TRICORE REFERENCE LABORATORIES INCREASES COVID-19 TESTING CAPACITY WITH ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTATION

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03/31/2020

MEDIA CONTACT Beth Bailey Director, Strategic Development & Communications 505-938-8393 beth.bailey@tricore.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRICORE REFERENCE LABORATORIES INCREASES COVID-19 TESTING CAPACITY WITH ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTATION ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO — March 31, 2020 — TriCore Reference Laboratories reached the 10,000 mark for COVID-19 test results yesterday. “We are now running 4 different testing platforms for COVID-19, allowing us to more efficiently address demand for New Mexico,” said Dr. Karissa Culbreath, Medical Director and Infectious Disease Division Chief at TriCore. On March 12, TriCore launched the CDC assay for COVID-19 testing, followed by the Abbott m-2000 test on March 23, and added the Diasorin MDx and the Roche Cobas 6800 this week.  “We have modest expectations in terms of testing supplies to support running all of these instruments around the clock.  Our strategy is to use multiple platforms to meet New Mexico’s capacity needs and to be able to maintain testing during potential reagent shortages by any one manufacturer.  We are actively exploring additional testing platforms that would increase capacity for the state and will continue to keep the community updated as these efforts come to fruition,” said Dr. Culbreath. “As we work through the large demand for testing, our focus must continue to be on hospitalized patients, persons under investigation (PUI) by the Department of Health, and first responders.  This prioritization is reflected in our testing algorithms, and we are working closely with our partners at the hospital systems to escalate critical patients on a daily basis,” said Dr. Douglas Clark, Chief Medical Officer at TriCore. Since launching the test on March 12, TriCore has resulted over 10,000 COVID-19 tests.  Additionally, as a part of screening for COVID-19, TriCore has performed almost 8000 tests for other respiratory pathogens, including influenza and RSV.   TriCore continues serving New Mexico’s needs with its full range of clinical tests. _________________________________________ About TriCore Reference Laboratories About TriCore Reference Laboratories TriCore Reference Laboratories is an independent, not-for-profit, clinical reference laboratory founded and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, co-sponsored by Presbyterian Healthcare Services and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. TriCore provides over 2,900, full-service, state-of-the-art laboratory tests to healthcare professionals and their patients. TriCore also provides analytics and research services, supporting healthcare and scientific organizations worldwide. TriCore’s Rhodes Group offers laboratory software and consulting services to optimize clinical laboratory operations, including empowering population health management and targeted intervention strategies. For more information, visit tricore.org.