Laboratory services in Grande Prairie officially move to their new facility Monday. The new DynaLIFE Medical lab replaces both Alberta Precision Laboratories at Junction Point and Northwestern Polytechnic.
The new facility will be open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. With the DynaLIFE lab opening, the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital lab will no longer take walk-in patients. Those requiring blood work will be sent to the new location in the Lipon Professional Centre at 11002 104 Avenue.
DynaLIFE Medical CEO Jason Pincock told MyGrandePrairieNow.com last month that part of the reason the new location was chosen was due to its proximity to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital as patients needing lab work should be able to drive right down the street and park. The hospital lab will continue to serve those patients who are immunocompromised and referred by a clinic or physician.
One of the changes that come with the new lab is the ability to get into the walk-in line from home. Patients will be able to text back and forth with the laboratory to find out what time they will be coming in and will then be able to show up at the time indicated in the text.
This also allows the opportunity for patients to stop by the laboratory, get in line, and then leave to go run errands, returning at the indicated time.
Lipon Professional Centre’s location has eight phlebotomy chairs, one ECG/phlebotomy chair, and four different bathrooms. The ECG/phlebotomy chair is unique to the new location. This area will allow parents or guardians who bring young children with them to appointments a space for them to run around the lab while they are in the chair. This area is also meant to give those who desire more privacy during their appointment
The opening of the new lab is a part of a province-wide transition from Alberta Precision Laboratories to DynaLIFE Medical Laboratories.