The Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) Board of Directors will receive an overview of the Custer County Medical Clinic’s business plan during its Oct. 22 meeting. The board is considering a collaboration with the Custer County Clinic. It will also review board guidelines and policy for out-of-district clinics.
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center began offering direct access laboratory testing (DALT) at the Custer County Medical Center in Westcliffe, May 1. It is a further expansion of services that is now under consideration.
Testing is available at the Custer County Medical Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome, but DALT appointments may also be scheduled by calling 719-783-2380.
Patients at the Custer County Medical Center may order lab tests at discounted prices, from a set menu of 23 DALT tests, without a physician’s order. Tests include blood chemistry for $35, lipid panel for $25, serum pregnancy for $25, hemoglobin A1c for $30, and glucose for $10. The full list of tests is posted online at www.hrrmc.com under the Wellness U tab.
The collaboration of HRRMC with the medical center means test results are mailed within four days of the test date. If results are critical, requiring urgent medical attention, HRRMC will call the patient with results. HRRMC says it will not send results to a patient’s medical provider. It is the patient’s responsibility to set up an appointment to review the test results with his or her provider.
Payment is required up front by cash, check or credit card. Insurance companies will not be billed, and in many cases, insurance will not cover the cost of the tests because a physician does not order them, HRRMC noted.
A waiver explaining DALT specifics must be reviewed and signed before the lab test. A parent or legal guardian must accompany anyone under 18.
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) (Logo
courtesy of HRRMC)
The hospital has also noted that results of direct access laboratory testing require additional expert interpretation and do not substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. That should be based on a physician’s professional judgment, his or her review of the test results, the findings of a physical examination and the review of the patient’s personal and family medical history.
In other action, the board will act on capital purchases, including an ultrasound system and steam-heated washers and disinfection units for surgical services. It will also consider two new computer servers for disaster recovery at the Buena Vista Health Clinic, transport ventilators for cardiopulmonary and sinus scopes, procedure and exam chairs and a surgical drill for the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, among other items.
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