The Native American Development Corporation, which runs the Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center, cut the ribbon on its new laboratory in downtown Billings Monday.
The lab officially opened in July and is capable of processing blood and urine for drug content. Native American Development Corporation CEO Leonard Smith said this facility answers the need for more testing capacity and is also unique in the region as a Native-led laboratory.
“We felt that it would bring the kind of return that we need to become sustainable, and continue to offer good services to our community,” Smith said.
Following the ribbon cutting, clinical laboratory scientist Stephanie Uffelman showed Smith and other NADC leadership the one-room laboratory, located inside a St. John’s United building for seniors.
Uffelman stopped in front of a boxy white machine labeled “Joey” and opened a drawer to show off a tray of tiny, empty tubes. Uffelman named both of the lab’s analyzers after characters from the TV show Friends. She gestured over to the second machine, named after Joey’s fake identical twin.
“This guy in the beginning was actually giving me a lot of problems, so he was my problem child, my Karl,” Uffelman said.
Uffelman said the machines can produce results within a period of 24 to 72 hours. “These are what’s gonna produce the most revenue for us,” she said.
Smith said the capabilities of the lab will grow.
“We hope to be able to market to the tribes as well as just private sector entities. I just take great pride in seeing it at this point,” Smith said.
Smith said the lab will be available to the NADC’s Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center in addition to the community at large, with plans to expand its services from substance use testing to other metrics.
