Contributing to Our Field Through Key Partnerships in British Columbia

At LifeLabs we care about quality, excellence and innovation in our own operation and within the larger field of laboratory science. As Canada’s largest community laboratory, we are in a unique position to support large-scale research initiatives and provide expertise to colleagues around the world.

In the first half of 2020, for example, LifeLabs participated in a joint study with researchers at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and the University of British Columbia. The study compared anonymous blood samples that LifeLabs collected in March and May, before and after public health measures were introduced. The samples were collected for reasons unrelated to COVID-19. By comparing the incidence of COVID-19 found in the samples, health officials were able to conclude that the infection rate was lower than in other regions and that community transmission had been suppressed. This was the first study of its kind in Canada, and an important contribution to the management of the pandemic in BC.

LifeLabs’ experts also regularly share their research and expertise in scientific books and journals and at conferences. Recently, for example, Phillip Morehouse, National Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, contributed a chapter to the latest edition of the Quality Management System Model for Laboratory Services. The QMSM is published by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute, which sets worldwide standards and best practices to guide laboratory management, operations and testing.