To better serve our patients, Fred Hutch is upgrading lab equipment at all our locations. This upgrade will allow Fred Hutch to provide test results sooner and more consistently, helping ensure more appointments stay on schedule.
UW Medicine will be upgrading to the same equipment beginning in 2026.
What to Expect
The new equipment uses different reference ranges, also called “normal ranges,” for some tests. Your lab results or tumor markers may look different. You will also see:
- Updated reference ranges for some lab results. A reference range is the set of numbers that determines what is usually considered normal or abnormal for a test result.
- Your results will still show you if they are normal or abnormal within the updated reference range.
- Updated reference ranges will be included with your results in MyChart to help you interpret them accurately.
Example reference range:
If you have questions about trends in your lab results, please contact your care team.
While we work to upgrade equipment across all our locations, you may notice differences between your lab results if they are run on the previous equipment at one visit, and the new equipment at another.
- For tests where the reference range is very different with the new equipment, you will see a note with your results in MyChart telling you the test was run on the new equipment.
UW Medicine will begin upgrading to the same equipment in 2026 and expects to complete the project in 2027.
From 2026-2027, some test results run on equipment at UW will have different reference ranges and values than those tests run at Fred Hutch.
Timeline
The new equipment will be installed in stages at each location over the next several months.
Dates are subject to change and will be updated as needed.
| Location | Date new equipment will begin being used |
|---|---|
| Fred Hutch - Peninsula | January 12, 2026 |
| Satellite Lab – Sloan Clinic 2, Floor 3 This lab serves the GI Care Neighborhood | February 9, 2026 |
| Satellite Lab - Sloan Clinic 2, Floor 4 This lab serves the Care Neighborhoods on floors 2 and 4 – THN, NeuroOncology, GU and Sarcoma | February 17, 2026 |
| Satellite Lab – Sloan Clinic 1, Floor 6 This lab serves Immunotherapy and Lymphoma | March 9, 2026 |
| Alliance Lab, Sloan Clinic 1, Floor 1 Main lab (includes Tumor Markers for all Fred Hutch locations) | April 20–May 6, 2026 |
| Fred Hutch at Overlake Cancer Center | June 1, 2026 |
| Fred Hutch at EvergreenHealth | August 24, 2026 |
- For some tests, the results will look almost the same on both machines, even if the reference range changes slightly. For those tests, we’ll keep using the same test code, and the reference ranges will stay consistent over time.
- Other tests will have different reference ranges or units. You will not be able to track trends in these tests from the previous equipment to the new equipment.
Your care team will let you know about any changes in your results that need follow up.
Yes, you can choose for your test results to show in MyChart right away or for your health care provider to see them before you do. The default setting in MyChart is to automatically show your test results as soon as possible.
To adjust your settings, from the MyChart home page, select “Account Settings” - “Communication Preferences” and choose either “Show me test results as soon as possible” or “Wait to show me test results.” If you select “Wait to show me test results” and your care team has not reviewed your results after 4 days, they will be released to you without comments from your care team.
Learn more about MyChart.
Questions?
Please contact your care team if you have any questions.