Now at Safeway: Get your blood work done
Quest Diagnostics opens medical labs in area Safeway grocery stores
Pat Ferrier
Before you pick up that steak for dinner, you might want to check your cholesterol.
No time to go to the doctor's office? No problem. You can have your blood drawn while you shop for groceries at Safeway in Loveland, Greeley and soon in Fort Collins.
As grocers expand services in the wake of increased online competition, Safeway is teaming up with Quest Diagnostics to open labs inside two Larimer County locations.
The Loveland location opened last week inside the Safeway at 2321 W. Eisenhower Blvd. A patient service center will open in the Safeway at 1426 E. Harmony Road in Fort Collins on Oct. 2.
Patients with or without a doctor's order can get their labs drawn, according to Quest spokesman Patrick George.
The labs are located near Safeway pharmacies. Patients can either sit in the Quest waiting room or pick up a pager, which allows them to shop and be alerted when a technician is available.
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“Partnering with Safeway gives us the opportunity to bring diagnostic testing to the community in a more convenient setting,” said Cynthia Beltzer, Quest's senior director, patient services Great Midwest Region. “We are excited to reach more people in Northern Colorado and create a one-stop shop for healthy food, pharmacy services and important diagnostic testing.”
The Northern Colorado stores are among 200 Albertsons-owned locations Quest will have in operation across the country by the end of the year.
Just as medical clinics are popping up in grocery stores, the expansion brings diagnostic services to familiar locations people visit regularly.
Services range from routine blood tests, such as total cholesterol and white blood cell count, to complex gene-based and molecular testing. Quest also has specialized expertise in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and neurology.
For more information about hours and appointments, visit questdiagnostics.com.
Walk-in patients are welcome, but appointments are encouraged to reduce wait time.
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