Ichor Blood Services Launches General Lab Specimen Collection in Calgary and Medicine Hat

The company's new service will increase accessibility to lab services for anyone willing to pay out of pocket for sample collection

CALGARY, AB, Jan. 5, 2021 /CNW/ - Ichor Blood Services, a private lab specimen collection company based in Calgary, has launched general lab specimen collection services in Calgary and Medicine Hat after receiving all necessary approvals. This first of its kind service in Southern Alberta will increase accessibility to lab services for those who are willing to pay out of pocket to have their sample collection done.

Ichor is an Alberta based, private lab specimen collection company that provides private asymptomatic Covid-19 testing in Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick, offers embassy approved tests for travel to China, and is also a referred test provider for Air Canada’s Hawaii travel program. The company’s corporate client base also continues to grow as the need for Covid-19 testing is anticipated to extend well into 2021. (CNW Group/Ichor Blood Services)

Anyone with a requisition from their Alberta healthcare provider for blood and urine testing will be able to make an appointment with Ichor in Calgary or Medicine Hat to have their specimens collected according to the requisition. Once collected, Ichor will deliver the collected specimen for processing at accredited public laboratories, and results will be provided back to the ordering physician and the Patient's NetCare account within regular system turnaround times. The cost of the service is expected to cost $85.00 + Tax.

"Ichor was originally founded with a vision to provide general lab specimen collection services, so we are pleased to finally be in a position to do so," said Ichor's CEO, Mike Kuzmickas. "I started Ichor in January of 2020 after struggling to make my personal schedule line up with lab appointments and wait times. I decided to see what a private option might look like and did not find any. There was significantly more time and effort involved than I anticipated with making this work, but I'm glad we finally got there."

General lab collection service is an addition to Ichor's exiting private offering and capabilities, which include Covid-19 IgM/IgG serology antibody testing, asymptomatic Covid-19 PCR testing, and contract specimen collection services for companies needing to collect specimens for their own clients or research programs. Ichor will be working with StageZero Life Sciences to launch Aristotle – a blood-based cancer screening test – in Canada in early 2021.

"Covid testing has been an interesting pivot for us, which we expect to continue through 2021, but basic lab work and contract specimen collection is where we expect to solidify our business for the future," said Kuzmickas. "Covid-19 has changed the health care delivery model forever and Ichor will continue to position itself as a reputable and high-quality option for our clients."

About Ichor Blood Services
Ichor is an Alberta based, private lab specimen collection company that provides private asymptomatic Covid-19 testing in Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick, offers embassy approved tests for travel to China, and is also a referred test provider for Air Canada's Hawaii travel program. The company's corporate client base also continues to grow as the need for Covid-19 testing is anticipated to extend well into 2021.

For more information visit https://ichorblood.ca.

SOURCE Ichor Blood Services

Media Contact, Peter Pilarski, Vice President, CIPR Communications, M: 403-462-1160, E: [email protected]