The Point of Care Testing Section is a part of the Division of Clinical Pathology in the Department of Pathology at the University Hospital and Clinics. This lab is inspected by the College of American Pathologists. Therefore, lab policies and procedures are written in accordance with those standards.
Location: The Point of Care Testing Section is located on the third floor of the Children’s Round Tower. Room S397.
Telephone: Any inquiries pertaining to this section should be directed to the following:
- William A. Rock, Jr., M.D., Director ................................................................ Ext. 42354
- Jill Whittington, BS, MT (ASCP), POCT Coordinator .................................. Ext. 44746
- Nancy Prezas-Jones, BS, MT, (ASCP), POCT Coordinator ...................... Ext. 44745
Hours of Operation: The Point of Care Testing Section is staffed for day shift Monday through Friday. Training, proficiency, and competency assessment is initiated for any shift or point of care testing site as needed.
Objective: The Point of Care Testing Section is responsible for the design and documentation of protocols involving Point of Care Tests performed in the University Hospital and Clinics. The goal is to provide quality test results in the most expedient manner.
A comprehensive quality control and quality assurance program is maintained on all analyses to meet CAP and JCAHO Standards.
Consultations: If any problems should arise or any special circumstances occur, please contact one of the Point of Care Testing Coordinators, Jill Whittington at ext. 4-4746 or Nancy Prezas-Jones at ext. 4-4745. The pathology staff and residents are available 24 hours/day for problems. See current monthly call schedule for after hours, weekends and holidays.
The following tests are currently approved for Point of Care Testing at the University Hospital and Clinics.
- Glucose (Reagent Strip)
- Activated Clotting time (ACT)
- Urine Dipstick Chemistries
- Urine Pregnancy Test
- Hemoglobin
- Hemoglobin AIC
- Blood Gases
- Electrolytes (Na, K)
- Ionized Calcium (Ca++)
- Hematocrit (Hct)
- Heparin Analysis
- Co-Oximetry
- Influenza A & B
- Rapid Strep A
- Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV)
All reference ranges for those tests are the same as Department of Pathology reference ranges listed in this handbook with the exception of ACT and heparin. ACT and heparin ranges are interpreted by physician according to their department protocol.
The POCT Section is responsible for monitoring only those Point of Care Tests performed in the University Hospital and Clinics or the Division of Clinical Pathology. If your UH&C location is interested in POCT please do not hesitate to call the POCT section.