With over 650 test offerings, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, locations generate timely and reliable results using a combination of traditional methods and state-of-the-art instruments. However, the true engine behind the diagnostics is the intricate system of over 160 dedicated employees.
Twenty employees comprise the Client Services section at the College Station location. Often referred to as the heart of the operation, this team manages all inbound specimens and communications received by the laboratory. Each day, anywhere from 600 to over 1,000 submissions and 165 to190 phone calls are received by the College Station Client Services team.
On the front lines
From start to finish, all TVMDL employees are hard at work, striving to get a clear and actionable diagnostic report to clients as quickly as possible. These efforts are initiated by the Client Services personnel who are the first to handle, review, and direct samples to other laboratory sections where testing begins.
“Simply, our job is to route communications and specimens to the right place as quickly as possible,” said the College Station Client Services Section Head, Ashley Arnold, PhD.
In a room full of stainless-steel tables, large mail bins, and innumerable shipping boxes, Client Services employees are found meticulously sorting through hundreds of specimen submissions daily. During this process, specimens are compared to submission paperwork for each case to ensure that adequate client information is received for results reporting. The protocol also confirms clarity in test requests and consistency between specimen inventory and client-provided lists.
When not in the receiving laboratory, Client Services staff are stationed at one of three distinct workspaces. Throughout the week, cross-trained employees rotate between the front desk, specimen drop off area, call center, and receiving laboratory.
Regardless of assignment, Client Services staff are upholding clear and consistent communication with clients. Wearing a headset and a smile, they skillfully manage client inquiries, untangle concerns, and direct callers with specialized questions to appropriate experts across TVMDL.
Purposeful handling when unboxing
Upon opening a submission, staff must discern if adequate information needed for testing has been provided, make the appropriate notations—including all testing assignments—and identify any zoonotic suspects or other concerns. Frequently, issues are identified that disrupt the workflow. In these instances, the team implements procedures that assist in gathering information critical to the overall testing process.
“We do not make assumptions,” Arnold said. “If receiving staff observe an ID mismatch, unclear test request, missing sample, extra sample, or other concern that will delay testing, we stop and prepare to call the submitter before proceeding.”
Until the client responds with more information about the case, and a resolution is reached, the problematic submissions cannot be tested and are held in specimen-appropriate storage conditions.
“Our policy is to attempt client contact for resolution no less than three times,” Arnold said. “If no resolution is reached via phone or email after three attempts, a preliminary report may be issued to indicate that testing is delayed until the client provides a resolution that clears the case for testing.”
TVMDL submitters can assist the Client Services team with timely processing of their submissions by committing to proper packaging and appropriate forms.
Flexibility for fast results
A key reason TVMDL can deliver quick and precise services is the Client Services section’s exceptional operational knowledge and diligence. Client Services positions are often referred to as the most difficult job in the building by other TVMDL staff. This is, in part, due to the surprise that each phone call or box may bring, paired with the immense amount of knowledge required on species, specimens, test offerings, zoonotic diseases, and so on. Client Services employees are trained to have working knowledge across all nine testing sections, which helps get samples in and out of the door quickly.
“This team has to know a little bit about what everyone at TVMDL does,” Arnold said. “They’re responsible for knowing the staff across all four locations, while having at least 90% of the testing catalog memorized.”
Quality tracked to the decimal
The Client Services team tracks an average of 40,000 case interactions each month. An interaction may involve receiving and assigning a case, creating the case in TVMDL’s laboratory information management system, entering signalment data, and responding to phone calls and emails on submission questions or modifications. Each instance creates a record that is tracked. The Client Services team has a related mechanism for error reporting.
“From the 40,000 case interactions each month, we capture all related Client Services errors. These data are summarized monthly and reviewed for trends and training opportunities. Our error rate is typically one percent or less,” Arnold said.
These records support TVMDL’s quality assurance mission and prove the diligence and drive of the Client Services section.
Devoted to offering the best experience for veterinarians, producers, pet owners, and more, the Client Services team consistently helps deliver fast, efficient service that keeps TVMDL running at its best.
For more information about the laboratory’s veterinary diagnostic services, visit the TVMDL website or call the College Station laboratory at 888-646-5623 or the Canyon laboratory at 888-646-5624.
