Laboratory at Waterloo Regional Health Network

Laboratory Services at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN)

At the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) is proud to provide fast, accurate, and essential diagnostic services that support world-class patient care. Whether you're visiting for ambulatory care or staying as an inpatient, nearly every patient benefits from the critical insights delivered by our laboratory professionals.

Our state-of-the-art laboratory is fully licensed under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act (LSCCLA) and proudly holds ISO 15189 Plus accreditation from Accreditation Canada Diagnostics. We are also a Choosing Wisely Canada-designated facility, underscoring our commitment to evidence-based testing and quality-driven care.

What We Do

Performing over 3 million tests annually, our lab operates 24/7 across a wide range of diagnostic disciplines. Here’s a snap shot of what we do:

Phlebotomy and Specimen Processing:

The practice of drawing blood samples from patients and preparing all sample types for testing. These medical laboratory professional are the public ‘face’ of the lab

Clinical Chemistry:

The analysis of chemical components in blood and body fluids, such as glucose, cholesterol, hormones, and enzymes, to assess organ function and detect metabolic disorders

Hematology:

Involves the study of blood cells and coagulation processes to diagnose conditions like anemia, leukemia, and clotting disorders.

Transfusion Medicine (Blood Bank):

Ensures safe blood transfusions by determining blood types, cross-matching donor and recipient blood, and screening for antibodies. Blood products for transfusion are safely issued by our lab to our doctors and nurse for transfusing to the patient.

Microbiology:

Examines microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, to identify infectious agents and determine appropriate antimicrobial treatments.

Histology:

Deals with the microscopic examination of tissue samples to detect structural abnormalities and diagnose diseases, including cancers.

Cytology:

Focuses on the study of individual cells to identify abnormalities, such as precancerous and cancerous changes in body fluids.

Point-of-Care Testing (POCT):

Medical diagnostic testing performed at or near the site of patient care, rather than in a centralized laboratory. One example is glucose testing. This type of testing is crucial for rapid decision-making

Our laboratory oversees POCT quality and protocols. Nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists perform the actual testing.

Laboratory oversight includes training, troubleshooting, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

We serve multiple WRHN sites and external partners such as Cambridge Memorial Hospital, and Guelph General Hospital ensuring accurate results and timely turnaround times that directly support diagnosis and treatment.

For Patients

Please note that testing is available only for registered inpatients and outpatients involved in WRHN hospital programs. If your physician has given you a requisition for lab work and you're not a registered hospital patient, please visit a community lab. Your doctor's office can provide a list of local specimen collection centres.

For inpatients, specimen collection is conveniently done at your bedside, wherever you are receiving care within the hospital. The WRHN main laboratory and its dedicated team—including skilled medical laboratory technologists, phlebotomists, and administrative staff—are located on the ninth floor of the Queen’s Blvd. site and on the third floor of the Midtown site.

At WRHN, we are dedicated to providing the highest standard of diagnostic excellence—because every result matters. To learn more about laboratory tests, visit testing.com.