General Services

Messenger Service

Our messenger service picks up specimens and delivers results Monday through Friday for lab services clients. Routine Saturday pickup is available on a limited basis. Although our laboratory is open, the messenger service is not available on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Supplies/Requisition Forms

The majority of supplies required for collection and transport of samples which will be tested at lab services are provided to clients without charge. A supply ordering form is provided to assist in filling your order promptly. If supplies other than those on the order form are required, please call the office staff to help facilitate your request. Please allow one week (five business days) for the preparation and delivery of these supplies and requisition forms.

Test Turnaround Time

This manual lists the days on which each test is set up and the time you can expect results available after each run. Preliminary test results are available for most of the tests which require several days to complete. Results will be phoned to you or the physician directly if you indicate a phone number and name of a contact on the order requisition. If you request a result to be called after your usual office or laboratory hours, please provide the phone number where the physician can be reached on evenings or weekends.

Quality Assurance & Repeat Assays

An extensive quality control program and follow-up on all suspected erroneous results are an integral part of the quality of service we provide. We will repeat, at no charge, any test where our initial results are incompatible with the physician's clinical findings. Specimens are held for seven days after being tested. Any request received during that time will be done on the original specimen provided the component in question is stable and the necessary volume is available. If not, a repeat will be done on a newly submitted sample.

Outpatient Specimen Collection

A client may prefer to have a patient's specimen collected at our laboratory directly. Arrangements for this service can be scheduled by calling our office between the hours of 8 am and 4:30 pm. Please instruct patients to come to the laboratory directly; patient registration is not necessary, however there is a fee for collection which is listed in your fee schedule.

Consultations

Associated Pathologists, SC, are available for test result interpretation or consultation. In addition, we have a fully qualified staff of experienced technical personnel who are available to provide assistance. Our Technical Representatives can also be used to arrange any special consultation services for you.

Customer Assistance

Technical representatives are available to work with you in your laboratory as needed. We can offer assistance in resolving technical problems, evaluating equipment needs, delivery or billing problems or daily quality control issues. Appropriate assistance can be arranged by calling our Customer Services Assistants at 608-258-6917.

Networking with SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Madison Staff

The laboratory staff would be happy to have you visit our facilities at any time. Such visits provide the opportunity to exchange information on testing, equipment, methodologies and policies, as well as seeing first-hand the quality of service we provide. It also provides an opportunity for us to learn more about your facility and expectations.

Unlisted Tests

With very few exceptions, our laboratories working in conjunction with each other can provide the full range of services to meet the needs of your patients and physicians -- your laboratory as the primary laboratory service, SSM Health St. Mary's Lab Services as the secondary reference lab and other contracted reference laboratories as the tertiary service for both of our facilities. Occasionally lab services uses services of other reference laboratories for very specific tests; in those cases specimens you refer to us will be sent there. We only refer specimens to accredited reference laboratories meeting our specifications.

When requesting tests which will be referred on to a tertiary reference lab, please use the Clinical Laboratory Referral Test requisition provided. If a test is not listed, please print the appropriate test name and test code on the requisition when available. The name of the laboratory performing the test will be included with the report.