Client Profile: Alvin Konja, Managing Partner
North West Labs – Southfield, MI
Goal: Quickly connect to various EMRs and health departments for COVID screen results reporting
Challenge: Slow LIS response and expensive traditional interfacing
Solution: eTransX team quickly implemented client interfaces
Result: Faster, cost-effective connections helped propel NW Labs to over 500% growth
For over twenty years eTransX has been solving complex healthcare technology problems, and it has been our pleasure to support North West Labs in Southfield, Michigan with our HEMI Integration Engine.
NorthWest Labs (NW Labs) opened their doors a little over 6 years ago, focusing on providing the absolute best in state-of-the-art toxicology testing. Alvin Konja, Managing Partner at NW Labs, explained “Once the word about our quality and attention to detail got out, things took off.” That presented a new challenge for NW labs: setting up direct connections with their new clients’ EHR systems.
“Being able to quickly, reliably connect with new clients is #1 in growing our business. Early on I called our LIS vendor and asked how long it would take to interface with a new client. When they told me how long it was going to take them to do that for me, I was shocked. That wasn’t going to work! That’s when I found eTransX.” The team at eTransX was able to establish connections in a fraction of the time, handling the complete process from end-to-end and allowing the NW Labs team to focus on the things they do best. Alvin continues “eTransX has become our trusted technology partner. If a lab isn’t making money, it’s because they don’t understand technology. Because of eTransX, we are able to acquire a lot of business we never would have had.”
All was going well for NW labs, with steady growth and expansion of testing options. And then COVID-19 hit. “Our toxicology testing volume immediately went to zero. It was terrifying.” Alvin shared. “But we saw what was happening and immediately got COVID testing instruments, and eventually became the biggest COVID testing lab in Michigan. Because eTransX’ could quickly get us connected with clinics, hospitals, county health departments, and state reporting portals, we grew from 90 to 500 accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only that, but as things began returning to normal and our tox screen volume started to come back, we also picked up the full lab business from these hundreds of new clients we gained because of our rapid COVID testing and reporting.”
“It’s great working with the eTransX team” Alvin said. “They are very knowledgeable, and there is very little they can’t do. I can bring in odd requests and they jump right on it. COVID is a great example. For the first time, we had to interface with local and state government tracking portals to automate daily reports, and track cases. But working with eTransX, everything was seamless. That was the key to being able to jump out ahead of the pack and have the explosive growth we experienced.”
Growing a business by over 500% in two years is quite an accomplishment, but NW Labs isn’t stopping there, Alvin explains. “We are adding a lot of new testing menus in the next few months, and we will soon be a true, full-blood lab. We want to provide the most reliable results, as fast as possible. Our goal is to be the biggest, best lab in the MidWest. There are so many possibilities in working with the eTransX guys. They are always there for us. Other companies try to come and get my business and I just laugh at them. eTransX are my guys!”