In another sign of the rapidly expanding life sciences industry in South Carolina, Diversified Medical Healthcare (DMH) today announced plans to expand operations in Greenville County, S.C. The company’s $51 million investment will create 185 new jobs.

Founded in 2011, DMH is a holding entity with multiple brands underneath its umbrella, all dedicated to providing healthcare solutions or improved patient care on a national basis. DMH’s companies are Premier Medical Laboratory Services, CPT Medical, Vessel Medical and OnGen which between them provide expertise in the arenas of clinical reference laboratories, medical supply and equipment distribution, sterile medical manufacturing, and medical software. The companies combined serve customers in all 50 U.S. states and several foreign countries.

The announcement was made during a special program at SCBIO 2022:  The Life Sciences Conference of South Carolina, taking place in Charleston, SC. The conference was attended by more than 500 live and virtual attendees from across the country and multiple countries, indicative of the thriving industry which has expanded rapidly across the Palmetto State. Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed Feb. 21-25 as Life Sciences Week in the state, in honor of its rapid growth and opportunity to benefit all South Carolinians.

“Our mission is to positively impact patient lives with solutions that drive the healthcare industry forward. All of our companies under DMH work together to address many needs within the healthcare industry,” said Diversified Medical Healthcare CEO Kevin Murdock. “We are extremely proud to expand in our home state of South Carolina to carry out that mission on a larger scale and are appreciative of everyone who helped to make this possible.”  

The corporate headquarters of DMH is located at 6000 Pelham Road in Greenville. The announced expansion by the DMH companies will result in a portion of company operations expanding into a new 136,000 sq. ft. facility in Garlington North at 315 Tanner Price Way, Greenville, SC. The expansive facility overlooks a key interstate connector in I-85, ideal for the organization’s expanding business nationally as well as statewide.

The expansion also will support the company’s launch of its MyHealthPro product line, which produces retail-based genetic testing kits for at-home use. The tests, which will be sold directly to consumers, identify potential genetic markers for susceptibility and identification of medical issues. Additionally, it will enable their in-house research and development team of scientists to further conduct vital research for the growth of their lab developed test offerings which serve the most up-to-date needs of the population. Through this growth, all Diversified Medical Healthcare companies will continue to fill supply chain gaps and create solutions to make healthcare more efficient and effective for improved patient outcomes.

“I am thrilled that Diversified Medical Healthcare continues to grow and succeed in South Carolina. Today’s expansion announcement once again demonstrates that South Carolina is a place where medical companies want to do business. Congratulations to DMH, and we look forward to many more years of our business partnership,” noted South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

Over the last two years of the pandemic, Diversified Medical’s companies developed groundbreaking solutions for COVID-19 and provided a testing capacity of over 100,000 tests per day with 98% result delivery in under 24 hours. Its laboratory became the trusted testing partner for state health departments and Health and Human services surge sites throughout the country. Its custom surgical procedure tray company expanded production to add in-house manufacturing of millions of COVID-19 testing kits. The company also supported development and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and worked around the clock to achieve unmatched innovation in science and technology for the fight against COVID-19.

“South Carolina’s life sciences sector is booming, and this latest expansion by Diversified Medical Healthcare in Greenville County is further testament to this critical sector’s growth. Congratulations to DMH on their success right here in South Carolina,” added Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III.

“We are always pleased when a homegrown organization like Diversified Medical Healthcare chooses to expand and deepen its commitment to Greenville County,” stated Greenville County Council Chairman and Greenville Area Development Corporation Board Member Willis Meadows. “The company’s expertise in medical software, sterile manufacturing, medical supply and equipment distribution, and clinical lab operations – along with its passion for being good community leaders — fits well here, and we wish them continued success into the future.”

The expansion is now underway and is expected to be completed by 2025. Individuals interested in joining the DMH team should email HR@DivMedInc.com.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project. The council also awarded a $200,000 Set-Aside grant to Greenville County to assist with site preparation and building construction for the additional facility at Garlington North.

Last week, at the annual Southeast Life Sciences Conference, organizations like SCBIO, Bio Alabama, Georgia Bio, Life Science Tennessee, NC Bio, and Virginia Bio all gathered with top life sciences companies to network and discuss ways to advance healthcare. Austin Shirley, VP of Commercial Operations at Diversified Medical Healthcare (DMH), and team were at the conference representing all the DMH brands including Premier Medical Laboratory Services (PMLS), CPT, OnGen, and Vessel Medical. During the conference, Austin joined Eric Doherty, President of Blink Science, and Joff Masukawa, President of Diligentia Strategy, for a panel discussion titled “Diagnostics: Moving to the Forefront of Global Healthcare.”

The panel kicked off with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rapidly evolving diagnostics industry. In 2020, labs and healthcare facilities quickly had to shift gears as the virus spread around the U.S. The pandemic disrupted and even destabilized the industry as a whole, creating obstacles to overcome for labs like PMLS and its sister companies. Although these challenges were presented, they had a profound impact on the life sciences industry and even forced many companies in the life sciences to expand their offerings. As a result, in many ways, companies in life sciences improved and/or changed a lot of their protocols and processes for a more efficient infrastructure.

As an example, Diversified Medical companies were positioned to meet infrastructure restrictions head-on with a facility already FDA registered and already conducting molecular testing. “We started to notice on the lab side that the supply chain for specimen collection kits and viral transport media was one of the biggest issues,” said Austin Shirley. “So, we began manufacturing these through our company, CPT Medical. We were able to supply our lab with specimen collection kits and keep testing without any hiccups from the supply chain. We also sold these kits to other labs and still are. I think last week we passed a milestone of 2 million specimen collection kits manufactured from a company (CPT Medical) that, a year and a half ago, wasn’t in the business of that.”

Overall, the pandemic put a spotlight on the diagnostics industry and its role in the global healthcare ecosystem, but what about its future? In the panel discussion, Austin delved into rapid point of care testing and how personalized care will affect the future of diagnostics. “Diagnostics could play a role, really in preventative health and how we integrate biometric data from rapid point of care tests into a patient’s polygenic risk score.” He continued to discuss the sensitivity and specificity of point of care assays and how, as we move forward with the accumulation of more data, we will improve the accuracy of point of care testing to make diagnostic testing faster for better patient outcomes. He also explored how, with the help of artificial intelligence, personalized care can be used more to prevent disease rather than just to diagnose currently existing diseases within patients.

The SE Life Sciences conference and the discussion panel itself were an impactful platform to discuss our plans to move healthcare forward and how we can work with like-minded companies, Blink Science and Diligentia Strategy, to make healthcare more efficient and effective for advanced and more individualized patient care.

‘’We are extremely proud of our employees and the milestones that we have been able to acheive in a such short amount of time,” said Kevin Murdock founder of Premier Medical Laboratory Services. “Our brilliant and hard-working team including PhD scientists, researchers, and laboratory staff are continually striving to innovate and push us to the next level so that we can help as many people as possible and help keep our country open during this pandemic. We’re happy to be able to do this profit share as recognition for all of their hard work.”

Along with donating hundreds of COVID-19 tests and PPE to first responders throughout the state, Diversified medical companies have accomplished the following and more:

• PMLS is now one of the top laboratories in the US for COVID-19 testing with a testing capacity of 300,000 tests per day with 98 % results provided in under 24 hours
• PMLS has become a leading COVID-19 testing provider for major universities and their student-athletes and students in the classroom like Clemson and Furman universities
• PMLS is one of the few laboratories to be validated for COVID-19 saliva specimen testing
• Vessel Medical has developed, with Hamilton Company, Thermo Fisher, and Grenova, innovative all in one equipment that can turn a 600 sqft room into a COVID-19 testing lab
• CPT Medical has become a top producer of the CDC recommended viral transport medium for preserving and transporting specimens to be tested for COVID-19.
• Ongen, has created a platform that automates laboratory processes and helps labs to expand testing capacity

For more information about Premier Medical Laboratory Services, please visit www.divmedinc.com or call 1.866.575.7878

GREENVILLE, SC October 23, 2020 – Vessel Medical, a provider of medical workflow solutions, supplies, and equipment, introduces their new and innovative Lab in a Box. Turnkey equipment that includes everything needed for professional laboratory level diagnostics, Lab in a Box is set to radically change the landscape of COVID-19 testing. Developed by leading scientists and technicians in partnership with Hamilton Company, Thermo Fisher, Grenova, and award winning diagnostics laboratory, Premier Medical Laboratory Services, Lab in a Box enables a high capacity of onsite diagnostics for hospitals, expanding laboratories, schools, and large companies in need of quick and accurate testing results.

Each turnkey lab solution includes the latest cutting edge technology that is pre-validated – All that is required is a brief onsite validation before testing can begin. With precision robotic instruments, lab in a box has high throughput liquid handling along with automated, custom-programmable pipetting that decreases human error and result turnaround time. Additionally, Vessel Medical’s Laboratory Information System (LIS) that is included reduces the result analysis time while increasing capacity exponentially.

“We developed Lab in a Box with the goal of providing the most efficient solution for companies and organizations to provide quality COVID-19 testing,” said Kevin Murdock, Founder of Vessel Medical. “This equipment conveniently provides the most cutting edge technology for accurate testing while saving time and money. We’re happy to help protect businesses, organizations and the people who work for them.”  

At a time when many companies are losing revenue due to COVID-19, in-house testing with Vessel Medical’s Lab in a Box will allow for millions of dollars annually saved in testing expenses. For example, a company that processes 3,000 tests per day saves just under $200,000 per day when compared to outsourced testing. And, companies that process 12,000 tests per day save up to $600,000 per day with this turnkey equipment.

The key features of Lab in a Box help companies to begin testing and to maintain a testing flow uninterrupted. Aside from COVID-19 assays, companies, expanding labs, and organizations can easily pivot their workflow to include detection of other common pathogens as well as genetic testing with upper respiratory, antibiotic resistance, pharmacogenomics, cancer risk screening, Flu A & B, and Std/UTI assays.

The following options are available for purchase of Lab in a Box to suit various organization sizes and needs:

• The Tomahawk processes up to 1,000 tests per day and is designed for smaller organizations
• The Maverick processes up to 3,000 tests per day and is designed for start ups
• The Missile processes up to 6,000 tests per day and is designed for medium sized organizations and expanding labs
• The Patriot processes up to 12,000 tests per day and is designed for high volume testing

To get started with Lab in a Box today, please visit www.covidlabinabox.com or call 866-575-7878.

GREENVILLE, SC June 25, 2020 – Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large portion of the testing shortage has been attributed to a difficulty for laboratories in obtaining both nasopharyngeal swabs and viral transport media (VTM). In recent weeks, CPT Medical, a surgical pack and kit manufacturing firm based in Greenville, SC, has endeavored to find solutions for this supply shortage and are now producing COVID-19 specimen collection kits with nasopharyngeal swabs and CDC recommended VTM for hospitals, nursing homes, and physician’s offices throughout the US.

As a company that is accustomed to suiting the shifting needs of their customers, CPT Medical has adapted swiftly to the current COVID-19 testing demands. They’ve added production of these collection kits to their production of customized surgical kits, packs, and standard procedure trays which they’ve manufactured for over 15 years. With employees working around the clock, they are now one of the top producers in the country of these COVID-19 specimen collection kits, yielding 20,000 per day for distribution. They’ve already shipped 400,000 across the US and expect to increase their production to 100,000 collection kits per day in the near future.

CPT is also manufacturing the CDC recommended formula VTM in bulk to be sold on its own to laboratories or testing sites that may already have the sample collection swabs, but still need a quality VTM by itself. Nasopharyngeal swabs can also be purchased separately. While VTM is used for several types of diagnostic tests, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a spike in demand for its use with the COVID-19 RT-PCR assays or molecular diagnostic tests that are integral to opening up America again. CPT is currently producing 100,000 viral transport mediums per week and expects to increase that to 500,000 per week during the next few weeks.

It has been reported that testing sensitivity can be effected by the VTM used in storing, preserving, and transporting specimens. This is why having the CDC recommended formula is significant in ensuring reliable testing results and lowering the amount of false negative diagnoses that patients receive.

“Having quality supplies on hand for COVID-19 testing is essential in keeping the economy moving forward safely as we all shift into phases of reopening the country,” said Kevin Murdock, founder of CPT Medical. “That’s why we have made it our mission during this pandemic to find and manufacture ourselves the best in testing supplies to do our part in continuing to flatten the curve while helping more people receive accurate diagnostic results.”

Developed in CPT Medical’s FDA registered facility under CDC guidelines, the specimen collection kits offered are bulk kits for nursing homes, hospitals, laboratories, and large physician’s offices as well as individual kits for laboratories. Produced in collaboration with Premier Medical Laboratory Services, a COLA and CLIA regulated laboratory, the collection kits serve as COVID-19 diagnostic testing and Respiratory Pathogen Profile (RPP) kits.

To order COVID-19 specimen collection kits or surgical trays, packs, and kits or for more information, healthcare providers can call 866-584-3713 or visit www.cptmed.com.

GREENVILLE, SC June 10, 2020 – As America moves through phases of reopening, an increase in COVID-19 testing has largely contributed to the ability for the population to return to a sense of normalcy. Ongoing research will be paramount for the country to maintain the path to a fully operating economy and to prepare for any subsequent waves of infection. In addition to testing for the presence of COVID-19 with PCR tests, now that many have suffered from COVID-19, antibody testing is becoming more critical in compiling accurate data for a wider understanding of the virus. That’s why Vessel Medical, a provider of medical workflow solutions, supplies, and equipment, dedicated to providing testing kits and medical supplies needed for battling COVID-19, is now increasing access to quality SARS-CoV-2 rapid antibody test kits throughout the US.

Granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Vessel Medical’s antibody test kits are available to be shipped nationwide for detection of COVID-19 Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M (IgG/IgM) antibodies. The test kits are developed for sample collection via a finger prick in which blood is then placed on a cartridge that will provide easy to read results in under 15 minutes. Results of this serological test determine if there is a presence of antibodies in the patient sample, indicating that the patient had a past infection with the COVID-19 virus and could potentially be immune to reinfection – Antibodies are disease specific proteins that usually help to fight off infections and provide protection against getting that same disease again (immunity).

“We are determined in doing our part for opening up America again and will continue meeting COVID-19 head-on by providing solutions to the latest testing demands,” said Kevin Murdock, founder of Vessel Medical.

Aside from determining potential immunity from a reinfection of COVID-19, the other benefits to receiving antibody testing are:

• To help in developing a vaccine for COVID-19
• To help provide researchers and healthcare professionals further understanding of COVID-19
• To determine a patient’s ability to donate antibody-rich plasma which can be used in convalescent plasma therapy, potentially helping other patients overcome COVID-19
• To help guide doctors in providing the correct clinical care for specific patient needs

In their efforts to fight against COVID-19, Vessel Medical also recently launched a program specifically designed for returning employees safely to work. The program, MDHealthPro Opening Up America Again developed with leading laboratory, Premier Medical Laboratory Services, equips businesses with the latest in safety, monitoring, and testing for COVID-19. Along with the introduction of this program to provide safety solutions, Vessel Medical donated thousands of N95 masks to hospital systems, fire departments, and police departments throughout South Carolina, where they are headquartered.

Hospitals and physicians offices can order antibody tests today by visiting www.vesselmedical.com or calling 1.866.451.6337.

Premier Medical Laboratory Services’ (PMLS) antibody testing, which was granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requires a blood draw administered by a physician or staff which is then sent to PMLS for the IgG/IgM ELISA. Results are provided within 24 – 48 hours upon lab receipt of the testing sample and determine if there is a presence of antibodies in the patient sample – indicating that the patient had a past infection of the COVID-19 virus and could potentially be immune to a reinfection.

“Because gathering data on COVID-19 to understand its complexities is so important in overcoming it, we are dedicated to offering every effective testing resource we can,” said Kevin Murdock, founder of PMLS. “We are determined in doing our part for the safe reopening of America and will continue meeting COVID-19 head-on with the latest in technology and science.”

An ideal candidate for the antibody test is someone who believes they already have had the COVID-19 virus. Anyone currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should not take an antibody test, but rather, should take the PCR test to determine if they currently have the COVID-19 virus. According to the CDC, antibody testing should be conducted 1-3 weeks after infection, since it can take that amount of time for the body to produce antibodies.

Aside from determining potential immunity from a reinfection of COVID-19, the other benefits to receiving antibody testing are:

• To help guide doctors in providing the correct clinical care for specific patient needs
• To help provide researchers and healthcare professionals further understanding of COVID-19
• To determine a patient’s ability to donate antibody-rich plasma which can be used in convalescent plasma therapy, potentially helping other patients overcome COVID-19
• To help in developing a vaccine for COVID-19

Along with antibody testing, Premier Medical Laboratory Services also recently introduced (in partnership with Vessel Medical) a comprehensive COVID-19 safety program to equip businesses with the latest in testing, safety, and monitoring for returning employees to work – MDHealthPro Opening Up America Again.

Hospitals and physicians offices can provide COVID-19 PCR testing or antibody testing by clicking on the following link for easy account activation with PMLS: www.premedinc.com/covid-19.

For more information, please visit www.PreMedInc.com or call 1.877.335.2455.

GREENVILLE, SC May 19, 2020  – As businesses across the country begin to reopen, many employers are uncertain of exactly what measures are needed to safely return their employees to work. Vessel Medical, a medical supply firm specializing in personal protective equipment has partnered with Premier Medical Laboratory Services (PMLS), one of the country’s leading commercial laboratories for COVID-19 testing, to create a comprehensive customizable COVID-19 program which covers testing, safety, and monitoring of employees; MDHealthPro for Opening Up America Again. With this program, employers can be certain that they have a safety strategy in place tailored to the specific reopening needs of their businesses.

The MDHealthPro Opening Up America Again program is developed for businesses to implement appropriate policies informed by industry best practices and in accordance with federal, state, and local guidance and regulations. The program ensures the most effective measures are taken for testing, contact tracing, social distancing, isolating, temperature checks, protective equipment, sanitation and disinfection of common high-traffic areas. Having this proficiently customized strategy in place will ensure that employers have the right amount of quality protection supplies, monitoring technology, and testing all readily available for their staff when needed.

“We want to help businesses to assure their employees that the best safety precautions are being taken against COVID-19 as they return to work,” said Kevin Murdock founder of Premier Medical Laboratory Services and Vessel Medical. “Employers already have much to face in reopening their businesses, and we hope to take some of the fear and confusion away from the process while helping with the latest methods to keep them healthy, safe, and able to remain in full operation.”

The MDHealthPro Opening Up America Again program includes three components:

1. Testing

The testing component equips businesses with high complexity diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and a 24-48 hour turnaround of results. The Sars-Cov-2 package of testing also includes antibody testing (IgG/IgM Elisa) and rapid testing (POC IgG/IgM kits). Both testing packages include daily courier pickup/UPS next day, collection devices, other ancillary supplies and a certification letter of employee testing.

• Safety

The safety component provides PPE and other supplies including N95 masks, Level 1 triple layer washable cloth masks that can be customized with a company logo, disinfectants, gloves, and gowns.

• Monitoring

The monitoring component delivers entry point monitoring of employee temperature by way of forehead thermometer devices or infrared digital fever detection using thermal imaging and monitoring systems.

Vessel Medical is dedicated to supporting businesses that implement the MDHealthPro Opening Up America Program. From onboarding of the program to continuous technical support and advisement, Vessel Medical will ensure that employers can always prioritize their company operations and be assured they have the latest in safety measures, technology, and testing to keep their staff safe. 

For employers who would like more information on how to best reopen their business safely, please visit www.vesselmedical.com or call 866.451.MEDS (6337).

The thousands of N95 masks being donated at no cost account for roughly 25 percent of Vessel Medical’s total mask supply on hand in which could be sold for profit. Now, thousands of policemen, firemen, EMT’s, and hospital healthcare workers of South Carolina will have this personal protective equipment to more safely continue their daily work.

“The hospital systems, fire departments, and police departments that we’re donating these masks to are vital in keeping South Carolinians safe, now more than ever,” said Kevin Murdock, founder of Vessel Medical. “We value all that these frontline workers do to serve our state, and know the difficulty that they are facing in attaining enough of these masks for their work force. These donations are a top priority for us as we feel the need to help where we can.”

N95 masks are designed to provide the best barrier of protection from small airborne droplets containing COVID-19 – the 95 designation indicating that the mask blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) particles. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the extreme surge in demand of N95 masks that the world is facing today –  a recent government survey of hospitals across the US concluded that these masks are still at the top of the list for personal protective equipment items in shortage during the pandemic.

Vessel Medical, so far, has donated to four hospital systems and eleven first responder units across the state of South Carolina.

For more information about Vessel Medical, please call 866.451.MEDS (6337) or visit www.vesselmedical.com.