Yuma hospital expands lab testing services to meet need
YUMA (AZFamily) — Yuma Regional Medical Center is ushering in a new era of healthcare with the completion of its state-of-the-art laboratory expansion.
Their new laboratory will allow them to double their testing capabilities.
They expanded the lab and brought new machines to handle hundreds of blood samples daily, helping doctors and patients get results faster.
The hospital says these improvements will especially help streamline the process for patients needing cancer diagnosis.
Dr. Brent Bedke is YRMC’s medical director of laboratory and pathology. He said the laboratory plays a big role in diagnosing lab tests for cancer patients at the hospital’s Cancer Center.
“It decreases the turnaround time for the patient to know what their diagnosis is. It relieves them of that anxiety of waiting for days to find out what their diagnosis is,” Bedke said.
He says they’ve had to outsource lab work to other facilities in California. He said results could take two to three days.
Trudie Milner is YRMC’s Chief Operating Officer. She said the lab expansion had been four years in the making.
She said their laboratory did not have the space needed to meet the demand.
The new automated machines will help streamline the process.
She also said Yuma’s seasonal visitors played a role in expanding services.
“A lot of people rely on YRMC, especially snowbirds who come to us during the winter months,” she said.
Milner said they have seasonal visitors who also seek cancer treatment.
“They transfer their care during the winter months and we’re able to meet all their needs. It’s absolutely essential for continuing to advance healthcare in Yuma,” she said.
Staff is training on the new equipment, but the laboratory is expected to be up and running in the next month.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
