Ribbon-cutting ceremony at LifeLabs' London Road facility in Sarnia. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)Ribbon-cutting ceremony at LifeLabs' London Road facility in Sarnia. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)
Sarnia

LifeLabs celebrates grand opening of third Sarnia-Lambton site

A new Sarnia medical lab held its grand opening Friday afternoon.

Medical professionals and local dignitaries helped cut the ribbon at LifeLabs' third collection site in Sarnia-Lambton.

The facility, in the London Road Diagnostic Clinic at 481 London Rd., offers blood collection, Holter monitoring and Electrocardiography (ECGs) services.

The three local labs perform over 100,000 tests each year to help diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease.

Senior Vice President Chris Carson said the new site will allow them to serve even more patients.

"Whenever we are providing more access and patients have more choice, it tends to really help to reduce wait times," said Carson. "Also, when patients are able to book an appointment online or use our new Save My Spot app, that also means we're able to plan better to again reduce wait times."

Dr. Sean Peterson, a family physician who works in the London Road clinic, said the new site will lead to improved care for patients.

"This building here is primarily family physicians, so you have about 25,000 to 30,000 patients that use this building as their primary care centre," said Dr. Peterson. "Most of the spaces will have labs done at least once a year, especially if you get over 40. Some of the patients are getting labs done monthly, or even weekly, so LifeLabs for them is a convenient location to get their lab work done."

Dr. Peterson said the facility was definitely needed, and that making sure we have enough labs in our community is important.

"As a doc, we're extremely excited to have LifeLabs here investing in the building mainly for our patients so they can have easy access to getting labs done-- we know that compliance goes up if you have easy access," said Dr. Peterson. "So for myself, it makes it easier for the patients, and it hopefully means we can keep their health conditions in check and give them better care."

Dr. Peterson, who's been practising at the London Road clinic for the past four years, said the new facility will help his patients have a better understanding of their own health through online resources.

"Empowering patients to have data we find also improves their interest in their own health-- that's where the next step is with moving healthcare into the digital age," he said. "If I have an app that can tell me what's going on with my furnace and my lights in my house, why can't I have an app that tells me what's going on with my body?"

The new LifeLabs collection site on London Road is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

LifeLabs is a Canadian-owned company that has been serving the healthcare needs of Canadians for more than 50 years.

(From left to right) LifeLabs SVP Chris Carson, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey, Dr. Sean Peterson during the London Road site's grand opening. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)(From left to right) LifeLabs SVP Chris Carson, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey, Dr. Sean Peterson during the London Road site's grand opening. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

Healthcare workers at LifeLabs' London Road facility in Sarnia. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)Healthcare workers at LifeLabs' London Road facility in Sarnia. March 29, 2019. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)

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