The Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Services provided at St. Luke's are widely recognized for their focus on quality.  "We take a pro-active approach to ensure the highest possible quality of service," notes Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Manager Janet Lum.

"We have state-of-the-art lab equipment and an unusually high-caliber staff," Lum adds.  "Also, because we are affiliated with Sutter Health, we have access to the same computerized lab information network, which provides standardization of reference ranges, enabling physicians to treat their patients' at any Sutter facility."The lab provides a full range of laboratory, cytology (cell biology) and pathology services.  Some of the services offered include:

• Blood tests for factors such as cholesterol, glucose levels, liver and thyroid function and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), or to diagnose a specific disease, such as HIV.
• Urinalyses to detect urinary tract infections, kidney disease and other diseases such as diabetes that result in abnormal substances in the urine.
• Microscopic analysis of cells (cytology) such as the cervical pap smear test and sputum analysis for lung cancer cells.
• Fine-needle biopsies, in which a fine needle on a syringe is inserted into an area of the body to withdraw some cells for microscopic evaluation to detect cancer.
• Pathology examinations of body tissues to evaluate structural and functional changes that indicate the presence of diseases such as cancer.

Lum explains that patients can bring lab work requests from their physicians to the lab at St. Luke's regardless of whether or not the physician is on staff at the hospital.  "For many people in this part of the city, our lab is closer to home and much more convenient," she says.  For patients in the hospital, St. Luke's offers 24-hour services.  For outpatients, specimen draw sites are open Monday through Friday, from 7 AM to 6:30 PM.

In addition to providing high-quality patient services, the lab now is involved in important clinical studies.  "We also run a teaching program to train lab technologists, in cooperation with San Francisco State University," Lum says.  "This sort of education program is quite rare these days.  It further illustrates our commitment to our profession by providing training and education for future California licensed scientists.

"Confirmation of the excellent quality of care came recently, following a three-day survey conducted July 19-21 by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  JCAHO has awarded full accreditation to St. Luke's Clinical Laboratories and Pathology for another two-year period. 

JCAHO evaluates the quality and safety of care for more than 15,000 health care organizations.  To earn and maintain accreditation, organizations must have an extensive on-site review by JCAHO health care professionals.  While St. Luke's Hospital is surveyed every three years, the JCAHO surveys Clinical Labs and Pathology every two years.  The purpose of the review is to evaluate the organization's performance in areas that most affect patient care.  Accreditation is awarded based on how well the organizations meet Joint Commission standards.

"The surveyor offered many compliments to acknowledge the quality of work produced and the competency and dedication of the lab staff," says David Merlin, director of Ancillary Services at St. Luke's.  "JCAHO also complimented the leadership provided by Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Medical Director Dr. Martha Hales, Director Jennifer Schiffgens and Manager Janet Lum."For more information about St. Luke's Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Services, please call (415) 641-6540.

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