#34: As the country slowly gets back to work...

If you are reading this blog this am, you are likely at the office for which you work.  I would like to applaud you for continuing to serve those in need during this stressful time.  I encourage you to make sure you are taking care of yourself as well.  Whatever healthy habit you may have to help with stress please don’t put it on a shelf during this time.  If you are unable to do it because of certain restrictions, now is a great time to develop new healthy habits.  Take this opportunity to reconnect with someone you haven’t spoken with in awhile.  Talk about something other than the “virus”.  Laugh about something and you will release endorphins in your brain.  You do know that endorphins are natural hormones/peptides which activate the body’s opiate receptors, don’t you?  In other words, you can get high naturally!! 

Some of you may be aware, ILDP Vice President, Mark Campbell contracted the Coronavirus and spent 5 days in the hospital.  Mark played 10 years in the NFL and throughout his life has learned how to make lemonade out of lemons.  He has taken this scary, anxiety-filled experience and parlayed it into a platform from which he is now touching millions of lives with his story.  Additionally, he is bringing needed attention to the restraint of trade by insurance companies and monopolization of the laboratory system in the US.  On top of that Mark is addressing the gangster-like tactics of the large insurance carriers.  Their refusal to allow small labs in their networks has resulted in a severe lack of laboratory testing at the time it is most important.  If you google his name you will see he has the ear of the President of the US.  I speak for everyone in the ILDP family when I say we are so thankful he is now healthy and doing well.

As the country slowly gets back to work, and it is, there are a few housekeeping issues I wish to remind everyone of.  Please make sure that you take the urine cup from the patients and close the lids tightly before putting in the biohazard bags.  If it is a snap lid, please snap both sides down.  If it is a twist top, please make sure it is on straight and tightened down.  Please do not let the patients put the cups in the bag.  For those of you in cash-paying clinics, you must ask every patient if they have any health insurance, and if so get a copy of their card to send with the paperwork.  They may pay cash at the clinic, but we bill the insurance.  Please make sure you have at least two lab testing diagnosis codes on the requisition forms.  If you have any questions regarding this, please call the lab and speak with Faye, Jocelyn or April.  Please make sure you are staying ahead on supplies.  If you need supplies please use the supply order form and fax it to the lab at least three days prior to needing the supplies.  Make sure you are putting paper work in the outside pocket of the biohazard bag, not in with the cup.  Oh, and please NO STAPLES on the paper work.  Thanks.

Please stay safe and keep a smile on your face.  All of you are needed and appreciated.  We do not take your trust in us lightly.  Thank you for your business.

Lance Benedict

President/CEO Industry Lab Diagnostic Partners  

04/17/2020