Showing posts with label LabCorp. bloodwork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LabCorp. bloodwork. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

LabCorp-Monthly lab visits

Many can relate to the monthly bloodwork we have done to maintain our immunosuppressive levels.
Well I've had to try and calm down after my visit on Monday to LabCorp.
I always go online to make an appointment, since we my labs must be done on Mondays and a purple top
tube FedEx'd to shands.  The labs here are always packed on Mondays and Tuesdays, especially during season, the reason for my appointment.
  Was I glad I did! The place was mobbed.To my dismay there were all new technicians, and the lady at the front desk was clueless. If I didn't know better I swear she's probably pulled her hair out by now after all she handled. I was concerned since I have one good vein left and only one person I know can find it the first time.
   Well I got there at 8:05 for an 8:15 AM appointment and signed in. The receptionist made so many copies of my lab paperwork I cringed at the thought of the loss of  a rainforest.  And she gave me 3 copies back of the same piece of paper.! I finally got in the lab, the tech. looked at the paperwork with a strange look. I immediately thought, "here I go again" having to explain in detail what the paperwork says and that I take a tube with me for Fed Ex.  The tech looked at me and said, "But we do this test here." "Well, maybe but you do if differently than my transplant center." I pointed out that the second piece of paperwork stated I would take a purple top tube with me. She responded that she had to call her supervisor. "I want to speak with her when you get her on the phone, and I have to get on the road to another appointment."   She got the supervisor "Nan" on the phone, who asked me if I was having other bloodwork done. When I replied yes, she said well then I'll allow it.. YOU'LL allow it? I've been doing this same procedure for the last 8 years.
     The issue was that if the Tacrolimus was the only blood draw I was having she was going to refuse. Labcorp would get no money for drawing the blood. No mattter what my paperwork said.
I asked what happens if my levels are off and I need to get the Tacrolimus re-tested in a week? No answer..
In talking with the tech she mentioned that Lab Corp regularly moves their techs areound so they don't get too comfortable with the patients. I advised her that this is inadequate patient care. The regular techs would have seen my appointment and if there were any issues it would have been handled before I even got there.

   I finally got out of there at 8:55. A quick appointment  which should have been easy took  50 minutes!
I was also given a phone number for this Nan and advised to have her fax me an approval letter for the next visit... Yeah right.... Nan has not answered her phone since yesterday nor has an answering machine.

At this point I've renamed LabCorp to LabCrap.