Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory is a state of the art facility providing clinical laboratory services to inpatients and outpatients in the Kern Valley area. Our laboratory is under the directorship of James Anhalt, M.D., who is board certified in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology. From the beginning, we have had a clear vision of what we must do to provide the medical community with laboratory services of the highest quality. Our vision is guided by our total quality commitment to offering our clients quick and accurate results.

We are one of a number of hospitals that is operated by Brim Healthcare. Our laboratory is licensed by the State of California, and certified by CLIA. We do extensive proficiency testing in each department of the laboratory through API. In addition to the licensures and extensive external quality assurance programs, our internal team monitors the quality of each department daily. Our goal is to meet the needs of the clients that we service.

Kern Valley Healthcare District is pleased to propose the following outline of services provided by our laboratory. We are confident that with our ongoing commitment to Total Quality, our extensive services, and our adherence to the many different needs of our varied clients, that Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory is, and will continue to provide excellent service.

TESTING CAPABILITY

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory offers a wide range of testing capability from routine chemistry to esoteric procedures. We currently perform over 400 individual assays at our laboratory. Following is a partial list of the tests that we perform in each department.

These are just a few of the tests done in-house (*sent to our Reference laboratory with a 24 hour turnaround time), for any tests that need to be referred to a Reference Laboratory, we utilize Quest Diagnostics Laboratories.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory provides service seven days a week, twenty-four hours per day for both routine and stat testing. Outpatients are encouraged to come Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., however appointments can be made to accommodate clients' schedules.

STAT CAPABILITIES

STAT testing is available seven days a week, twenty-four hours per day for both routine and esoteric testing.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND LICENSURE

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory is dedicated to an on-going Continuous Quality Improvement Program (CQI). This program encompasses every aspect of our daily operation, both internal and external. We strive for clear communication with our clients, and work with them to assure all of their requirements are met to the best of our abilities. Our CQI team incorporates the talents of all laboratory personnel. Part of our CQI Program is the measurement of the quality, speed, and accuracy of results that are released. Any laboratory employee can express a concern and institute corrective action if necessary. Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory is CLIA certified, licensed by the Federal Government and the State of California, and we follow strict OSHA guidelines for safety.

TURN-AROUND TIME

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory recognizes the importance of rapid turn-around time to our clients; therefore, we provide a written Collection Manual part of which illustrates set-up schedules and completion times on all testing.

TELEPROCESSING CAPABILITIES

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory has the capability to automatically fax results as soon as they are resulted, in many cases you receive the results on your patients in a matter of hours, or for STAT (emergency) situations, within one hour.

M.D. AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST CAPABILITIES

Our Medical Director is a board certified pathologist. Dr. Anhalt is board certified in both clinical and anatomical pathology as well as in Dermato Pathology; his strengths are in clinical pathology. Our Medical Director, and technical staff are available for consultation with reference to test methodologies, value interpretation and guidelines for repeat analysis. The Laboratory Manager has extensive experience in opening and maintaining laboratories, and can be of assistance in helping clients set up tests that they wish to do on-sight.

REPORTING AND REQUEST FORMATS

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory offers two different reporting formats to meet your needs. We routinely send out a Cumulative Report which will show the last four test results requested for the patient, and a Patient Report which will show only the most current test(s) requested.

KEY CONTACTS

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory believes in access and availability of all its key personnel to our clientele. When you call you will always be able to talk to a key person, with most inquires answered within minutes. You will be supplied with a list of key personnel and their extensions.

TOUR OF FACILITY

Kern Valley Healthcare District Laboratory is pleased to extend an invitation to anyone interested, to meet our staff, look at our equipment, and review our quality assurance programs and procedures.