotomy program, National Doctor's Day: Seacoast health news
Cornerstone VNA Introduces mobile phlebotomy program
ROCHESTER – Cornerstone Visiting Nurse Association, a local nonprofit organization, introduce a new mobile phlebotomy service for individuals who need lab draws done at home. Cornerstone VNA was able to launch this innovative service by using generous funding from FedPoint to purchase several mobile centrifuge machines, which are used to spin blood samples. The goal of this service is to make lab testing more convenient and comfortable for individuals needing routine lab work.
If an individual needs their blood drawn but cannot get to a lab site due to mobility issues or other factors, Cornerstone VNA will go to wherever they call home. For some people, an illness or disability can make it hard to travel, and some may simply want to avoid crowded outpatient labs, driving, and wait times. It is also the perfect service for individuals who may prefer the convenience and privacy of receiving care in their own home. In-home phlebotomy services can also help individuals with anxiety and needle phobia, or who have standing orders for repeat testing.
According to Janice Howard, Life Care – Private Duty Director, “We are very happy with the addition of phlebotomy to our services. It can be difficult for some people to get to a lab due to transportation or physical barriers. We know sometimes this means people do not get their blood work done often enough, or in some cases not at all. It is our goal to help our patients, and doctors to accomplish better health care outcomes by reducing the number of instances that a patient must forego their lab work.”
The mobile phlebotomy program is a private pay service, typically not covered by insurance. Also, a doctor’s order for routine labs is required, which can be sent directly to Cornerstone VNA. Upon receipt of a doctor’s order, Cornerstone VNA will call the patient to schedule an appointment. Through the mobile phlebotomy program, a certified phlebotomist will go to the patient’s home to provide collection services. Once the blood specimen has been collected, the Cornerstone VNA phlebotomist will use the mobile centrifuge to spin the sample, following all protocols for accurate handling, packaging, and delivery to the correct laboratory for processing. Once the sample has been processed by the lab, the results will be sent directly to the patient’s doctor’s office for review. The phlebotomy service at Cornerstone VNA will operate Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For further information, please contact the Life Care – Private Duty department at Cornerstone VNA at 603-332-1133 ext 1758.
Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan presents Tri-Cities Joint Proclamation recognizing National Doctors’ Day at Frisbie Memorial Hospital
ROCHESTER – Mayor Paul Callaghan visited Frisbie Memorial Hospital March 30, on this year’s National Doctors’ Day to present a joint proclamation signed by all three mayors of the Tri-Cities – Somersworth, Rochester, and Dover – to celebrate the extraordinary physicians who have shown commitment, compassion and resilience to keep patients and our communities healthy. Dr. Trevor Eide, Chief Medical Officer at Frisbie Memorial Hospital, accepted the joint proclamation on behalf of our dedicated colleagues.
“I am proud to work alongside colleagues that remain committed to improving lives of our patients and communities. At Frisbie Memorial Hospital, we are truly grateful for all the physicians who show up and stand together, providing care and saving lives, every day,” said Eide. “We appreciate Mayors Callaghan, Hilliard, and Carrier for observing National Doctors’ Day and honoring the dedicated physicians of Rochester, Somersworth, and Dover and across the Granite State.”
National Doctors’ Day is celebrated each year on March 30 and recognizes the hard work and dedication doctors provide caring for patients, and their contributions to the broader community. The very first National Doctors’ Day was observed in 1933 by the city of Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a physician, Dr. Charles B. Almond, was the first to recognize a need to honor physicians and arranged for the community to mail greeting cards to physicians and place flowers on the graves of deceased doctors. The holiday was created by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mobile phlebotomy program, National Doctor's Day: Seacoast health news
