MUHC launches new automated lab

MONTREAL – The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) has announced the official opening of the central laboratories of the new Glen site. These cutting-edge labs, located on the 4th floor of Block E at the Glen, contain one of the most sophisticated automation lines in North America.

The Beckman Coulter Power Express automation line consolidates multi-disciplinary workflow with a single point of entry for all core laboratory disciplines.

At the Glen site, it processes an average of 5,000 samples per day and can deliver turnaround times of 30 minutes. “The speed we are able to provide with this new line translates to higher operational efficiency,” said Dr. David Blank (pictured), director of clinical biochemistry at the MUHC. “This piece of new equipment is a shining example of how far laboratory medicine has come and the progress we have been able to make.”

The Glen site Central Labs not only process all blood and urine samples from within the site, but also those incoming from the Montreal Neurological Hospital and 75 percent of samples from the Montreal General Hospital.

The lab also performs approximately 1.2 million highly specialized tests annually for health centres outside of MUHC (both from the Montreal region and from its partners in the RUIS network, which covers a geographic area spanning 63 per cent of the territory of the province of Quebec).

In this respect, the MUHC is able to partner and work collaboratively within the network to provide quality healthcare, not just to its own patients but to the people of Quebec.

“Ultimately, the number one benefit of this cutting-edge technology is the positive impact it has on our patients,” said Dr. Ewa Sidorowicz, Associate Director General of Medical Affairs and Director of Professional Services for the MUHC. “We are now able to provide results in less time, allowing physicians to make faster diagnoses and begin treating our patients as quickly as possible.

“We are also in a position to support our Quebec healthcare partners with optimal lab processing capacities.”

With over $255 million spent on new technology and equipment at the Glen site, this automated line is yet another example of medical innovation, allowing the MUHC to provide the best care for life to our patients.

About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)

One of the world’s foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research, teaching and technology assessment. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, the MUHC has a mandate to focus on complex care and is highly committed to working with partner organizations within the healthcare network, to ensure to the continuum of care in its community. The partner hospitals of the MUHC – The Montreal Children’s Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital of the MUHC – value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is undergoing a Redevelopment Project at The Neuro, Lachine Hospital, and the Montreal General Hospital, which is designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families benefit from The Best Care for Life. Our establishments are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED(r) Gold and BOMA BESt guidelines. Please visit www.muhc.ca.