UTMB Laboratories' Outreach Program

UTMB Laboratories' Outreach Program, provides laboratory testing for community physicians and hospitals in Galveston County and the surrounding counties as well as testing for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and the UTMB's satellite clinics throughout our service area.

Client Services

Client Services at (800) 522-2266 is the main access point for outreach clients to order phlebotomy supplies, request a specimen pick-up, check on test results, ask technical questions or request a clinical consultation with a pathologists. The alternate local telephone number for Client Services is (409) 747-2900. Client Services is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. They are closed Saturday, Sunday, and UTMB Holidays. After hours, a Laboratory supervisor will answer (800) 522-2266.

Appointments: Some laboratory procedures are performed Monday though Friday by appointment only and may be scheduled in advance by calling the client service number.

Special Information: Client Service personnel will provide laboratory data only to persons licensed under the provisions of the law. Laboratory data will not knowingly be released to patients. Patients are asked to request all laboratory information from their primary care physician so the data can be interpreted properly.

Courier Services and Phlebotomy

UTMB Laboratories have couriers who will pick-up specimens from the client / physician's office on a routine basis. The client / physician's office staff should contact the UTMB Laboratories' Client Services Office at (800) 522-2266 or (409) 747-2900 for sample pick-ups. If the client has sufficient laboratory test volume, arrangements can be made for a courier to stop daily. The courier will routinely pick-up samples after 4 p.m.  Drop boxes are provided for after-hours pick-ups.

When using UTMB Specimen Collection Center send a UTMB requisition slip with the patient. A special requisition is not necessary. Specimens can be drawn for any insurance carrier and will be sent to the required reference laboratory.

Specimens may be delivered directly to the main laboratory in the Hospital twenty four hours a day at:

Sample Management

301 University Blvd.
7.412 Clinical Services Wing (CSW)
Galveston, Texas 77555
Telephone: (409) 772-3302

If shipping from off campus using a common carrier such as Federal Express, please specify INSIDE DELIVERY.

Test Result Reporting

Routine test results can be delivered via hospital printer, fax machine, or laboratory printer depending on the client's location and the amount of information to be delivered. The UTMB Information Services Department is developing an electronic medical record accessible to UTMB staff.

Requests for special handling for test results on a specific patient such as, "Call Results to Dr. Jones at 763-9999" should be written on the laboratory request form. A Laboratory Technologist will call the results when the test is completed. However, the telephone number must be listed on the request form (an answering service number or pager number is acceptable).

Critical Values

will be handled similarly to the special handling for test results. If the Laboratory does not have a specific telephone number for the clinic or physician's office, every effort will be made to contact the physician using the telephone number on file with the Hospital or Client Services.

Turn Around Times

Most routine chemistry and hematology testing is performed the day it is received in the laboratory. Analysis time, report print time and courier delivery time should be less than 2 days. Some special chemistry testing will take an additional day. Turnaround times for microbiology, virology, and cytopathology or other anatomic specimens will normally be less than 5 days, depending on the type of testing required.