LifeLabs Niagara Regional Lab Earns OLA Accreditation

Thorold Site Shows A Clear Focus on Delivery Quality Laboratory Services to Area Patients and Physicians

St. Catharines, ON (October 29, 2008) – LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services earlier this month earned its 5-year Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) for its Niagara Regional testing facilities at 3460 Schmon Parkway in Thorold.

OLA is part of the quality management program for laboratory services developed by the Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. It is the same accreditation process that is mandatory for hospital laboratories. A 5-year accreditation is the highest ranking possible, indicating the high quality processes that were confirmed at LifeLabs during the inspection.

“This achievement speaks not only to the quality service we provide, but even more so to the quality of our people,” said Jeff MacDonald, General Manager - Ontario, LifeLabs. “When you’re contributing to patient care, you aim to exceed existing standards. Our employees always say that they think of the patient they’re helping not just the specimen they’re testing and this heart felt approach shines through in our practices.”

Laboratory testing is integral to the healthcare system. Some reports estimate that lab results constitute about 70% of a patient’s medical record, while up to 80% of all clinical treatment decisions are based on results from laboratory tests. The accreditation process helps to ensure that laboratory services are efficient, effective and high quality for all Ontarians.

LifeLabs has been serving the healthcare needs of Canadians for nearly 50 years and has been operating in the Niagara area for almost 35 years. In the Niagara region, LifeLabs employs close to 200 people, provides regular support to roughly 600 physicians and serves 470,000 patients annually. In addition, LifeLabs provides testing services to the Niagara Health System, Ontario's largest multi-site hospital system, comprised of six hospital sites and an ambulatory care centre serving residents across the 12 municipalities making up the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

About LifeLabs:

LifeLabs, provides laboratory testing services, which help physicians and other healthcare professionals diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease in patients. LifeLabs employs more than 3,000 professionally trained staff, who deliver more than 50 million laboratory tests annually to over 10 million patients and nearly 20,000 physician customers. LifeLabs has operated in Canada for nearly 50 years. Today it is owned by Borealis Infrastructure, a global leader in infrastructure investing, with assets in energy, transportation and infrastructure buildings, including long-term care facilities and hospitals, pipelines and telecommunications. For information, visit http://www.lifelabs.com/.

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For more information, contact:

Lisa Rostoks
Communications Consultant, LifeLabs
416-675-4530 (x2015)
lisa.rostoks@lifelabs.com