At Genetics Associates, Inc., we are proud of the highly trained staff that is available to our clients and physicians. All cytogenetic studies are performed in-house, allowing us to control all variables in the process. Our Laboratory Director, V.G. Dev, Ph.D., is nationally recognized for his work. He is a founding fellow of the American society of Medical Genetics, and the developer of widely used chromosome staining techniques.

At Genetic Associates, Inc., we understand that the viability of cells depends on how promptly they are set up in the proper media in the laboratory. Upon your call, we will send our courier to your location (within 50 miles), pick up the sample and provide preliminary telephone reports in as little as 24 hours for some tests. Our diagnostic turn around times are less than the industry norm . We will provide results as follows:

1-Day Direct Cultures
We also perform 1-day direct cultures of Chorionic Villi Sampling, Product of Conceptions, and newborn bloods. The added assurance of receiving the 1-day direct cultures provides the physician with additional diagnostic information and eliminates the risk of maternal cell contamination.

Annual Studies Performed
This chart shows the type and number of cytogenetic tests GAI has performed over the last six years. Our experience has enabled us to achieve a culture success rate of over 95%.

Genetics Associates believes in building relationships by constantly paying attention to our customers' needs. We have test turn around times and accuracy rates that are among the best in the industry. We have a nationally recognized geneticist, Dr. V. G. Dev., Ph.D., as our Laboratory Director. We have experienced laboratory technologists that are up to date with training and are not managed by a daily quota. We make our staff immediately available for telephone calls from physicians or their patients when they have questions about the work we perform. We are fully accredited by the College of American Pathologists, licensed by the State of Tennessee, and approved by CLIA.

Our experience has enabled us to achieve a culture success rate of over 95% with spontaneous abortus tissue, with a 60% abnormality rate. We offer the latest technology of molecular cytogenetics, Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) for several applications, such as marker chromosome and translocation identification, aneuploidy detection, microdeletion syndrome (i.e., DiGeorge, Prader-Willi, etc.) and the interphase or metaphase detection of a variety of malignant chromosomal aberrations (i.e., Philadelphia chromosome and the 15;17 translocation. We also offer the FISH HER-2/neu for breast cancer. We perform all of leukemic cytogenetic work for one of Nashville's leading medical centers, and many of our referring physicians will use no one else. A list of referring physicians will be provided upon request.

Physicians normally draw the least amount of amniotic fluid, blood, villi, marrow, etc. that they think is necessary to perform a cytogenetic study. National labs, which generally operate in a high production mode, have very specific minimum sample size requirements. Rejection of these sub-minimum samples entails the expense of a second draw. Genetics Associates, Inc. is an owner-operated laboratory with the four owners assisted by seven senior level technologists. We take pride in our long record of successfully culturing almost every sample we receive.

Benefits of Working With a Local Lab - Genetics Associates
Our clients know that a local lab provides more reliable results in a shorter time frame. For this reason, 70 percent of our business is with local healthcare providers. Large national labs customarily ship their cytogenetic work great distances, subjecting living viable specimens to transportation delays and temperature changes. The life of these specimens is jeopardized when they are exposed to extreme (hot and cold) weather conditions. The time that these samples wait to be set up can cause cell deterioration and cell death as well. The viability of these cells depends on how promptly they are set up in the appropriate media in the lab. Although we do not encourage small specimens we have worked with specimens that others labs would have rejected. We do the best we can with the specimens that we receive because we want to help patients and hopefully reduce the possibility of subjecting them to a redraw or retap. We realize that the sample we receive may be the best that will come from the patient and that is why we try our best.

Our clinical cytogeneticists and technologists are always willing to consult with the physician regarding a result or appropriate testing for a patient. Our local cytogenetic laboratory can impact your bottom line by reducing medical expenses through early diagnosis and by minimizing the likelihood of having to pay for repetitive medical procedures. For these very reasons, many managed care organizations (MCO's) and insurance companies carve out their cytogenetic work from national contracts when a local cytogenetic laboratory is available.

Our Laboratory Director, V.G. Dev, Ph.D., will provide genetic counseling on all abnormal results. This counseling can be provided to either the physician or the patient at no additional charge.

Genetics Associates has developed patient literature that briefly describes chromosome analysis, the most common chromosomes anomalies, and presents a sample karyotype. This will be provided to clients at no charge.