Service
Laboratory

For more information, contact

(508) 957-0160

Service
Laboratory

Care and Treatment at Martha's Vineyard Hospital

Physician orders are required. Providers from outside the Partner’s system should fax orders ahead of time. Most tests do not require an appointment; however, we encourage all patients to call ahead with any questions or concerns.

For New Test Orders Fax to: 1-508-957-9380
For Add-On Test Orders, Fax to: 1-508-696-8774

Are you a current patient?

Contact your provider using Patient Gateway. Our team will respond within two business days.

Laboratory Hours:

Monday – Friday: 7 am – 5 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 11 am*

*Saturday hours are available to those patients who are unable to visit Monday-Friday. Any patient arriving on Saturday must register at the registration desk prior to coming to the laboratory. A longer wait time can be expected – as long as one hour. Some tests cannot be performed on Saturday; please call ahead to discuss.

Laboratory Testing Services Include:

  • General Chemistry
  • Special Chemistry, including fertility hormone testing
  • Therapeutic
  • Drug/Toxicology
  • Hematology/Coagulation
  • Serology
  • Infectious Disease Testing, including Lyme serology
  • Immunohematology/Blood Bank
  • Bacteriology
  • Glucose Tolerance Testing
  • Drug Screens (Limited)

Sharps Drop-Off Program

This program is for members of the Vineyard community who seek a safe method to dispose of used needles and syringes.

Instructions:

Place used needles/syringes in a puncture-proof container and tape it securely closed. A clearly marked receptacle is available in the Lab’s Waiting Room located just past the Main Lobby – 1st door on the left after the elevators.

Monday- Friday: 8 am – 12 pm (except holidays)

Please – no medical waste from veterinary, dental, or other professional practices.

Additional Lab Resources

Your physician has asked you to provide a 24-hour urine specimen. Important tests will be done
with your specimen and you can help ensure the accuracy of these tests by following these
instructions.

  1. Stop by the laboratory Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM to
    pick up the specimen container. Bring the test requisition(s) with you so we will be able
    to tell exactly what you need in the way of special preservatives. Different tests have
    different requirements.
  2. Make sure the specimen container is labeled with your full name. If it was not done for
    you, please do it yourself before submitting it to the laboratory.
  3. The specimen container you have been given may contain a preservative. Do not dispose
    of the preservative and be sure to keep the container out of reach of children. If some
    preservative should spill on you or your clothing, rinse with large amounts of cold water.
  4. Avoid alcoholic beverages, vitamins, and other medication (check with your physician
    first) for at least 24 hours before you start collecting the specimen and during the
    collection period.
  5. The 24-hour collection period begins when you get up in the morning and empty your
    bladder. DO NOT COLLECT THIS URINE. But do record the time and date of this
    voiding on the specimen container.
  6. Be sure to collect ALL urine (day and night) for the next 24 hours. Make your final
    collection when you empty your bladder the next morning; approximately 24 hours from
    the time you marked on your specimen container.
  7. Keep specimen in a cool place; refrigerate if possible.
  8. Return the completed specimen collection as soon as possible to the laboratory. We will
    accept 24-hour urine specimens during off-hours, but it’s best to call ahead to be sure we
    are open.
  9. If you are collecting urine for 5HIAA, please avoid: walnuts, pecans, butternut squash,
    tomatoes, avocados, eggplant, plums, bananas, coffee, tea, and cigarettes. Some
    medications may interfere with the test and it is important to talk to your doctor prior to
    making any changes. These are: Atenolol, Inderal, Lopressor, Elavil, anti-depressants,
    and MAO Inhibitors.
  1. Obtain from your doctor the proper requisition(s) for the tests you need to have
    performed.
  2. Your doctor may be able to provide you with the proper collection cups. If not, stop by the
    MVH laboratory Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM.
    We will provide you with what you need. Bring the requisitions with you so we will be able to
    tell exactly what kind of collection cups are required. (The orange cup is for stool culture, the
    pink and gray cups are for Ova and Parasites and Giardia Antigen. A plain stool specimen is
    required for C. Diff.)
  3. You may also be asked to collect specimen for a fecal occult blood test. Use the
    collection kit given to you by the laboratory or doctor’s office and follow the instructions.
    The fecal occult blood test can be mailed back to the laboratory using the mailer
    included in the kit.
  4. The cups and cards must be labeled, with your full name, date, and time collected. It's
    a good idea to label cups before collecting your samples.
  5. We suggest first collecting specimen in the yellow wide mouth container or the toilet
    seat collector. From this, you can use the spoon attached to the lids to add the specimen to
    the proper cup until the level meets the red line.
  6. Your samples are now well preserved. Store your specimens in the refrigerator until
    you have completed all collections. You can then bring them to the MVH laboratory
    between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday and Saturday/Sunday 9
    AM to 11:00 AM.
  7. Please return all the collection cups you were provided with, even the yellow
    container. This is important. Some tests require a plain stool specimen in a clean cup.
  8. Be sure to bring the requisitions with you when you come.

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