Published September 18, 2025
At Westerly Hospital, the Laboratory team is undertaking a major transition to new chemistry and microbiology equipment – technology that will align with the rest of Yale New Haven Health and enhance diagnostic consistency across the system.
But this isn’t just a simple equipment replacement upgrade. The transition requires extensive validation and correlation studies to ensure every result is accurate and reliable.
“We’re not just running one sample,” explained Nicole Caillouette, director of the Laboratory for L+M and Westerly hospitals. “We’re running at least 40 samples – half normal, half abnormal; high, low – and we’re doing it for each assay we perform, including glucose, protein, creatinine and more.”
The process will ensure patient safety and care continuity when the equipment goes live later this fall, Caillouette said. Finely calibrated machines, however, are still only part of what makes the lab team so integral to patient care.
“It’s not simply reporting out results from the analyzers,” said Hilmarie Cunningham, Westerly Hospital’s lab manager. “When we see cells that are abnormal, it’s the technologist who speaks up. If we don’t tell the pathologist that something looks suspicious, they’re not going to know.”
That human element is part of what makes lab technologists so important. “I know we’re behind the scenes out here, but this team always meets or exceeds standards,” said Victoria Reyes, MD, medical director of the Laboratory for L+M and Westerly hospitals. “The Lab is critical for patients because we provide a lot of information that informs the kind of care that’s delivered.”
Responding to challenges is nothing new for the Lab team. From managing the bulk of COVID testing during the pandemic to navigating today’s complex equipment transitions, the Westerly Hospital Laboratory consistently delivers for patients and physicians.
“This team is very strong,” Dr. Reyes said. “Everyone works well together. Accuracy and timeliness are two of our main goals, but everything – the commitment to patient safety, continuity of care, and being available to assist the medical staff and other providers – demonstrates our team’s amazing work ethic, and it’s greatly appreciated.”
