The Narrabri District Health Service Hospital recently celebrated a one year milestone late last month for their fully serviced pathology laboratory operating on site.
Staff members gathered at the hospital along with Narrabri Shire Council mayor Darrell Tiemens for the celebration.
Nurse unit manager Isabelle Wright said it is absolutely imperative to have pathology on-site.
“If we didn’t have this laboratory, we would have to close our service.
“We’re a birthing unit, so we have to be able to make up blood on site and test all of our blood, as well as keep our emergency, our active operating theatre and our in-patient ward open,” Isabelle said.
Pathology laboratory manager, Clameo Chimfombo is proud to be managing the Narrabri Pathology services and to be a part of something bigger.
“We would just like to thank the community, as a whole.
“Without their ongoing support and patience, especially while we’ve had a really big 12 months of learning curves along the way,” Clameo said.
“Now 12 months on, our labs are part of the New South Wales Health Pathology family, and we’ve got a lot of regional support, which is what we need as a regional community.
“Our labs have got that support in Tamworth, Inverell, Glen Innes and Moree.
“It’s nice to be in this little family of regional pathology staff.”
Local all-rounder and phlebotomist for the hospital, Ian Schweitzer said it is amazing to see how far community support can lead you.
“It is truly marvellous what an anonymous letter supplied to the local paper can do,” Ian said.
The Courier were kindly supplied with a statement from NSW Health Pathology acknowledging the achievement of Narrabri Hospital.
NSW Health Pathology (NSWHP) is proud to be celebrating the first anniversary of its new pathology laboratory at Narrabri Hospital.
Over the past 12 months, the laboratory has processed 33,000 pathology tests for the local community.
NSWHP operations manager, Neil Horton said the Narrabri team had worked hard to master new equipment along with new systems and procedures.
“I’d like to congratulate the team for their dedication and commitment to providing high quality services for the people of Narrabri and surrounding communities,” Neil said.
“With the guidance and leadership of our new lab manager, Clameo Chimfombo, the Narrabri lab is now fully accredited by NATA (the National Association of Testing Authorities).
“It was great to see Clam and the lab staff celebrate this milestone with their colleagues at the Narrabri Hospital last week.”
In addition to the laboratory, NSWHP has a pathology collection service at Narrabri Hospital in Gibbons Street, that is open from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
“It’s important to remember when you get your blood or other samples collected by the NSW Health Pathology, you are supporting your local pathology laboratory,” Neil Horton said.
Emma Campbell (newly appointed nurse practitioner, Jordan Guest (clinical educator) and Abbie Murray (scientific officer).
