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Hospital resumes in-house routine microbiology tests
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Posted on May 30 2014
The public hospital’s laboratory director, Dr. Philip Dauterman, informed the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. management and medical staff that the Commonwealth Health Center has resumed all in-house routine microbiology testing.
At least eight tests no longer need to be sent to Hawaii following progress made at the department.
In a memorandum dated May 27, Dauterman said that blood culture, CSF culture, ear/eye culture, sputum/endotrachel/throat/nasapharyngeal culture, urine, wound, body fluids, and stool culture will all be conducted at the public hospital.
“CHC is pleased to announce that it has resumed all routine microbiology testing in-house. We no longer need to send these tests to Hawaii as these tests can now be on-site here at CHC,” stated Dauterman’s memo on Tuesday.
He said this will allow for faster identification and reporting of infectious organisms and better selection of antibiotics for treatment of patients with infections.
With this development, only three tests need to be sent off-island: TB culture, fungus culture, and anaerobic culture.
“I would like to thank the lab staff for the extensive time and work involved in quality control of the microbiology plates and testing equipment needed to reinstitute this testing on-site at CHC. This is a job well done,” Dauterman said.
Corporation CEO Esther L. Muña described this latest news as another significant progress at the hospital.
“Bringing these tests to CHC is just another significant beneficial service we wanted to provide our patients and improve health care. This is a commitment we made together with Dr. Dauterman, our lab director, his lab team, and Mr. Jesse Tudela, our hospital administrator,” she told Saipan Tribune.
