Holiday Alert: Many Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital offices and clinics will be closed for Good Friday on April 18. Laboratory and pharmacy hours may be affected. View Holiday Hours & Closures. As a reminder, our Emergency Department is always open, 24/7, for emergency medical care.

For Medical Professionals

This page is for medical professionals. Posted here will be current clinical updates and upcoming events.

Northern NY Clinical Updates

Last updated 4/8/2025

Lab Update

  • View the computer-generated antibiogram covering the period of January 2024 – December 2024. We expect this to be a convenient reference guide for the selection of an antibiotic prior to the availability of susceptibility reports. This information has also been posted on the Intranet and can be found under Patient Care, drop down to clinical systems then select Pharmacy Resources.
  • This ANTIBIOGRAM includes eighteen common clinical isolates – eleven gram negative and six gram positive. The data represents both in- and outpatients and all specimen sources. Repeat isolates of the same organism for the same culture site within 30 days are excluded from the database. 
  • The MRSA rate remained the same when compared to 2024 data. The VRE rate decreased by 27% when compared to the 2024 data.

Chemistry Critical Value Changes

Critical value settings on several analytes will be updated in conjunction with the Go-Live of the new high volume chemistry analyzers for Elizabethtown Community Hospital/Ticonderoga. These changes further the goal of complete alignment of UVMHN into a single chemistry platform.

>> View the Chemistry Critical Value Changes 

 

New Fecal Immunochemical Tests

CVPH will be offering a new fecal immunochemical test in the beginning of May.  Part of the project will include providing information to community providers.  At this time, we would like to offer you this same test.  Our (CVPH Lab) current Beckman coulter FIT test will be discontinued soon, before we go live with the new test at CVPH.  Until CVPH starts to perform this test in house, this testing will be performed at UVMMC.  This currently is a very low volume test.  We currently have 40 kits that we can offer for now, these are all addressed to UVMMC.  We can get additional test, however, we don’t want to run into a situation where we have a ton of UVMMC kits out there after CVPH goes live.

Please reach out to Teri if you would like to request a kit (or two).  

Teri Baldwin, CLT (NYS), FACHE, Director of Laboratory Services: Office: (518) 562-7403: TBaldwin@cvph.org 

 

Changes to Pet Scan Authorizations 

CVPH will be doing all scheduling for pet scans.  We will no longer be using our contracted service, MMRI, for scheduling. Due to this change, we need to ask all non-network providers/offices to get pre-auth completed before sending an order to CVPH scheduling.

The Central Scheduling phone number is 518-562-7340 for specific questions.

 

Changes to the Intact Parathyroid hormone test (PTH) 

Please reference the attached memo on changes to how PTH test are performed.   There are no changes to how the test is ordered, specimen types, or collection sequences.

 Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns: Jamie Recor, Technical Specialist, Core Laboratory.  518-562-7197, JRecor@cvph.org

Nasopharyngeal (NP) Swab Collection Changes

The Governors Executive Order, allowing phlebotomist to practice outside their scope collecting nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs has ended. 

The CVPH Outpatient Lab no longer collects nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and Respiratory Therapy is not available to collect nasopharyngeal (NP) on outpatients.

When influenza/RSV/COVID are considered, you collect NP specimens at your practice. The platform the respiratory panel runs on requires a NP swab.

Supplies for NP collection are available from the CVPH Lab. Please call us at 518-562-7400 to request viral media and NP swab.

Our Respiratory Therapy team would be happy to provide an in-service training on NP collections or you can reference the Respiratory Viral Testing Guide. Please call us at 518-562-7400 to request in-service training. 

 

LAB: BBL culturettes will be replaced with glass anaerobic transport tubes to the eSwab.

We will be switching away from BBL culturettes and the glass anaerobic transport tubes to the eSwab.  Click Here fore the memo. The eSwab will simplify the collection of specimens requiring a swab. The Culturette swabs are no longer available. 

 

CVPH Rehabilitation Services Expands Hours

Click Here

 

Diagnostic Hours

https://www.cvph.org/Patients-and-Visitors/Patients/Diagnostic-Services-Available

PLEASE NOTE: The Diagnostic Plaza is open until 5pm Monday -Friday for x-rays.   

 

FitzPatrick Cancer Support Support Groups

(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)

 

Lab Updates

New Autoantibody Testing for Vasculitis and IBD

(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)

This update with affect the following autoantibody tests: dsDNA, tTG IgA, SSA, SSB, Sm, and RNP. Two additional tests will be brought in-house instead of sending to Mayo: MPO and PR3. For any questions or concerns regarding these changes, please contact the Medical Director of Immunology at UVMMC, Dr. Clayton Wilburn, at clayton.wilburn@uvmhealth.org.

NYS Approval Status Change Insulin, Free & Total, Serum Mayo Clinic Labs.

It is no longer NYS approved and will now be sent to ARUP lab. Providers may see a change in turnaround times as well as a change is resulting format. More information CLICK HERE. 

Platform Changes for Urinalysis Testing

For Epic providers only, please use "Miscellaneous Test, Non-Mayo LAB2396."  More information CLICK HERE.

 

Radiology Updates

Radiology at CVPH is receiving a high number of orders using the code M85.80.  This code is no longer is recognized with insurance companies.  Below is a list of generic codes that are most commonly used and that insurance recognizes: 

M85.88-Other specified disorder of the bone density and structure other site

M85.89-Other specified disorder of the bone density structures multiple sites

Z78.0-Asymptomatic menopausal state

N95.8-Other specified menopausal and perimenopausal disorders

N95.9-Unspecified menopausal and perimenopausal disorders

M81.0-Age related osteoporosis w/o current pathological fracture

M81.8-Other osteoporosis w/o pathological fracture

Questions please call: Sarah Baker 518-314-3762 or sbaker2@cvph.org

IR Updates

We are happy to announce new IR communication for quicker and easier response times. Any questions related to ordering a procedure, following up on an already ordered procedure or help with CPT codes, nursing questions - PLEASE EMAIL US @ CVPHIRscheduling@cvph.org . 

For details CLICK HERE

Direct Lines:

Ashlie Raudenbush, IR Clinic Lead: 518-314-3292

Angela Watts, IR Scheduler: 518-314-3293

Lori Burnett, Clinic Nurse: 518-562-7430. 

Physician Assistant line at clinic: 518-562-7494

Bill Staub, PA: 518-562-7902

Staci Carter Kelli, PA: 518-314-3595

 

Guidelines For Ordering Mammograms

Please reference the Quick Reference Guide to Ordering Breast Imaging and the Breast Code Diagram which serve as reference guides when ordering Breast Imaging. 

 

PCR Test Changes

Radiology will no longer require a PCR test before an UGI, Barium Swallow, or Video Swallow. Instead, we will be doing a rapid swap when the patient arrives in Radiology for their test.

 

Cardiology Testing Update

All cardiology outpatient testing is being scheduled by the cardiologist office. Their scheduling phone number is (518) 314-3591 and their fax number is (518) 314-3354. All orders and questions for outpatient cardiology testing should be directed to these numbers and no longer go to the Pre-Access Center. For questions please call cardiology at (518) 314-3591.

The list of tests being scheduled by cardiology are below:

  • All holter monitors
  • Cardiac event monitors
  • Zio Patches
  • All echocardiograms
  • All stress test
  • Exercise tolerance test
  • Tilt table exams

ICD-10:Z00.00 Lab Orders

The CVPH Laboratory leadership has notice that often providers are ordering tests and are failing to give a valid diagnosis codes (ICD) for testing. If providers state “ICD-10:Z00.00 – Encounter for General Adult Medical examination without abnormal findings” on the test, it will fail medical billing requirements. Please provide an appropriate valid ICD when ordering lab test (why are you ordering the test).  

 

Diagnostics

For diagnostic cards, with instructions on calling Central Scheduling, please email me at rlarkin@cvph.org. I am happy to drop them off at your office. These wallet cards are helpful for patients.

To access diagnostic grid please go to https://www.cvph.org/Patients-and-Visitors/Patients/Diagnostic-Services-Available If you are sending a patient for a COVID-19 test, please call CVPH Patient Registration at (518) 562-7091 and then fax the order to (518) 314-3980.

 

CVPH Patient Transfer Hotline

As part of our ongoing effort to improve quality of care, UVM Health Network – CVPH has implemented a “Patient Transfer Hotline.”  This “one call” hotline provides rapid transfer and direct admissions of patients, thus ensuring the best possible outcomes.

Toll Free Line

(866) 648-4886

An experienced RN Case Manager is on call to answer the hotline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This facilitates getting the patient to the right bed, in the right facility, and will improve communication and efficiency. Referring physicians are linked to receiving physicians on a recorded line to ensure real-time capture of vital information

 

COVID-19 NYS Hotline

  • The New York State Department of Health has established a toll-free Novel Coronavirus Hotline. Call 888-364-3065.

 

Contact Us

Please reach Becky Larkin at RLarkin@cvph.org with feedback, questions or concerns.