Cornerstone Visiting Nurse Association, a local nonprofit organization, is pleased to 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 8-4:30. For further information, please contact the Life Care – Private Duty department at Cornerstone VNA at 603-332-1133 Ext 1758.
Cornerstone VNA currently serves Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides award-winning care and support through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty, and Community Care. For 109 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end-of-life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.