By Gary Frazier
The U.S. healthcare system is broken. Sure, we might be leaders in developing new medications, lab tests and surgical techniques. But none of that matters if people can’t get the care they need – when and where they need it.
These issues came front and center during the pandemic, when the system couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming demand for hospital beds and COVID-19 tests. When we at Worksite Labs saw how our nation’s lab infrastructure left people waiting days and weeks for test results, we knew there had to be a better way. Our decentralized, portable, scalable testing labs disrupted this dysfunctional framework and helped solve a nationwide deficit in quality care.
Two years later, we’re taking the lessons we learned from the pandemic and using them to break healthcare for good. Our proven decentralized model is rebuilding the lab industry from the ground up.
The first step is making sure our brand reflects our broader mission.
It’s been a long road to this crucial inflection point. Let’s look back on what brought us to this place in our company’s history, where we’re going, and what that means for the industry and our customers.
Building on our foundations
Since our inception in 2020, Worksite Labs has covered a lot of ground. We’ve…
- Filled a major COVID-19 testing gap, creating vital access to care during a critical moment in our country’s history.
- Helped keep the $1 trillion-plus international tourism industry afloat with one-to-one travel testing services.
- Supported public and private organizations – including schools, airports and airlines – with optimized, scalable testing solutions.
- Served vulnerable populations with comprehensive health services at our community sites.
- Sent a fully equipped laboratory to Ukraine to provide services for civilians and troops.
These efforts revolved around one key premise: Our country’s current testing infrastructure isn’t built to withstand high demand for lab testing.
Laboratory test results don’t just apply to infectious diseases like COVID-19, though – they factor into nearly every aspect of healthcare. A whopping 70% of medical decisions depend on lab test results, playing a role in areas like:
– Obstetrics
– Oncology
– Surgery
– Cardiology
– Hormone treatment
– Drug testing and addiction treatment
Healthcare providers and patients alike rely on trusted and timely laboratory testing: Providers need it to make sound diagnoses, while test results give patients the information they need to make critical medical decisions. We’ve seen, firsthand, the life-saving power of testing in action. (To give just one example, people without steady access to routine testing and preventive healthcare have received on-site blood pressure screenings at our community sites. Based on those results, some have discovered they were at higher risk of cardiovascular disease that could lead to heart attack and stroke, leading them to seek out critical care.)
The problem is that large, centralized lab testing companies have only a handful of processing centers serving different regions of the United States. When testing demand surges – like it did during the Omicron spike last winter – these sites easily get bottlenecked. Turnaround times skyrocket for all kinds of diagnostic tests, leaving many patients waiting for critical medical data. And it doesn’t help that healthcare providers often have to mail test specimens to the nearest facility, which could add days to turnaround time.
We need a more efficient, patient-focused lab testing system – especially when the time spent waiting on a test result could mean the difference between life and death.
Transforming the lab testing infrastructure
One thing we learned over the last two years is that every community and organization has its own unique lab testing needs. Different healthcare providers – between large hospital systems, specialized practices and long-term care facilities – require different diagnostic solutions to best serve their people. The same goes for public organizations such as schools and prisons, as well as certain private businesses. And testing needs can change wildly from moment to moment, as we saw when public health officials started tracking COVID variants.
To meet these varying needs, we tailor our services to each partner organization, dedicating a full-service processing lab to its specific diagnostic needs. Most importantly, our model ensures customers have a dedicated testing provider that won’t get flooded with tests from other customers. And having a Worksite Labs unit within easy driving distance cuts specimen transport time exponentially, making for rapid results turnaround.
Giving consumers that kind of immediate access will transform U.S. healthcare beyond the pandemic. The industry’s current, one-size-fits-all approach is about as sustainable as if all 300 million-plus residents operated off the same power grid. It forces them to wait on potentially life-changing health information, to place their medical future in the hands of a dysfunctional system.
Our goal is to break the system apart and place diagnostic services where and when they’re needed. We want to work with businesses, healthcare providers and public agencies to give those they serve greater power over their well-being. And we want to put that power in the hands of underserved communities by partnering with organizations that share our vision of equal access for all.
In short, we’re making the future of healthcare happen. And as if that weren’t exciting enough…
Now in gold
…we’re sporting a new look! (Though you probably noticed by now.)
Worksite Labs is donning a fresh personality, one that reflects warmth and connectivity. Our new branding – from the revamped color scheme and portrait-heavy design to personal, relatable language – communicates that we understand and want to fulfill our customers’ unique health needs.
I applaud Vice President of Marketing Caitlin McNichol for overseeing a monumental dive into who we are and how we evolve into the future. At its core, our new brand says: “You’re people — and we’re people too.”
We’re thrilled to be the change that the lab testing industry desperately needs. And we’re excited to have you be a part of it with us.
Gary Frazier is CEO of Worksite Labs.
