Plymouth Business Brings New Meaning to Blood Work

Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing if the baby is yours. Sometimes it’s a matter of being proactive with your health. And sometimes it could be a matter of life or death.

No matter what the circumstance, there are more than 1,000 lab tests to choose from with the new . At Any Lab you can become better informed about whatever you need without having to deal with doctors, HMOs, health insurance and high costs.

Lab tests are available by request or by simply walking-in without an appointment. And they're often a cheaper and more accessible alternative for those who don’t want the hassle of deductibles, co-pays or health insurance bills, said Todd Erager, Vice President and general manager of the Plymouth Any Lab location.

“People are taking a more proactive approach to measuring and improving their health and wellness today and we are a part of that,” Erager said.

The Plymouth business is part of a national franchise of Any Lab Test Now, which is now bringing more locations to the Midwest, but has been on the coasts for some time, Erager said.

At Any Lab, people can simply walk-in and buy whatever lab work they need for whatever reason from finding out the paternity of a child to cholesterol and lipid screening.

Among the tests:

• STD Testing. The most popular test tends to be STD testing, said Alex Lamkin, site manager and phlebotomist for the Plymouth Any Lab. As a phlebotomist, Lamkin is trained in vein puncture and certified to take blood and other samples and send them off to be tested at independent labs across the country.

“We have medical reviews for all testing done,” Erager said. “A doctor checks on all results on a weekly basis in case any need to be followed up on with a letter to someone saying they need to seek medical attention.”

• Comprehensive female panels. These include a host of tests from one urine and blood sample checks a woman’s complete blood count or CBC, urinalysis, chemistry panel, estradiol, FSH and LH (the hormones that stimulate ovarian follicles and ovulation) and DHEA-5 and progesterone tests for more hormonal status information.

• Diabetes panels. These give someone the opportunity to prevent the onset or keep the disease from advancing without continuing to go to a doctor’s lab and wait for results.

• DNA testing. “We’ve also worked with immigration services to provide our DNA kit in an instance where the DNA needed to be verified in order for a child in another country to be allowed to be reunited with family here,” Erager said. “We also work with the Department of Transportation for their testing of truck drivers, pilots, coast guards and more.”

Any Lab is available not only for the individual walk-in or appointment, but also on a bigger scale for corporations to do drug screenings or health and wellness testing.

Erager said Any Lab is not trying to compete with clinics, doctors or their labs that do the same or similar testing and blood work ups.

“We work with them to provide services to those without health insurance or need a more affordable testing service,” he said. “Doctors can send patients here for lab tests and patients can bring back the results to their physicians.”

Erager said the demand for these testing services are there, but the challenge is making people aware that a place like Any Lab exists.

“Our phone is ringing off the hook and people are curious when they walk by, often stopping in to see what we’re all about,” he said.
Erager said the national company is looking to add two additional locations in the metro.

Any Lab Test Now hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and closed Sundays. The business is not closed for lunch or other breaks during the day.