Pubdate: Thu, 29 May 2003
Source: Manchester Times (TN)
Copyright: Manchester Times 2003
Contact:  http://www.manchestertimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1863
Author: Ed Allen, Special to The Times
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

DRUG SCREENING FIRM OFFERING FAST SERVICE

Charlotte and Norman Finney have opened the Tri-County Drug Screening 
business in Manchester and are promoting a drug free workplace in a 
three-county area of Coffee, Bedford and Franklin counties.

Finney has been a registered nurse since 1975 and saw a need for a drug 
screening service here and opened the business in November 2002.

The office is located at 307 Hillsboro Blvd., in the Powers Plaza. Hours 
are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be arranged other times 
by appointment, she said. "We do pre-employment physicals and drug testing 
for several local companies," Finney said. "We do Department of 
Transportation (DOT) physicals and we are certified DOT collectors and 
certified breath alcohol technicians."

Even though the business is called "Tri-County," she said the firm actually 
serves a seven-county area including, Coffee Bedford, Franklin, Lincoln, 
Warren, Moore and Grundy counties. "We also have Dr. Cerisia Cummings, 
D.O., who is available when we need her (by appointment) for pre-employment 
or DOT physicals," Finney said. "We work with companies in this area for 
drug free workplace program management," she continued. "Today's businesses 
and industries have seen themselves losing productivity, the quality has 
also decreased.

Workers compensation claims have increased as drugs move more into the 
workplace." She said companies could reduce workers compensation costs 
through the drug free management program.

Her firm is certified as collectors for drug testing. "Another thing that 
is important to these firms is those operating a certified program in 
Tennessee qualify for a minimum 5 percent reduction in workers compensation 
insurance premiums," Finney explained. "Tri-County Drug Screening has the 
proper Medical Review Officer (MRO), who has the knowledge of substance 
abuse disorders, laboratory testing procedures and chain of custody 
collection procedures for the drug free workplace program. "Our MRO can 
verify positive, confirmed test results.

The MRO has the necessary medical training to interpret and evaluate all 
employee's positive test results in relation to the employee's medical 
history or any other relevant biomedical information.

The MRO also helps to protect both the employer and the employee." She 
points out companies can qualify as a drug free workplace by (1) performing 
pre-employment drug screening; (2) implementing 'reasonable suspicion' or a 
random-draw procedure; (3) developing and utilizing a personal policy to 
deal with infractions; (4) providing employees and supervisory training; 
(5) performing post-accident drug and alcohol testing and (6) providing 
follow-up and return-to-duty testing.

"First screen negative results are usually returned within 24 hours form 
the time the specimen arrives at the laboratory," Mrs. Finney said, adding 
that specimens are sent out daily. "We also do hair and DNA saliva 
collections." Another area Tri-County Drug Screening is planning to 
implement is flu injections on site (at the place of employment) or in 
their office on Hillsboro Boulevard. The firm also does eScreen automated 
solution testing. "This allows employers to get test results back within 30 
minutes through their Internet service (e-mail)," Finney said. "This puts 
an end to the paper chase with automated drug testing program management. 
We do the testing right here in our office.

The specimen is put into a machine and we can get negative results 
available within 30 minutes of a completed test. "The e-mail notification 
alerts the administrator that new results are available for review.

Results are then available electronically from the MyeScreen.com web site. 
Results may also be obtained via Autofax, Automated Voice Response or 
Electronic Data Transfer." Finney said this allows companies to get a fast 
turn around of testing done by Tri-County Drug Screening. "When we work 
with a company in the drug free workplace program, we set up the program 
and can do on site testing or the employee can come to our offices," She 
said. "Wal-Mart here uses our services and the eScreen system.

When we do testing for them (Wal-Mart), they can have the results in 30 
minutes, almost before the employee can get back to duty. "We also work 
with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Tullahoma. We do all their 
pre-employment screening.

We also do an in-service training program and counseling program for these 
and other companies that we work with in this area." Finney has been 
employed in the past at Crestwood Nursing Home, the Multi-County Mental 
Health Center, Harton Regional Medical Center, Medical Center of Manchester 
and Marcrom's Option Care before opening the Tri-County Drug Screening 
business. While working at some of these other places, she did insurance 
company physicals and still does that through her new company. Her husband, 
Norman, is an instrument technician for Sverdrup Technology at Arnold 
Center and has worked there for 24 years.

Finney works part-time with Tri-County, when he is "not at Sverdrup," 
Finney said. They have a daughter, Kellie, who is a student at MTSU and 
plans to graduate in May 2004. She also works part-time for the business. 
Tri-County Drug Screening may be reached by telephone at (931) 723-3355 or 
the fax number is 596-3698.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl