Gen.40932

Gen.40935

Gen.40938

Gen 40700

Gen.40930

BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEM LABORATORIES

BerkshireMedicalCenter

FairviewHospital

Ordering Laboratory Tests

Ordering Providers

BHS Laboratories accepts testing orders from licensed providers (MD, DO, NP, PA). The provider must have an NPI (National Patient Index) number assigned so that the BHS billing department can bill to the patient insurance. Natropathic doctors occasionally order tests on patients, but since they do not have an NPI number for billing, we suggest the patient discuss with a licensed provider in Massachusetts before presenting for specimen collection.

Physician Signature:

All walk-in slips from doctor's offices should be signed by the physician, above or below the physician signature area.

The laboratory has had difficulty in the past reading the physician's signature on the walk-in slips, making it difficult on occasion to know where to send the reports. Please remember to write legibly on the physician signature line. Please include at least the physician’s first initial in addition to the last name, as there may be multiple doctors in the provider dictionary with the same last name.

Telephone/Verbal Orders:

If an order is called in for a patient, a BHS Outpatient Requisition Form or a physician prescription order must be sent to the laboratory for documentation.

For telephone orders, a BHS Lab request will be completed. The physician's office will be asked to spell the patients first and last names, to provide a date of birth, ordering physician, date of visit, tests ordered, diagnosis, insurance information, special instructions, and the name of office contact phone number to verify the order. Diagnosis must be provided. Lab staff taking the telephone order will read back the order to verify the accuracy of the tests being ordered.

A written order or fax must be received by BHS labs within 24 hours of the telephone order. A completed BHS lab request may be faxed to office for review and signature and returned via fax to constitute a written order, or a signed and complete order from the office will be accepted.

The number to fax BHS Outpatient Requisition forms to the lab is:

LaboratoryCallCenter – Main Lab 395-7671

OutpatientDrawingCenter- Med. Arts Complex 447-2421

BerkshireMedicalCenter- Main Lab395-7636

Hillcrest Campus Lab445-9232

FairviewHospital Lab528-6811

Family Practice Assoc.443-1914

Suburban Medical Center243-4567

East Mtn. Medical Center644-9332

510 North St. Drawing Station447-2629

Lee Family Practice243-2857

Berkshire Medicine Assoc.442-8331

If laboratory testing is ordered via verbal telephone call (phone request) to BHS labs, you will need to fax a written order to confirm the verbal request, ASAP. This is a requirement for CMS compliance.

Ambiguous Orders:

Occasionally it may be necessary for a lab staff member to contact the provider or their office to clarify orders received. Some orders are illegible or ambiguous and in the best interest of the patient, the lab will make every effort to clarify orders.

Test names are accompanied by check boxes to indicate which test is to be performed. Please be careful when checking or circling tests so that the intent is apparent. If tests are written in, please be legible so that only intended or necessary testing is performed, resulted and billed.

Approved by:
Medical Director: R. L. Johnson, MD / Adopted: 5-30-06
Approved by:
Technical Director: T. Bills, FIMLS / Revised:
Prepared by:
Technologist: Cheryl Jenks MBA, MT(ASCP) / Reviewed: 2-28-12