Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Memphis, TN, Poplar Healthcare is a leading laboratory services company.
Through its GI Pathology, D-PATH Dermatopathology, Bostwick Laboratories and Women’s Health Laboratories brands, Poplar Healthcare provides specialized laboratory testing services to a nationwide client base of gastroenterologists, dermatologists, oncologists, urologists, gynecologists and their patients.
For more information on Poplar Healthcare, call 901.526.1912 or visit www.poplarhealthcare.com.
COVID-19 Testing & Poplar Healthcare
In March of 2020, the U.S. declared a state of emergency due to the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases. There was an immediate need for more privately owned laboratories to assist the federal government in the fight against the virus. Fortunately, Poplar Healthcare already had the instruments and supplies needed to run the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which is the most accurate test for the diagnosis of COVID-19. This allowed Poplar to jump start their coronavirus testing program, and offer much needed testing to both local and national organizations. Through continued research and development, Poplar Healthcare now conducts a variety of COVID testing, including both individual swab testing, specimen pooling, and a new POD testing program.
Want to learn more about how COVID-19 testing is performed at Poplar Healthcare? Check out our behind-the-scenes look at the entire process: from collecting a nasal swab, to processing on our Roche Cobas 6800 platform. You’ll also meet some inspiring young people that have chosen to pursue science and play an integral part in the lab.
Poplar Healthcare in the News
- The Memphis Neighbors Who Swab Their Noses So They Don’t Swap Infections. Dec 16, 2020. NPR for the Mid-South • WKNOFM
- “As we continue to be very smart and cautious about our interactions, this gives us more peace of mind to be able to…safely play outside with neighbors,” she says. “If anyone were to get infected, you’d be able to stop it quickly before it spread throughout the group.”
- State wants ‘rapid’ COVID testing, but local officials prefer ‘assurance’. Nov 18, 2020. Daily Memphian
- “On Oct. 8, local Poplar Healthcare became the first medical lab in the nation to receive the FDA’s emergency use authorization for pod testing.”
- Two dozen restaurants sign up for regular COVID testing. Nov 6, 2020. Daily Memphian
- Shelby County launches employer COVID pool testing program. Nov 5, 2020. Memphis Business Journal
- “A new initiative, Test to Protect, lets Memphis-area offices, schools, restaurants — really, employers of any kind — provide their employees with regular tests to make sure they’re negative and to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.”
- How a Memphis medical lab mobilized to fight COVID-19. Oct 7, 2020. Daily Memphian
- “They built a testing program from scratch right when we needed it,” Strickland said. “And they were among the first labs in the country to get approval for pooling, which will be crucial in our efforts to reopen schools. We could not have done any of this without Poplar Healthcare.”
- Why Pooled Testing for the Coronavirus Isn’t Working in America. Aug 18, 2020. The New York Times
- “Poplar Healthcare…is pooling several thousand samples each week. By batching up to seven samples, Poplar is now funneling crucial intel back to schools, fire departments and more, Mr. Sweeney said.”
- City officials explain coronavirus pool testing pilot. Aug 13, 2020. Daily Memphian
- Health officer: Testing labs improve capacity and availability of reagents. Jul 29, 2020. Daily Memphian
- CBU details plans for hybrid return, with in-person class when possible. Jul 23, 2020. Daily Memphian
- Pool analysis could cut COVID-19 testing costs in half; Memphis among first to apply. Jul 7, 2020. Daily Memphian
- Memphis-based laboratory initiates multiple lines of COVID-19 testing. Apr 2, 2020. Memphis Business Journal
- Memphis-Based Poplar Healthcare Processing COVID-19 Tests. Mar 31, 2020. Business Insider
- “As coronavirus spreads across the nation at an alarming rate, Poplar Healthcare is well situated to help control the outbreak by providing patients and providers access to COVID-19 testing,” stated Poplar Healthcare Medical Director, Shawn Kinsey, MD. “Our proximity to FedEx allows our laboratory to not only service the city of Memphis and surrounding communities, but anywhere FedEx flies.”