St. Francis Hospital Services Laboratory

Laboratory

Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Outpatients need a physician's order for lab tests and should come to the Registration Department before coming to the Laboratory Department. Specimens may be dropped off at any time at the front desk in the Laboratory.

All results from tests performed in our lab or through a reference lab are faxed to the patient's physician for review, consultation and diagnosis. For more information, please contact the Laboratory at 217-324-8565.

Common tests performed in our lab include complete blood counts (CBC), chemistry and lipid profiles. We can also accommodate all physician requests either in-house or through a reference lab with excellent turnaround times. This includes testing such as:

General Chemistry and Blood Gases

Blood gases are a group of tests that are performed together to measure the pH and the amount of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) present in a sample of blood, usually from an artery, in order to evaluate lung function and help detect an acid-base imbalance that could indicate a respiratory, metabolic or kidney disorder.

Full Hematology/Coagulation

Hematology testing involves the analysis of blood and its main constituents, erythrocytes (red cells), leukocytes (white cells) and thrombocytes (platelets) and their formation in the bone marrow. The most frequently ordered test is the Complete Blood Count, or CBC which quantitates these cellular elements. CBC results aid in the diagnosis of disease and in the monitoring of a patient’s progress after diagnosis.

Urine Chemistry

Urine chemistry is a group of one or more tests done to check the chemical content of a urine sample.

Immunology

Laboratory studies are necessary to determine the presence of a primary immunodeficiency disease. This is usually prompted by an individual experiencing some clinical problems, particularly recurrent and/or chronic infections. Immunology testing is done in order to provide Information regarding the types of organisms, the sites of infection and the therapies required to treat the infections.

Microbiology

Medical microbiology is the study of microbial germs such as viruses, bacterium, parasites and fungi. Generally, the human body offers a natural defense against these microbes in the form of our immune system and helpful bacteria.

Blood Banking

Blood banking is the process that takes place in the lab to make sure that donated blood, or blood products, are safe before they are used in blood transfusions and other medical procedures. Blood banking includes typing the blood for transfusion and testing for infectious diseases.

Transfusion Services

Transfusion medicine is the branch of medicine that is concerned with the process of collecting (donation), testing, processing, storing, and transfusing blood and its components. It is a cornerstone of emergency and surgical medicine.

Surgical Pathology

Surgical pathology is the microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies submitted by surgeons and non-surgeons such as general internists, medical subspecialists, dermatologists, and interventional radiologists. Surgical pathology allows for definitive diagnosis of disease (or lack thereof) in any case where tissue is surgically removed from a patient.

Cytology

Cytologic evaluation is the analysis of cells from the body under a microscope. This is done to determine what the cells look like, and how they form and function. The test is usually used to look for cancers and precancerous changes. It may also be used to look for viral infections in cells.

Specialized Esoteric Testing

The analysis of 'rare' substances or molecules that are not performed in a routine clinical lab.