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House Call Program

Physicians with admitting privileges to Salem Hospital are welcome to use our phlebotomy house call service. This service is designed to assist home-bound patients in our direct service area.

The main number for the House Call program is 978.825.5334

Eligibility

Patients will be considered homebound if they have a condition, due to an illness or injury, which:

  • restricts their ability to leave their place of residence except with the aid of supportive devices such as crutches, canes, wheelchairs and walkers
  • they have a condition in which leaving the home is medically contraindicated
  • exceptions will be reviewed by the manager before the draw can be scheduled

Scheduling

  • House call requests are accepted by the Home Draw Department during the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m ., Monday through Friday, at 978.825.5334.
  • Requests must be made at least two business days in advance.
  • For Epic providers, We ask that you please indicate on your requisition or lab order that you are requesting a home draw. You should also enter the standing orders in EPIC. The home draw staff will obtain all needed information from the EPIC orders. 
  • For non-EPIC providers, please fax a lab requisition, or your lab order, to our Home Draw Department at 978.354.2579. Written orders only will be accepted, per Joint Commission guidelines. Complete patient demographics, ICD 10 diagnosis information for each test order is required.
  • After faxing your order, please call the Home Draw Department at 978-825-5334 to confirm we have received your written house call request. Receipt of house call requests cannot be guaranteed without verbal confirmation by you. You may leave this information on the Home Draw voice mail. 
  • When scheduling a house call, please advise your patient that we are not able to provide specific times of arrival and that towns have select days for house calls.
  • Standing orders will need to be renewed in EPIC every 12 months, non-Epic providers by fax. Please notify the laboratory as soon as possible should your patient no longer require the house call service.
  • House calls are done on a routine basis, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Although we try to accommodate all requests, it is not always possible to have phlebotomy service on the day requested. Due to the high demand, the draw date may be moved to another day during that week.
  • When scheduling, please advise your patient that we are not able to provide specific times of arrival. Home bound patients should be available during the above hours.

If three consecutive attempts are made to draw a patient and they are not at home, it will terminate their eligibility for this service. The Laboratory also reserves the right to stop services to any patient if they, or their family, are uncooperative, belligerent, combative or verbally abusive to the phlebotomist or Laboratory staff.