Reference Laboratory Services for the Portland VA Medical Center.

The VA Portland Health Care System (VHAPORHCS) Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (PLMS) requires Referral Laboratory services to provide testing and interpretation to assist in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Veterans with cancers, bleeding disorders, and specialized diseases, including organ transplants. Referral (reference) laboratory that specializes with these types of complex tests and provide a quick turn-around-time (TAT) of the test results is required for care.

VAPORHCS is a VHA Level 1A facility which are the largest levels of volume and patient risks along with the largest number and breadth of physician specialists. VAPORHCS is also unique with active kidney and liver transplants partnering with its academic affiliate. VAPORHCS requires a full service of Referral laboratory that provides specimen testing, interpretation, testing supplies, customer service, and verification of certification for test results.

It is imperative that the Reference laboratory shall perform the following types of testing, to include expert consultation: Immunology, Hemostasis & Thrombosis, Hematology/Oncology, Anatomic Pathology, including Transplant and Renal Pathology, Neuropathology, Neuropathology, Dermatopathology, Cytopathology and Anatomic Pathology, Microbiology/Virology, Molecular, Flow Cytometry, Electron Microscopy, Ophthalmic Pathology and Diseases related testing, and Core Laboratory (Clinical).

These requirements must be maintained and will ensure accurate and timely test results are available to healthcare providers that ensure high quality healthcare is provided to the Veteran at the VA Portland Health Care System.