Company Profile

CLS was formed in 1996 with the mandate to provide quality, cost-effective laboratory services to Calgary and the surrounding area. This is carried out by a delivery model consisting of:

one diagnostic and scientific centre
specialized testing laboratories
four Rapid Response Laboratories (one in each hospital)
18 strategically located Patient Service Centres
3 Health Centre Testing Laboratories (one in each Health Centre)
a mobile collection service
one centralized transportation system
one region-wide information system

Laboratory Services

We provide a wide range of medical diagnostic services, including;

Comprehensive diagnostic testing menus in hematology, immunology, microbiology, parasitology, chemistry, cytopathology, anatomic pathology, toxicology, endocrinology, transfusion medicine, flow cytometry
Service to family practice and specialist physicians, hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical scientific researchers, corporations, and public service and government agencies
Mobile client services to nursing home and the private homes of disabled, elderly, terminally ill, immobilized and housebound patients.
Employment related and occupational health clinical testing
Pre-employment drug testing
Equipment sterilization monitoring
Laboratory physician consulting service
Laboratory support to research projects and clinical trials
Management and consultant pathology services to other regions in Southern Alberta

Our Diagnostic and Scientific Centre is located at 3535 Research Road NW Calgary, Alberta.We have approximately 1750 medical, technical and support staff working in the Calgary Region.

Research

Research is an integral part of CLS. Research activities are supported throughout the organization. Over sixty physicians and scientists along with staff throughout the organization initiate and provide services to approximately 600 research projects.

Types of research performed:

Basic research to develop and improve diagnostic methods for detecting a variety of diseases. Examples include, cancer biology for breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma, tumor cytogenetics; neurosciences and stroke research.
Laboratory service delivery
Molecular diagnostic
New technology assessment
Transplantation - mechanisms of rejection, impact of treatment, and detection of infection
Development of better methods to track, diagnose and prevent hospital-acquired infections
Numerous ongoing clinical trials investigating new drugs, therapies and methods of treatment for patient care

Teaching

We work closely with educational institutions to provide training in laboratory medicine. We have a long-standing affiliation with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine to assist in the training of medical residents in Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology, as well as fellows sub-specializing in areas of pathology and laboratory medicine. Medical students also train with us for one to five years under the supervision of staff pathologists and laboratory technologists. Nearly half of our pathologists hold a joint position with the Faculty of Medicine, which means approximately 50% of their time is devoted to teaching and/or research at the University of Calgary.

Partnerships have also been formed with other educational institutes. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) delivers the medical laboratory technologist and assistant programs. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) provides a cytotechnology program. Alberta Business and Education Services (ABES) located in Calgary has begun an additional medical laboratory assistant program. In this partnership, students are initially instructed at the education institute followed by clinical training at CLS sites under the direct supervision of qualified laboratory professionals.