Q&A with Shelah Layton, owner of Care Lab Services
By George Berkheimer
Care Lab Services of Everett takes an innovative approach to providing the bloodwork and laboratory testing services that many patients need for medical visits and follow ups to ensure adequate health maintenance. Since establishing her phlebotomy laboratory in 2022, Shelah Layton has taken some of the stress out of health care, providing services in town to save local residents a trip to the hospital or a distant lab testing office, and even bringing services directly to the homes of people who can’t easily make the trip due to financial or other circumstances.
Q: What’s different about your laboratory and its services?
Layton: We’re a private bloodwork clinic located on Main Street in Everett inside Timber Ridge Chiropractic. Our patients are allowed to get lab testing needed with or without an order from their doctor. We offer self-pay for those who don’t have insurance or would prefer not to use it to avoid a high deductible. We offer our services in our clinic and offer in-home mobile services for bedbound and homebound patients as well as busy professionals. We are not part of the large hospital systems in the area, we cater to what the patient wants and work with their doctors as well. We allow for patients to make appointments so that they are in and offer walk-in hours every Wednesday. Our small office makes for a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Q: What services do you offer?
Layton: We provide occupational services for Department of Transportation and non-DOT clients such as employment drug screenings, random or reasonable suspicion tests, breath alcohol testing, biometric employee screening, gender reveal and DNA testing, paternity testing, and many other services.
Q: Are you planning to add anything new?
Layton: We are ramping up our occupational health service department. Those services are much needed to support our local businesses, and I am happy to take that on and add the services in.
Q: What territory do you cover?
Layton: With my travel lab, I cover an area that extends from Altoona down to Cumberland, Maryland.
Q: Are you involved in the local business community?
Layton: I am a member of the Everett Area Better Business Association and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. I have also connected with many other organizations in the area, such as the Pink Ribbon Foundation, to support their grantees.
Q: What drew you to Bedford County? What makes it special?
Layton: I have been visiting family in this area for 20 years. When I got married it was always part of the plan to raise our kids in this area. In 2021 we were able to make that happen and relocate here. Being a dependent of a service member, I have lived all over the country and the one thing I found here that I haven’t found anywhere else is the strong sense of community. I feel safe and love how everyone seems to look out for one another.
Q: How do you enjoy your time when you’re not working?
Layton: We love living here in the mountains and try to enjoy that to its fullest. We love camping, hiking, fishing, boating, mudding in the four wheelers or side-by-side. We have ventured out to Ohiopyle, West Virginia, Maryland, and of course, Raytown Lake often. It’s so beautiful here!
Q: What else should patients or potential patients know about your testing lab?
Layton: Next year I will celebrate 20 years of being a phlebotomist. I love what I do and can’t see myself doing anything else. I’m also a functional nutritionist and I work closely with not only medical doctors but also functional practitioners as well. I want Care Lab to be a valuable hub and resource for the medical as well as the holistic side, as getting labs completed is such a critical part in anybody’s health and healing journey.