2025 Lab of the Year Runner Up: Mohawk Valley Health System Laboratory
Mohawk Valley Health System Laboratory is one of the recipients of Medical Laboratory Observer's 2025 Lab of the Year Runner Up Awards!
The lab is located in Utica, New York and is part of the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS). The health system consists of 3,300 full-time equivalent employees and 16 primary care locations with a wide array of specialties including but not limited to women’s health, children’s health, cancer, urology, neurology, etc.1 MVHS’s mission is to “deliver premier healthcare to our region, keeping our patients as the focus of all we do.” Their vision is “be the leading patient-centered medical and healing environment, the employer of choice and the pride of Central New York.” They value accountability, respect, teamwork, kindness, and safety.2
Customer service
Building on MVHS’s mission, MVHS Laboratory leads with a “patient care first” approach. They understand that each patient is special and take extra care serving them. When it comes to patient care, MVHS Laboratory says, "treat them like you would want your family treated.”
MVHS’s new Wynn Hospital opened at the end of 2023. When the new facility opened, 225 patients needed to be moved. This was accomplished in 10 hours. The lab staff assisted with the relocation by being present at all MVHS facilities involved and performing timely and accurate tests so hospital staff could use individual ambulances to safely transfer patients to the new location.
With the new Wynn Hospital facility, MVHS identified a need for a Provider Relations Specialist. This new position ensures that MVHS Lab’s current customers are satisfied and helps bring in new customers. 95% of lab testing is done locally, warranting faster turnaround times, reliability, and customer satisfaction.
MVHS Laboratory has their own Client Services Representatives team dedicated to their patients and staff. It is open about 102 hours a week and provide customers with assistance scheduling appointments and test clarity. They also maintain the Critical Call list. Additionally, they maintain specimen integrity by sending medical couriers to STAT and Time Sensitive draws.
Productivity
MVHS Laboratory recently underwent a large merger. Two busy hospitals and laboratories became one. The lab utilized the following technology to streamline the integration process:
- Siemens Aptio Automation Line
- Four Siemens Atellica Chemistry modules
- Two Siemens Atellica Immunoassay modules
- Siemens Immulite XPi
- Siemens BN II and the Sysmex XN-9000 line which includes 3 XN analyzers, SP-50 stainer, Cellavision DI-60 and the Tosoh G8 HA1C analyzer
To improve workflows in different departments, MVHS Laboratory implemented the following technologies:
- Medical Courier Elite (MCE)
- Atellica Process Manager and Atellica Data Manager Software for the Chemistry department.
- Sysmex Caresphere software for the Hematology department.
- Two Werfen TOP 750s that are connected to the HemoCell Automation Line, utilizing HemoHub software for integration.
- Two Arkray Urinalysis analyzers
- Two Beckman DxUS
- New Laboratory Information System (LIS)
- Epic Rover handheld devices
Additionally, MVHS says they are the first lab in the country to:
- Implement use of the Tosoh G8 A1c analyzer on the Sysmex Hematology automation line.
- Put the Siemens BN II on the Aptio Automation Line.
The lab runs the following tests daily: chemistry, immunology, urinalysis, hematology, microbiology, blood bank, and coagulation.
Teamwork
The previously mentioned merger included the integration of two laboratories with separate specialties: St. Elizabeth Medical Center that specializes in cardiac and trauma and Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare that prioritizes maternity, oncology, and stroke.
Both hospitals did send-out tests while St. Elizabeth specialized in large volume outpatient samples and Faxton St. Luke’s specialized in inpatient basic laboratory tests and performed Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology testing. When the labs merged, the teams merged their send-out staff. They reviewed each of their processes and created one standardized workflow. They worked together to train each other. MVHS said, “It was truly a blending of cultures, and our staff have joined forces to make our laboratory stronger and better than ever.”
Education and training
New staff members receive an orientation and daily training. Performance is tracked and discussed with employees. Extra training is always accessible if needed. MVHS Laboratory says, “We believe that a well-trained staff is a safer and more efficient staff.”
With all the new equipment MVHS Laboratory added, training was needed for technical staff to learn how to properly use and maintain the equipment. All employees received the same onboarding for the new facility that new employees get. They were also educated on the new LIS, workflows, and Epic EMR.
The lab encourages employees to advance in their respected fields. Several staff continue their education outside of MVHS. Additionally, staff are cross-trained so they have the skills needed to apply for higher positions at MVHS if they wish.
MVHS Laboratory said, “Laboratory Administration is fully supportive of these educational endeavors and have, on numerous occasions, made significant changes in an employee’s work schedule to accommodate their education.”
Strategic outlook
MVHS Lab’s strategic outlook focuses on tackling staffing shortages and employee retention. They implemented an international program to bring in medical technologists from around the globe. The program is popular and receives many applications.
Additionally, MVHS Lab hires and mentors lab aides who hold science degrees and strives to foster their passion for laboratory science and inspire them to continue their education. They’ve helped multiple professionals achieve their medical technologist and medical technician licenses. Many of these employees choose to stay with MVHS Lab. Currently, five staff members are involved in a NAACLS-accredited program to become Medical Technologists or Medical Lab Technicians and a sixth employee joined a program to become a Histotechnician. MVHS said, “Our hospital prides itself on being a teaching institution, and our laboratory maintains affiliations with several medical technology and laboratory science programs, as well as local phlebotomy educational institutions, thus enabling students to obtain their clinical experience requirements at our facility.”
References
- About MVHS. Mohawk Valley Health System. January 5, 2021. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.mvhealthsystem.org/about.
- Mission, Vision and values. Mohawk Valley Health System. January 8, 2021. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.mvhealthsystem.org/about-mvhs/mission/.
