Yes. Cancellations received prior to the specimen reaching Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory can be cancelled through your ordering system or by calling the main laboratory support at (907) 458-5640. Once a specimen has been received in the performing laboratory, the test will be run and a result report will be issued and charged appropriately.

Due to living in Alaska, flight schedules may be delayed around the holidays. To prevent patients from having to present for repeat testing, we recommend collecting well in-advance or after any major holidays. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital may inform the patient upon arrival, and recommend they come back at another time to avoid any logistical issues. 

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory does not accept animal specimens for laboratory testing

To request new services or business relations, please contact the FHM Lab Director at (907) 458-5624

For your security, the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory does not currently release test results to directly to patients. You must contact your physician for laboratory test results or sign up for the patient portal. If you have questions about lab test results, you should contact your ordering provider.

• If a fasting blood test is ordered, you should not have anything to eat or drink (except water) for at least eight hours. This usually involves an overnight fast.
• You should continue to take any prescription medications unless your physician directed you not to take them.
• Smoking and exercise may affect your results as well, so you should refrain from these activities as much as possible during this time.
• If you have any concerns about refraining from food for this period of time, talk to your physician.

Most testing performed in the clinical laboratory at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital will be completed within 24 hours upon receipt of a specimen. Exceptions for specialty testing may apply to Microbiology and Pathology Specimens which have longer set up times. Additionally, any specialty test performed by our reference lab, may take longer due to specimen transport and flight logistics from Fairbanks Alaska. Some specialty testing is only performed on certain days of the week depending on testing demand at our reference laboratory. 

• A patients ordering provider will be sent testing results as they are completed. Depending on the testing ordered and the collection date of collection it may take 24-72 hours for your provider to review those results when they are completed. 
• It’s important to note, that if some of the testing ordered is not performed by Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, or is a specialty test like Microbiology or Pathology, results may be sent to your provider at a later time. Your provider may choose to contact you upon receiving all of the ordered lab work. 

• For general requirements, refer to Instructions by Specimen Type.
• For specific requirements, search for a test in the Test Catalog and refer to the Specimen and Performance pages for that specific test. Special Instructions and Forms are also available on the Specimen page when applicable.
• If no specific collection and preparation instructions are provided by Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory, refer to manufacturer or regulatory guidelines.

• Specimens must have two person-specific identifiers on the patient label. Person-specific identifiers may include:
  • Accession number
  • Patient’s first and last name
  • Unique identifying number (e.g., medical record number)
  • Date of birth
• When insufficient or inconsistent identification is submitted,  Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory will recommend that a new specimen be obtained, if feasible.

If you are unable to locate a test, please call the FMH Laboratory at (907) 458-5640

• The laboratory will then generate a bill for the tests and services provided, typically based on a fee schedule that outlines the cost of each test or service. This bill may be sent to the healthcare provider, the patient, or a third-party payer such as an insurance company.
• It's worth noting that laboratory billing can be quite complex, especially when dealing with insurance companies and government payers such as Medicare and Medicaid. Laboratories may need to comply with various regulations and billing codes, and may need to provide additional documentation to support their claims. As such, many laboratories have dedicated billing and coding staff to manage the process.

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Laboratory take great pride in having a comprehensive menu to support the community. However some testing can only be performed by specialty labs. Our primary Reference Laboratory is Mayo Clinic Laboratories. Additional Laboratories may be used in order to ensure we are meeting the needs of the community. 

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is accredited by the College of American Pathologists which holds itself to the highest standards in Laboratory Testing. To ensure that patients get the most accurate laboratory results, specimens need to be received meeting all specimen handling requirements for that particular specimen type. For specimen rejection inquires or information on specific specimen handling please contact the main lab at (907) 458-5640.