For over 60 years, we’ve worked to empower healthier Canadians in every community we serve. This commitment drives everything we do, including designing rigorous procedures that deliver answers and reassurance that patients can trust.
During World Quality Week, we’re proud to highlight how our standards and coordinated efforts make a meaningful difference throughout a sample’s journey, from specimen collection to results reporting. Behind every sample is a life – a mother, father, brother, sister, or friend waiting for trusted answers that could change their life. Standing behind that sample is a team of more than 6,500 dedicated professionals, providing accurate and timely results every step of the way.
At its foundation are our Medical Science and Quality & Regulatory Affairs teams, who work closely with our operational teams to support a customer-centred approach and ensure we consistently deliver high-quality care. Their expertise is reflected in recent successful accreditations across our laboratories and Patient Service Centres.
“Our oversight helps ensure every process supports accuracy, patient safety, and trusted results. Every result we deliver is a testament to the quality of our work and the dedication of our teams,” said Phillip Morehouse, Director Quality and Regulatory Affairs. “We’re proud that our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement across LifeLabs ensures results that Canadians can trust.”
Serving over 50 million patients each year requires our teams to work collaboratively to empower healthier Canadians. A sample’s journey often begins at a Patient Service Centre where a caring and compassionate Lab Technician draws it. Our team leads with an approach that makes this experience comfortable for patients who may be nervous or anxious.
Once the sample is collected, the team prepares it for secure and controlled transport — using processes that depend on the test requested. Some specimens are refrigerated, while others are spun in a centrifuge to separate blood components. They are then packed in temperature-controlled transport containers for pick-up. The LifeLabs team of agile and dedicated couriers then takes over. This team takes the samples to the nearest laboratory for testing, ensuring they arrive promptly while being handled with care.
“Accuracy is part of doing my job well,” said Courier Dejan Velkovski. “It’s about doing the small things like being punctual, double-checking specimens and treating everyone respectfully, and with the same attention and care every day.”
Once the sample arrives at the lab, our Specimen Management Team inspects, sorts, and organizes incoming specimens. They confirm container integrity, proper labelling, and destination accuracy, which are essential steps in maintaining quality and patient safety.
“We take great care of your samples, and we work diligently to get these important results to doctors quickly,” said Lab Technician Pamela Leduc. “When we receive critical results, we work with agility to get a hold of doctors after hours to ensure they provide critical care immediately, even if it is late at night.”
The sample is then routed to a testing department—such as toxicology, hematology, or biochemistry. They are then processed in innovative analyzers that accurately assess their characteristics, based on markers requested by a Healthcare Provider.
“Working as a chemistry lab technician, I witness firsthand how LifeLabs’ vital testing improves Canadians’ lives on a daily basis,” said Lab Technician Vicky Vu. “From measuring blood glucose levels to assessing kidney and liver function, the chemistry department performs a wide range of tests, all of which are essential to the diagnosis and treatment of medical disorders.”
Following testing, results are now ready to be viewed on MyCareCompass, LifeLabs’ digital health portal.
“Having our teams working collaboratively together to deliver high quality care supported by the Medical Science and Quality & Regulatory Affairs teams from start to finish means Canadians can trust the systems supporting their health journey,” said Phillip. “As an organization, we’re proud of the work we do and the opportunity to earn our patients’ trust every step of the way.”