New blood draw room at Confluence Health

MOSES LAKE - Construction is expected to be completed by mid-October on a bigger blood-drawing area at Confluence Health, Moses Lake Clinic.

The new spot for blood draws will be at the front of the clinic, 840 East Hill St., where the pharmacy used to be. The clinic closed its pharmacy about 18 months ago.

Once the pharmacy closed, clinic officials had to look at the best way to use the space, Gregg Fletcher, laboratory manager, said. "It was determined an upgrade of the phlebotomy area was a good fit."

The new blood draw area will have "more chairs, extra space, a chance to provide more privacy and things like that, that our current space isn't able to offer," Fletcher said.

The new lab will have two additional blood-drawing stations for a total of five, he said, and a separate room so patients can lie down if necessary. Fletcher said the new space should be open for patients by Nov. 1.

The expanded space should reduce wait times for blood draws, he said, which will improve service for patients. Lab administrators will implement timesaving techniques as well, he said.

The current phlebotomy area, just off the main lobby, will be converted to other uses, but what that will be hasn't been announced yet, Fletcher said.