Laboratory tests can provide information to your physician or care provider to help in determining the type of care or medication needed to improve your health. Typically, laboratory testing accounts for 70% of the information the physician needs to accurately determine a diagnosis.

When you need laboratory services, all of our Ministry Health Care Laboratories can provide you with fast, reliable and accurate diagnostic results. Ministry Health Care offers convenient locations and hours throughout northern and central Wisconsin. Our experienced staff of Medical Technologists, Medical Laboratory Technicians, Phlebotomists, Histologists and Cytologists, Clerks, Lab Assistants and Pathologists is dedicated to providing you the services you and your family deserve.

All Ministry Health Care Laboratories are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) or Commission Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA), as well licensed by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE TEST?
Depending upon the specific tests your doctor has ordered, you may be asked not to eat for several hours before coming to the laboratory. You will be asked not to smoke before the tests. When you are told by your doctor that s/he is ordering tests, always ask for special instructions.
HOW ARE SPECIMENS COLLECTED?
For blood tests, three methods are used to obtain samples. Your finger may be pricked for a small amount in a tube or a smear on a glass slide. More commonly, a vein on the inner side of your arm will be selected for a venipuncture. The final option is through a Venous Access Device (implanted ports). The laboratory professional will instruct you on the proper collection of urine samples, feces, sputum, semen or other materials which you can collect even at home.
WHEN WILL THE DOCTOR HAVE YOUR TEST RESULTS?
Most laboratory procedures can be completed in a few hours. This means that the doctor will have your results on the same day as the test if you are a patient in the hospital or within 2-3 days if you are an outpatient. Some procedures, however, require several days to complete, which means that sometimes the physician will not have the results for a week.