Health Diagnostic Laboratory opens My HDL Hub health centers to prevent major chronic diseases

Apr 1 2014

Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. is taking the next step in its mission to detect, prevent and reverse major chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes with the launch of My HDL Hub health centers. HDL, Inc.'s My HDL Hub is a place for individuals to receive comprehensive blood tests, gain lifestyle, nutrition and fitness guidance with the company's Clinical Health Consultants and relate to others in the community with common goals of becoming healthier. Five My HDL Hubs have opened and the company plans to open additional health centers in the near future.

"My HDL Hub gives people an experience they've never before had when getting blood drawn, and the moment they walk in the door to the second they leave is designed to place them in a position of control over their health," says Tonya Mallory, HDL, Inc.'s cofounder, President and CEO. "My HDL Hubs are not only a place to receive our comprehensive lab testing, but also a health community, a place to engage and take control of your health, and help you take steps to improve your life."

My HDL Hub locations are now open at the Bon Secours Heart & Vascular Institute at Reynolds Crossing in Henrico County, Va.; acac Fitness & Wellness Center in Short Pump, Va.; The Boulders office park in Richmond; Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Hanover County, Va.; and in Knoxville, Tenn.  In some locations, such as the My HDL Hubs in Virginia, a physician referral is not required.  At the Reynolds Crossing and acac Hubs, those interested in receiving HDL, Inc.'s blood draw and health consulting may do so without a referral from a physician for $295, paid for out-of-pocket.

My HDL Hub offers access points outside of traditional physician offices for individuals to receive HDL, Inc.'s comprehensive, advanced lab testing, which identifies biomarkers that disclose hidden risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and related diseases that traditional testing may miss. In fact, half of all individuals who have optimal LDL ("bad") cholesterol may still suffer from a heart attack or adverse heart condition at some point in their lives. HDL, Inc. testing helps to complete this heart disease puzzle. Test results are stoplight color-coded with red, yellow and green, and some My HDL Hubs are staffed with HDL, Inc. Clinical Health Consultants who offer lifestyle recommendations to "move from red to green." Health consulting is typically included with blood draws.

My HDL Hubs also offer individuals that are participating in HDL, Inc.'s workplace wellness program, My Health Counts, a site to receive blood draws and health consultations outside of the office environment. HDL, Inc. also works closely with health systems as part of Accountable Care Organizations and other integrated care models, and those participants will have access to Hubs as well.

The health community aspect of My HDL Hub expands beyond brick-and-mortar facilities, giving people the ability to take steps to improve their health however they choose. HDL, Inc. offers anyone who receives testing access to an online portal and a free app, myHDL for iPhone and Android-powered phones. The app offers mobile-optimized lab results, fitness and nutrition tracking, integration with activity tracking tools, and privacy protected text message-like communications with the company's Clinical Health Consultants. HDL, Inc.'s Clinical Health Consultants also regularly update and converse online through a powerful social media presence on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and a blog, hdlhub.tumblr.com.

"We understand that people want to know their individual risk factors for disease and they want a way to engage and 'turn their reds to greens,' and My HDL Hubs and our health community offer convenient access to our comprehensive testing and health consulting along with a multitude of tools and expert advice that people can use to live healthier," Mallory says.

HDL, Inc. Clinical Health Consultants, who are registered dietitians, exercise physiologists and other certified health experts, offer group classes, demonstrations, peer-to-peer support, and interactive lectures at Hubs throughout the day, "helping remove fears and anxieties people may have about their health and replacing those feelings with inspiration, activation, and education," Mallory says. "From a simple blood draw, people will gain the power of knowledge and ability to change through the Hub's support network."