Medicine Hat Diagnostic Lab operated for 52 years from the top floor of this building before the former Conservative government decided not to renew its contract in a bid to save money in 2014. Some of the niche services offered by MHDL will soon be offered, for a fee, by a new lab collection company coming to Medicine Hat. -- NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Everything old is new again but this time it comes with an added fee.
A home service for blood sample collection that was considered routine by the former Medicine Hat Diagnostic Lab, became obsolete after its contract with the government was cancelled about five years ago.
Ichor Blood Services, a private mobile lab collection service company, with plans to open in Medicine Hat in August, has now identified that some people would prefer to have their blood sample taken in their own home and are prepared to pay a premium for the service.
Mike Kuzmickas, founder and CEO of Ichor, says he knows there are people who are willing to pay for the option because they would rather not have to wait in a waiting room with others, find it physically challenging to get to a lab collection site or are too busy to wait at a public health facility. It is also an appropriate option for those who have a compromised immune system.
When MHDL was closing its doors in the spring of 2017 it had been in operation for 52 years with a staff of 75 and almost filled the upper floor of the building on 7 Street SE.
Dr. Wai Chow, pathologist, became a partner in 1981 and the sole owner in 1995. Many of the staff had been there for decades and credited Chow with being forward thinking.
The News wrote stories about many grateful Hatters who perhaps needed daily blood tests or found it very difficult to get to the lab. MHDL staff would simply go to their home as part of the service.
The former manager of MHDL, the now late Lynn Frank, said she remembered a telephone call from someone explaining that their grandmother would have great difficulty getting to the lab.
“I said, you know what let me go to her home on my way to work,” said Frank in an interview with the News in February 2017.
In 2014 the former Conservative government announced it had decided to not renew the contract it had with MHDL.
Alberta Hansard, Nov. 18, 2014 records a question from Drew Barnes, Wildrose MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat at the time. He had a petition with 11,605 signatures of Hatters concerned about the loss of MHDL. He challenged the government’s assertion that by centralizing diagnostic services it could save $5 million.
Barnes says he has recalled that whole scenario this week and how much Hatters appreciated the service provided by MHDL.
“It is the perfect reminder of how government and centralization so often does not meet the needs of the people,” said Barnes.
After the closure of MHDL, AHS opened a lab collections office on Carry Drive.
Ichor has been in talks with regulatory bodies for approval to operate in Medicine Hat.
“So we are in the final stage of discussing collection agreements with DynaLife and Alberta Precision Labs,” said Kuzmickas who hopes the required approvals could be in place within four to six weeks.
Barnes believes there is also a place for a company such as Ichor.
