Who We Serve
• Patients
• Family / Caregivers
• Primary Care, especially Primary Care that goes to patient homes
• Hospital / SNF / Rehab Dischargers
• Facilities
• Other Homecare Agencies
• Worker’s Comp
• Clinical research requiring specimen collection
– IHLC contracts with research studies that need specimen collection from subjects in the Twin Cities 7-county metro area. IHLC collects the specimen(s); most often ships them using kits supplied by the study agency, and emails de-identified encounter forms/requisitions to the study agency. The goal, as in specimen collection supporting ordering providers, is to make this process as easy as possible for all stakeholders.
Where We Serve
The 7 County Twin Cities Metro Area
• Hennepin
• Dakota
• Carver
• Scott
• Ramsey
• Anoka
• Washington
Payments Accepted
| SPECIMEN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Private Pay | +$20 Out of Area/After Hours | |
| U-Care |  | Many plans |
| Medicare | ||
| Medicaid / MA | ||
| BCBS MN | ||
| Health Partners | | Some plans |
| Medica | | Some plans |
| Workers Comp | ||
| Long-term Insurance | |
IHLC Company Background
In -Home Lab Connection (IHLC) was founded in 2002 by Kathy Valusek and Barb Drealan.
Kathy Valusek DNP, MSN, MPH, RN, Owner
The company was created when the founders saw a huge need for laboratory specimen collection for patients who “fall through the cracks” by not qualifying for homecare (e.g. they are not “homebound”) but who need a lab draw for their care team to make clinical decisions and either the patient or their caregiver family have difficulty getting them to the lab for specimen collection. Since 2002 IHLC has been providing this “spotcare” service. For in-home venipuncture IHLC sends a very skilled, almost always “single stick” phlebotomist to
1) collect the specimen,
2) deliver it to the lab-of-record (i.e the lab associated with the patient’s electronic medical record), and
3) distribute the results; often to multiple requestors.
Spotcare is designed to enable patients to receive the care they need, when they need it (including “stat” draws), in their home and with minimal intrusion to the patient, their family and care provider. Spotcare includes other services such as footcare: a visit of 45 to 60 minutes by a skilled nurse to provide the nail and skin care often required by elderly patients but not covered by insurance payers.
Skip Valusek PHD – CEO / COO
In 2013 Skip Valusek joined the company as the Chief Operations Officer and in late 2015 was named the CEO/COO of the company. Skip is applying his background in industrial engineering, Air Force career, healthcare quality and the Baldrige quality framework and principles to guide IHLC to become the premier home health agency in the Twin Cities.
Andy Valusek MBA – CAO
TIMELINE:
2002 In-Home Lab Connection (IHLC) has been in business since 2002 doing in-home specimen collection in the 7-county Twin Cities Metro area. As a Medicare Certified Agency with a Better Business Bureau A+ rating, IHLC is known for the excellence of its work, especially its blood draws done by single-stick phlebotomists. IHLC’s process is designed to be as easy as possible for the patient/family and ordering provider. Often standing orders require just a 15 second phone call from the provider followed by a 30 second phone call to the patient to schedule a time.
2006 A Foot Care program was created to provide quality foot care to individuals with chronic diseases who are either homebound or in long-term-care facilities. This program was discontinued in 2018.
2011 IHLC became a Medicare Certified Home Health Agency providing skilled nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
2015 IHLC and Home Lab Partners were re-combined under IHLC doing business as IHLC-Homecare when it was discovered that the two companies weren’t required.
2019 In July IHLC downsized its home health agency by transferring almost all of its employees and all but two Medicare patients to Accra Home Health.
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