Blood Room in Burr wing relocates to new space

Thanks to valuable feedback from our patients, the blood collection room in our Burr Wing has now been relocated to a new and bigger space. Patients receiving treatment for cancer or a kidney disease are now directed to this new room when they need to provide a blood sample for lab testing.

This room is located right next to the main registration desk in the Burr 0 lobby so it’s easy to find. Previously, blood draws were taken in a smaller room a floor up in the Cancer Centre or by a mobile cart in the renal unit. 

Along with its handy location, the Blood Room is also different on the inside. It’s staffed each day by three phlebotomists and each runs a private station inside the room.

“Patients are often not feeling well when they come in for treatment so it’s up to us to provide as seamless and efficient experience as possible and this room is now helping enormously,” says Chetan Jariwala, Clinical Laboratory Services Manager. “So far the feedback has been great with patients telling us they appreciate the new space and the extra privacy the room provides.”

The Blood Room is a busy place, doing up to 200 blood draws each day. Once a patient arrives, they work with the same phlebotomist to get the draw done. The phlebotomist verifies their patient information, does the blood draw, labels the sample, and then sends if off for testing.

“Along with being an efficient one-stop shop for patients, the new system is improving turnaround times. It’s also helping reduce the chances of an error occurring as the same phlebotomist is taking care of the entire process for the patient,” says Jariwala. 

As part of the overall change, the Blood Room is also offering extended hours. It’s open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.