The laboratory at Norton Sound Regional Hospital is Joint Commission Accredited. Point of Care laboratories in the Unalakleet Subregional Clinic, as well as all other 14 village clinics are inspected and accredited by COLA. An extensive career ladder encourages entry level hire into positions as Phlebotomists and Medical Laboratory Assistants; both of which can be trained on the job and sit for a national certification. The laboratory also employs a Laboratory Informatics Specialist, Point of Care Technicians & Assistants, Medical Laboratory Technicians, Medical Laboratory Scientists/Medical Technologists, a Point of Care Administrator, Laboratory Manager, and a High Complexity Laboratory Director. Commissioned Corps Officers from the United States Public Health Service are also employed by the laboratory.
The laboratory is open 24 hours Monday – Friday and covers weekends to ensure that the hospital’s diagnostic needs are always taken care of. A phlebotomy room on the 1st floor level is staffed Monday-Friday next to the Pharmacy as outreach to patients.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide our customers-patients and healthcare colleagues alike-with timely and accurate results using the most advanced technologies that suit our region’s needs. It is also our mission to receive and treat all of our patients in ways that are culturally sensitive, with compassion, and expertise, especially with those who are elders.
Our Vision
Our vision is to remain an integral part of the healthcare team at Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) by maintaining the highest level of staffing in number and in quality. We will strive to promote and recruit from the best labor services available, focusing on hiring and training local talent and mentoring Alaskan students. We aim to improve village and interdepartmental communication while continuing to provide learning opportunities for all NSHC staff and Bering Strait Communities. With the rapid nature of advancements in medicine, our goal is to remain progressive with state-of-the-art technology to fill the testing needs of our customers for routine and specialized in-house analysis.
Our Values
✓ Have Integrity
✓ Uphold Accuracy
✓ Be Compassionate
✓ Promote Health and Wellness
✓ Continue Growth
The laboratory supports an inpatient unit consisting of 16 beds, an outpatient clinic, and an on-site 24-hour Emergency Department. Fifteen village clinics and village health services are supported by the laboratory which provides point of care testing consistent with the hospital program. Specimens from the village clinics are sent to the lab daily. The laboratory participates consistently with the rotation of outpatient specialty clinics to facilitate best patient care for Alaskans.
The needs of the Quyanna Care Center, Norton Sound Health Corporation’s Long Term Care Facility, are covered by the hospital Clinical Laboratory.
The 2013 open date of the new hospital laboratory included state-of-the-art instrumentation and provided new on-site testing to obtain better turnaround time and provider satisfaction. On-going training and facilities allow for the Norton Sound Laboratory to continue exceeding industry standards. The laboratory participates in annual proficiency testing through multiple proficiency testing providers.
