Laboratory Medicine is truly a group effort at Grove City
Medical Center. Whether it is the phlebotomist who draws
your blood or the medical technologist who analyzes it on
our cutting edge instrumentation, we take your health
seriously. It's our passion and it's in OUR blood.
For the convenience of our patients, the lab is located just
inside the main front entrance of the hospital from 6 a.m.
until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. until 3:30
p.m. on Saturday. Although this location is closed on
Sunday, patients may still have their blood drawn in the
main lab, which is located in the 2nd main hallway, just
beyond Cardiovascular Pulmonary Services.
Our phlebotomists are specially trained to perform quick,
easy blood draws for patients, and they are sensitive to
those who may come with preconceived fears of the procedure.
The best thing to do, they recommend, is to communicate with
the phlebotomist about your fears or any negative experience
you may have had in the past. All phlebotomists have drawn
blood from patients who are scared of needles or have
fainted, so if they are made aware of your particular fears,
they can take special precautions to ensure you have the
best possible experience in our lab.
In order to provide the most accurate test results, most
patients must refrain from eating or drinking anything other
than water for several hours prior to their blood draw
because they might consume food that could inaccurately
raise the lab values in the levels that are being tested.
However, once their blood is drawn, patients may walk a few
short steps to Grand Grounds, the hospital coffee shop for a
cup of hot coffee and a fresh pastry. All proceeds from
purchases made at Grand Grounds benefit the GCMC volunteer
organization, which in turn, help to support the hospital.
Most of the medical laboratory technicians and medical
technologists who staff the testing areas of the lab are
cross-trained, which maximizes the efficiency across the
various sections of the department. Annually, the lab
processes nearly 32,000 CBC’s (complete blood counts) and
20,000 comprehensive panels along with all of the other less
common tests they perform!
 A critical function of the lab is maintaining the blood
bank, where blood is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
for those patients in critical need of transfusion. Here,
staff type a patient’s blood and then crossmatch it with
reagents to create compatible units from their supply for
transfusion. Most often, blood is transferred to the
Emergency Department to help accident victims, the operating
room and obstetrics for patients whose blood loss is
life-threatening.
The chemistry lab is where electrolyte profiles, basic
metabolic and comprehensive metabolic panels are processed
as well as therapeutic drug monitoring. Some patients visit
the lab up to 3 days each week if they are taking a
medication that needs constant monitoring. The chemistry lab
is also responsible for diabetes testing, cancer and cardiac
markers, blood gases, iron studies, pregnancy tests and
hormone levels.
 A medical technologist sections a specimen of a bone to
create slides for analysis. Thin prep Pap smears are also
tested in this section of the lab.
 Microbiologist Marsha Peck places patients’ specimens on
plates where the various cultures will grow for anywhere
from 2 to 5 days. Among these specimens are samples taken
from patients’ throats, wounds and surgical incisions that
have become infected. Identification of parasites and
screenings for STD’s and prenatal patients are performed
here also.
 Billie Shepard, MS, MT (ASCP) is responsible for the
day-to-day management of the lab, under the direction of
Dr.
Robert Jancart, hospital pathologist. Billie is a Thiel
College graduate who also earned a Master of Science degree
from King’s College in Wilkes Barre. She has worked in
hospitals in New York and Pennsylvania and also spent time
working with Indian Health Service in Montana and Minnesota.
Most recently, she worked at Woodlawn Hospital in Rochester,
Indiana. Her first job following high school was at Grove
City Hospital as a phlebotomist, and later as a chemist
while she attended college; her career has truly brought her
full circle!
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