Outpatient Laboratory Services, located near the East Tower Lobby at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, offers a full range of outpatient laboratory services to meet the diagnostic testing needs of the community.

Our laboratory facilities are conveniently located for patients referred from physicians' offices, skilled nursing facilities or a variety of other healthcare settings.  Our staff consists of highly trained, professional medical technologists dedicated to delivering personalized services to meet your specific testing needs. Valley Baptist Hospital Outpatient Laboratories strives to:

• Perform testing in an accurate, precise, timely and cost-effective manner
• Treat patients and colleagues with respect, care and thoughtfulness
• Safeguard information as confidential
• Continue to study, apply and advance medical laboratory knowledge and skills.
•  Share such with our colleagues, other members of the healthcare community and the public.

Services include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Hematology
• Chemistry
• Coagulation
• Blood Banking
• Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
• Microbiology
• Pathology
• Urinalysis
• Serology

By law, a physician's written order is required for testing. Orders can be faxed to (956) 389-5194.

Hours:
Monday- Friday:   7:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays:              7:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Closed Sundays and holidays.

No appointment necessary, except for glucose tolerance tests.

Contact Us
Please call  (956) 389-1852
For Lab results, call (956) 389-1788

Parking

Please park in the lot in front of the East Tower of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, or use the valet parking services by pulling up in the circular drive in front of the East Tower.

Patient Instructions for Blood Work

• Please check with your insurance company to make sure your outpatient lab services are covered if performed by Valley Baptist  Hospital.
• Please bring your physician orders and insurance card.
• Fasting is required for the following tests:
       * Lipid Profiles
       * Prolactin
       * Glucose Tolerance
       * Any other test specified by your physician
• Fasting patients require a 12-hour fast, small amounts of water only.
• Medications should be taken as instructed by your physician.

What To Do Once You're Here

• Please report to the Outpatient Registration Area located in the East Tower Lobby.
• Please have your physician orders and insurance card handy.
• You will be asked for your Social Security number.
• Once registered, you will be asked to have a seat until called for your blood work.
• We try to keep your time spent at Valley Baptist Hospital to less than 30 minutes, from registration to completion of your blood draw. Sometimes during the day, we are traditionally busier than other times, so we ask for your patience.

Your Lab Results

• All results are mailed to your physician. If your physician is on staff, a copy is also left in his/her mailbox in the hospital. Your physician may also have access from his/her office to the hospital computer system. Results can be sent to an additional physician at your request.
• Results can be faxed to your physician at their request.
• Critical results are called in to your physician immediately.
• Most testing is done on-site, so that routine chemistry, coagulation, hematology and urinalysis results are normally available the same day.
• Cultures can take anywhere from 48-72 hours, depending on the organism growth.
• Preliminary reports are available as work is completed.