MASON CITY A new pathology barcode system the first of its kind in Iowa will help track and safeguard patients treated by Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, officials said Tuesday.

The Vantage system, developed by Ventana Medical of Tuscon, Ariz., was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the centers pathology department.

While Mercy has used barcoding in other areas for years, it marks the first time any hospital in Iowa has used such a system for biopsies, said Medical Laboratory Director Dr. Stephen Goetz.

Goetz said some 18,000 cases require some type of biopsy each year, as well as 110 autopsies that are conducted. That number includes cases processed from its clinics.

In the past, the processing of biopsies was done in batches with several specimens going through each step.

The new system has one specimen going through each step, with barcoding used to ensure the results are attributed to the correct patient.

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa has never had an incorrect identification on a biopsy, according to a Mercy news release, but the previous system left a greater chance for error.

The barcode, while tiny in size, provides lots of information, Goetz said. The barcoding allows staff to track the biopsy, whether it is in the lab, at another facility, or in storage, he said.

Marcia Funk, Histology Laboratory Supervisor, said the barcodes are also embedded with the name of each person handling the slide.

We will know who has seen it and why, she said.

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Mercy implements pathology barcode system