Laboratory Services
Technology/Services
Laboratory tests are ordered by physicians for diagnosis or screening of a wide range of medical conditions. From
routine cholesterol checks to the most sophisticated testing for conditions like cancer, a simple and quick
blood draw or tissue biopsy can be used to diagnose, monitor, treat or prevent medical illnesses at Ingalls.
Ingalls Laboratory is equipped with the latest, computerized instrumentation for quick and accurate inpatient and
outpatient testing, enabling our skilled team of medical technologists to effectively process nearly a million lab tests annually.
General Laboratory Services—For Patients
Whether you need outpatient lab work or are staying in the hospital for inpatient services, Ingalls Laboratory provides
the most comprehensive lab services available anywhere. Depending on your situation, lab work can be done urgently or within
a few days.
A simple blood draw, body fluid collection or tissue sample can provide the pathway for discovering any number of insights
into your health. Through numerous lab specialties and processes, Ingalls Laboratory offers an expansive array of tests performed
by experienced laboratory professionals. Once your testing is complete, your results will be analyzed by one of our board-certified
pathologists, and results will be sent in a timely manner to your doctor.
If you would like a copy of your lab results for your own personal medical file, we are happy to provide you with one.
However, before we can release your lab results directly to you, you must come to the Ingalls Laboratory (on the main floor
of the hospital) in person and sign a "release of information" form. Proper photo identification is also required.
Even if your doctor is not on staff at one of our Ingalls facilities, you can have laboratory work done at one of our
convenient locations. When the results are complete, we'll send them to your doctor via email.
For more information about our laboratory services or specific tests and their requirements, please call our Laboratory Service
Center at 708.915.5760.
Lab Test
Recommended Fast
Fasting Blood Sugar
8 hours
Basic Metabolic Profile (BMP)
8 hours
Comprehensive Metabolic Profile (CMP)
8 hours
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
None
***About your Bill
Our pathologists are part of Southwest Laboratory Physicians, a medical group associated with Ingalls Memorial Hospital.
You will see fees associated with Southwest Laboratory Physicians on your bill, even if you never went to a location
called Southwest Laboratory Physicians. This professional fee reflects the pathologist's time and expertise in analyzing
your sample.
General Laboratory Services—For Physicians/Doctor's Offices/Care Facilities
At Ingalls, quality diagnostic testing is coupled with exceptional customer service. Ingalls Laboratory provides a full
array of testing services to support your patient care at whatever level you may require, helping to make the process
seamless for you and your patients. Specific departments within our general laboratory services include Chemistry, Hematology,
Phlebotomy and Blood Bank.
For your convenience, you can choose to collect specimens in your office and have us run the diagnostic/screening testing,
or have us collect and test specimens directly with your patients.
Laboratory services are available for stat (urgent) or routine (a few days) timing. We can analyze specimens at the
hematology/cellular, chemistry, endocrinology/hormone or immunology levels. Specific services include:
- Blood gas analysis for a snapshot on patients' oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
- Blood banking
- Blood donor collections
- Coagulation testing
- Cytology
- Endocrinology
- Frozen section service
- Hematology
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Histology
- Immunology
- Surgical pathology—e.g. autopsies, bone marrow aspirations, fine-needle aspirations
- And many other services
Our valued laboratory clients receive phlebotomy supplies free of charge for all testing sent to the Ingalls Laboratory
for results and analysis. We also provide convenient professional courier services and mobile laboratory and radiology services.
Other important features of our comprehensive laboratory services include:
Professional Consultations and Training
Our staff of board-certified Medical Pathologists and other certified clinical laboratory specialists are available for
consultations and results interpretation around the clock, seven days a week. They are also available to provide personal
assistance or office staff training on laboratory issues such as test selection, order clarification, collection and
processing procedures, quality assurance or regulatory compliance.
For more information, please contact our Physician Call Center/Laboratory Customer Service Center at 708.915.5748.
Pathology Services
All pathology testing at Ingalls is performed under the direction of board-certified pathologists, who examine body fluids
and tissue samples to help a primary physician make a diagnosis.
Clinical pathology is the study of disease through evaluation of the body's biochemical processes, such as the production
of hormones, enzymes, and other substances. Clinical pathologists analyze blood, urine, and other body fluids.
Anatomical pathology is the study of disease by examining tissue samples obtained through biopsy from specific parts of
the body. Anatomical pathology helps determine the cause and effects of a particular disease. Today, with advanced technology,
a tissue specimen can be obtained from almost any organ or any part of the body using various biopsy techniques.
Diseases (Microbiology/Virology/Immunology)
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms – specifically, disease-causing microorganisms. Microbiology is responsible
for identifying infectious agents in blood, urine, sputum, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. The infectious
agents are then tested for sensitivity to certain antibiotics used to treat infections.
Microbiology uses various techniques to identify bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, including the following:
- chemical, immunological, and genetic tests
- examination under a microscope
- staining
Virology is the study of viruses and their properties and is used to determine the presence of viruses within laboratory
specimens.
Immunology is the study of the body's immune system and its functions and disorders and helps determine the presence
of autoimmune diseases (when the body’s immune system “attacks” its own tissues) and immunodeficiency disorders (when a
body’s immune system is under-active).
Direct Access Testing
Available at Ingalls Wellness Center in Flossmoor, direct access testing allows individuals to
request laboratory tests and receive results without a physician’s order or insurance involvement. Test results are confidential
and given only to the patient. Results are available for pickup the next day or can be mailed to the given address of the
patient. A photo I.D. is required to pick up test results.
Adult patients may request their own testing. Parents/legal guardians may also request testing on their children under the
age of 18.
For most tests, it is not necessary to follow any special instructions. On some tests, however, your results may be more
accurate if you follow a few simple instructions before coming in for the test.
If you have questions about a requirement for a particular laboratory test, please call our Laboratory Customer Service
Center at 708.915.5760 before your test.
Test Menu for Direct Access Testing
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
$12.00
Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)
$35.00
Sickle Cell Screen
$10.00
Lipid Panel (Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides)
$25.00
FSH (FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE)
$45.00
LH (LUTENIZING HORMONE)
$45.00
Thyroid Panel (incl Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
$44.00
Outreach Services
Ingalls Laboratory provides outreach laboratory services to physician offices, long-term care facilities, assisted-living
facilities and independent living facilities within a wide geographical area that encompasses the south and Southwest Suburbs
of Chicago, and Northwest Indiana.
Our comprehensive services include a wide range of mobile laboratory and radiology services. For added convenience,
any specimen collected at a physician office or care center will be picked up by an Ingalls courier and sent to the Ingalls
Laboratory for testing, and results will be provided within 24 to 48 hours.
Market Competitive Pricing
We keep our pricing competitive by actively expanding and improving our test menu while maintaining a rigorous quality
assurance program.
Accessible Client Service and Support
Our Physician Call Center/Laboratory Customer Service Center is staffed by long-term, knowledgeable and friendly
laboratory professionals from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. As an added convenience,
customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with very little telephone hold-time or
transfers.
Other services include:
- Customized Forms
- Chart Audits and Infection Control Reports for our care facility clients
Community Health Fairs
Each year, Ingalls Laboratory participates in dozens of community health fairs located throughout the South and Southwest
Suburbs of Chicago, offering specially discounted pricing to screening participants.
If you or your community organization is interested in laboratory services for your next health fair, please call
Jean Harroun at 708.915.5743 or email her at jharroun@ingalls.org.
Physicians and Professional Staff
Our team of board-certified pathologists, medical technologists and technicians, phlebotomists, and support staff
stand ready to provide the diagnostic information necessary to treat patients quickly and accurately. We work
around-the-clock, seven days a week testing, evaluating, and reporting lab results.
At Ingalls, we take pride in our ability to provide excellence in our Laboratory diagnostic services.
Locations
Ingalls Laboratory services are performed at a variety of convenient locations, including our main laboratory location,
located on the first floor of Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, as well as at each of our Ingalls Family Care Centers –
with locations in Flossmoor, Tinley Park,
Crestwood and Calumet City.
For our client convenience, Ingalls also offers mobile laboratory and radiology services throughout the South and Southwest
Suburbs of Chicago, and Northwest Indiana.
Contact
If you have questions or would like additional information about Ingalls Laboratory services, please contact Pam Stanberry,
MBA, MT, (ASCP) SH, at 708.915.5764, or
click here to send her an email.