Cole Diagnostics: On the Frontline and Helping Idaho Businesses Manage Their COVID-19 Testing Programs

Editor’s Note: This case study documents how Cole Diagnostics successfully supported its local business community with organizational direct-to-consumer lab testing for COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. It was originally published on January 27, 2022. 

One of the biggest lessons business leaders have learned during the pandemic is to expect the unexpected and be prepared for almost anything. All it takes to set any forward progress back to ground zero is a new variant, outbreak, or policy, all of which seem to surface when least expected. To navigate the great unknown, businesses need a trusted and knowledgeable partner, and for business leaders in Idaho, that means partnering with Cole Diagnostics. 

Up against the deadly Delta variant, the fast-spreading Omicron variant, and differing policies and protocols, the leadership at Cole Diagnostics has discovered most Idaho businesses are overwhelmed and confused. Because of the fluid nature of what’s needed, recommended, and required many area businesses have more questions than answers. To get the answers they need they’ve turned to Cole, an independent full-service medical laboratory taking a proactive approach to COVID-19 employer testing mandates and requirements. 

Helping to Clear Up the Confusion Around the OSHA Mandate

“There is a lot of confusion within the business community right now,” said Richard Hughes, Director of Laboratory Sales & Marketing at Cole Diagnostics. “Many think vaccine-or-test policies are out because the Supreme Court recently blocked the federal mandate for large employers. This is true. However, the court also left it up to states and employers to decide if they require employees to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to go to work.”     

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently attempted to mandate that private companies with at least 100 employees enforce weekly COVID-19 testing and masking for unvaccinated workers to encourage more vaccinations. Immunizations have proven to be an effective way to prevent severe illness from infection. Although the employer mandate was blocked by the Supreme Court on January 13, local and business-led vaccine-or-test requirements are still expected to impact millions of employees and lab industry experts anticipate testing to reach levels that haven’t been seen in months. 

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It’s Still a Good Time to Prepare

“Businesses should still develop a plan for potential testing programs,” added Hughes. “We have the staff, capacity, and technology needed to help. The biggest thing is educating our community, giving them peace of mind, and letting them know we're ready to serve as a partner.” 

By partnering with Cole Diagnostics, Idaho businesses gain experience and flexibility. To better serve the needs of its clients and partners the lab has invested in laboratory information system software (LIS system) technology that streamlines and customizes direct-to-consumer lab testing programs for employers based on their needs, the size of their company, and their location. This level of customization enables Cole to differentiate itself and stand out among its industry competitors. 

Learn More: Medical LIS Systems and LIS in Healthcare

“In many cases, we can utilize TestDirectly to help businesses manage their testing programs remotely,” explained Hughes. “All an employee has to do is go to the TestDirectly web portal, schedule an appointment, and then come to our lab to get tested. The employer can then access the employee’s test results via the portal, which makes compliance reporting much easier.”

TestDirectly (TestDirectly.com) is an easy-to-use direct-to-consumer lab testing web portal that allows clinical labs like Cole to cut out the middleman and provide turn-key point-of-care testing solutions for patients and employers. The portal eliminates typical laboratory bottlenecks with automation capabilities that support the collection and processing of specimens, the creation and delivery of consumer lab reports, the management of payment and compliance, and the monitoring and tracking of test results (TestDirectly results time), all while also delivering a better patient experience.

Learn More - Related Case Study: How TestDirectly Helped DuPage County Create a More Efficient Drive-Through With Faster Test Results

Laboratory Information System Technology that Makes Compliance Easier

TestDirectly saves labs and customers time and resources by removing traditional paper forms and unnecessary manual processes. It replaces both with end-to-end pathology lab reporting software efficiencies that begin with patient self-registration and continue to automated notification of the patient’s test result. The portal also controls access, allowing administrators to see results by location, employee, or other attributes or variables. Additionally, the platform automatically delivers test results to public health departments and all other required stakeholders.

“Whether you’re a lab information system manager or an employer, operationalizing large-scale COVID-19 direct-to-consumer lab testing from the ground up is extremely difficult, not to mention a drain on financial resources,” said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian. “With TestDirectly, we offer a proven turn-key testing solution and a network of direct-to-consumer labs like Cole Diagnostics that have processed over 15 million COVID tests during this pandemic. Together, they can quickly become the centerpiece of any organizational testing program.” 

Efficiency and agility will be key for labs attempting to scale to meet increased workloads. They’ll need to add capacity without sacrificing turnaround times, and employers will need a cost-effective and integrated LIS software/direct-to-consumer lab testing solution to help them track and manage the health status of their employees if they choose to move forward with serial testing for the unvaccinated. 

For its part, Cole Diagnostics is providing employers with as many options as possible to help them identify and implement a direct-to-consumer lab testing program tailored to their business requirements.

Learn More - Related Case Study: Leading Molecular Lab Teams with TestDirectly to Provide State-Wide COVID-19 School Surveillance Testing

With Cole Diagnostics and TestDirectly, Employers Have Testing Options 

In addition to in-lab and drive-through direct-to-consumer lab testing at its Garden City location, Cole Diagnostics also offers onsite testing as an option for the business community. 

“We're setting ourselves up to be able to do pop-up, onsite testing,” added Eida DeLeon Siegel, Client Services Manager at Cole Diagnostics. “Onsite testing events are ideal for employers with 50 or more employees who require testing for the unvaccinated. We can even use rapid antibody tests so that employers or shift supervisors will immediately know if someone is a risk for spreading COVID by entering the business.”  

Cole Diagnostics is also preparing to adjust its operations to meet increased testing demand. The lab plans to scale capacity with more shifts, and because a COVID-19 surge will undoubtedly reduce some testing related to other non-emergency medical procedures, this will translate to even more capacity for COVID-19 testing without hiring additional staff.

“The current demand for PCR testing is around 800 to 1,000 tests per day,” explained Hughes. “To scale up from there, we would add around-the-clock shifts which would put us into the range of 2,000 plus PCRs a day running individual testing.”

If demand exceeds those capabilities, the Cole Diagnostics team can turn to pooled testing, where the lab combines four or five samples into one tube. If the entire tube tests negative, all five patients are negative. If there’s a positive, the lab tests all five swabs individually on the next run. This is a useful option if the case positivity rate is low and there is a need to push capacity to 5,000 or more daily cases. ‍

What Type of COVID-19 Test is Best?

When asked about advising employers on what COVID-19 test is best for them, Siegel said it’s ultimately up to their preference.    

“Some employers may prefer PCR testing, whereas others may prefer rapid antigen testing,” she said. “We're prepared to offer both, depending on what the business plans to require. The OSHA mandate didn’t have a specific requirement for which type, only that it had to be FDA approved or emergency use authorized.”

However, there is one caveat that the lab is educating people on.

“When it comes to the rapid antigen tests, a negative test result for a person that has symptoms has to be confirmed by PCR,” explained Hughes. “There is a possibility that there could be a false negative for an asymptomatic person because you're testing them a little bit sooner in their window of transmission. The most cost-effective way to get through several people is to utilize the antigen tests, and then confirm any positive results with a PCR test.”

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Cole Advises Regular COVID-19 Testing for All Businesses  

When asked if they had advice for employers regarding direct-to-consumer lab testing programs Hughes and Siegel agreed. Despite the recently struck-down mandate, they believe all businesses should still test their employees, especially if said employees will be interacting with customers.   

An excellent example for other Idaho businesses to follow is BMC, a building materials and construction company that serves customers at homes and construction sites regionally. Early last summer, company leadership realized they couldn't have their crews going into the community without first testing them for COVID-19. The company turned to Cole Diagnostics to administer regular testing to ensure employees won’t enter someone's house with the virus.

But what if every employee is already fully vaccinated? 

“The truth is, employers still need to have vaccinated employees tested,” said Hughes. “Even vaccinated people are getting the virus. So to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the vulnerable in our community it’s a good idea to have everyone tested regularly.”

Siegel said employers could possibly offer testing as part of an employee assistance program (EAP), an employee benefit program that assists employees with personal and/or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, and mental or emotional well-being. She recommended that employers consult their legal counsel to learn more about this option.

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Cole Diagnostics Goes Above and Beyond for its Community

It’s important to note that Cole Diagnostics is a comprehensive, full reference laboratory specializing in pathology, cytology, molecular, microbiology, clinical chemistries, immunoassay, tissue staining, and more. The lab does roughly 80 percent of what any physician could want or need outside of genetic testing, gene sequencing, or something that would go to an esoteric lab. As such, the team usually operates in the background, but that changed when the pandemic became an American reality. That’s when they put themselves on the front lines to help the community.

“The first year of the pandemic, we went around the clock,” added Hughes. “The team became forward-facing frontline responders during the pandemic. I am proud of the team’s resilience and dedication to each other, the company, and the community. It was a challenging time, but we found a way to get it all done, and that’s how we’ll continue to operate.” 

Rest assured when businesses turn to Cole Diagnostics, the dedicated team of lab professionals will put the full force of its knowledge, dedication, and flexibility to work on their behalf.

Learn More About LigoLab and its Modern LIS Software Solutions 

LigoLab is a leading provider of innovative end-to-end LIS healthcare software for pathology and clinical laboratories, servicing nearly 300 facilities nationwide. 

As a comprehensive enterprise-grade pathology lab software solution, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ includes powerful and flexible modules for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), clinical pathology (LIS medical), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM, lab billing, and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com) all efficiently embedded into one fully integrated informatics platform that supports every role, department, and case.