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Point of Care (POC) testing

Point of Care (POC) testing is laboratory testing performed by specially trained healthcare professionals at or near the site of patient care. This encompasses a wide range of settings such as physician offices, ambulances and Lifeflight transports, outpatient clinics and hospitals. POC testing provides immediate results to support a more patient-centered approach to healthcare delivery by improving patient convenience, cost-savings, and the rapid diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients and thus shifting the emphasis of healthcare towards prevention and early detection of disease, as well as better management of multiple chronic conditions.

Our Point of Care Department team members are all AACC certified Point of Care Specialists. We provide training, quality assurance oversight, test evaluation and validation studies, and technical support to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Lifeflight of Maine and EMMC practices that perform POC laboratory testing. We also share a common POC IT middleware system with and are used as a resource by other Northern Light Health affiliates that have POC testing departments.

Tests at the Medical Center

Current tests offered in-house at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

  • Glucose Monitoring by Abbott FreeStyle Precision Pro meter (not approved for use in critically ill and DKA patients; not approved to diagnose diabetes) *

  • ACT-c by ISTAT

  • Hemoglobin by HemoCue 201 (used for Therapeutic Phlebotomy) *

  • INR by ISTAT

  • b-hCG by ISTAT (whole blood)

  • Fecal Occult blood *

  • Gastric Occult blood *

  • Oxygen saturation by Avoximeter

  • Urine dipstick using Siemens Mulitstix 7 – visual interpretation *

  • Urine dipstick using Siemens Ketostix – visual interpretation *

  • Urine Specific Gravity by Refractometer

  • Rupture of membrane Testing by Amnisure

* Denotes Waived Testing Status

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Tests at Health Centers

Current tests offered in-house at Northern Light Health Center's directly associated with our medical center

  • Amniotic pH by Nitrazine paper *

  • Creatinine by ISTAT (MRI location only) *

  • Fecal Occult blood *

  • Glucose Monitoring by Abbott FreeStyle Precision Pro meter (not approved for use in critically ill and DKA patients; not approved to diagnose diabetes) *

  • Glucose testing by HemoCue Glucose 20 *

  • Glucose testing by Abbott Precision Xtra *

  • Hemoglobin A1c by DCA Vantage *

  • Hemoglobin by HemoCue 201 *

  • INR by CoaguChek XS Pro *

  • Mono Test *

  • Rapid Strep by OSOM Strep A Test *

  • Urine b-hCG by Siemens Clinitek HCG Test and Clinitek Status or Status + Reader *

  • Urine b-hCG by Quidel QuickVue (urine only kit) *

  • Urine Drugs Screening by UScreen Cup (USSCupA-12BUP300) *

  • Urine dipstick using Siemens Multistix 10 SG and Clinitek Status or Status + Reader *

  • Urine dipstick using Siemens Urostix – visual interpretation *

  • Urine Specific Gravity by Refractometer

* Denotes Waived Testing Status

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Tests by Lifeflight of Maine

Current tests offered by Lifeflight of Maine

  • Blood Gases by ISTAT

  • Chemistry/Electrolytes by ISTAT

  • Lactate by ISTAT

  • Hematocrit by ISTAT

  • INR by ISTAT

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All POC testing must be approved by the Laboratory Medical Director prior to implementation at each practice or hospital location. The first step in the approval process is completion of the Addition of Point of Care Lab Test application. For further information or to obtain a copy of this application please refer to EMMC IDD 14.011 or contact the POC Department at PointofCareTesting@northernlight.org.

Contact Point of Care Testing at 207-973-6951