Read the Current Edition of PCL Alverno's Physician Newsletter - “A Closer Look“
The PCL Alverno - MedSpeed Transportation Network
PCL Alverno has formed a partnership with MedSpeed to provide our healthcare transportation services beginning April 22, 2012. MedSpeed is an ISO-certified, technology-enhanced healthcare transportation solutions provider that will help take our transportation operations – the movement of our patient and business critical materials - to the next level. As our partner, MedSpeed will pickup laboratory specimens and other materials from our customers and transport them to our laboratory in Hammond, IN. In addition to being experts in the areas of specimen handling and customer service, all MedSpeed service personnel employ advanced scanning technology to ensure greater accountability and security of our customers’ items. The MedSpeed model also includes a fleet of vehicles bearing the MedSpeed logo. The drivers will be easy to recognize in the MedSpeed uniform and company name badge.
We are committed to providing our customers with the highest level of quality and customer service possible. We are confident that this transition will enhance our services.
February 2012: Alverno announces a partnership with Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics for the implementation and development of laboratory automation for microbiology. Alverno’s collaboration with Siemens will offer the newest automation for specimen processing and microbial identification available in the U.S., building upon the quality ID/AST results already available with the MicroScan WalkAway systems. “Siemens is excited to partner with Alverno to showcase the tremendous advances in microbiology automation, both now and in the future“.
Alverno’s first acquisition toward microbiology automation is the Bruker MALDI Biotyper System. This product acquisition will enable Alverno to deliver microorganism identification much sooner than using the technology of today.
First launched in Europe, the Bruker MALDI Biotyper System is a mass spectrometric method for rapid identification of bacteria and yeast direct from an isolated colony. Classification and identification of microorganisms is achieved by matching the proteomic fingerprint of the test sample to the organism library contained within the Bruker-proprietary software (MALDI Biotyper). Over 120 peer-reviewed publications have examined the performance of this technology in various organism groups and specimen types with very good results. This method can produce identifications in minutes versus the hours or days required by current biochemical based techniques. The improved speed and accuracy seen in the published reports will ultimately help us to better meet the needs of our clients and patients. The MALDI Biotyper System is available in the United States as a research-use-only (RUO) version. In Europe, the system is available as an RUO system as well as an IVD system according to the EU directive EC/98/79 in certain EU countries. Bruker is pursuing 510k clearance from the FDA as an IVD system. For more information, please visit http://www.bdal.com/maldibiotyper