For no discernable reason other than it fits a provincial mould, Dufferin residents will soon receive their blood and other lab tests from a for-profit, publicly traded U.S. equity corporation rather than from the Hospitals-in-Common (HICL) service.

The Central West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) doesn't use the word "mould," but does say in effect that the provincial government wants community lab services to be returned to an "established provincial model."

LHIN Communications Director Chuck Ferguson said the system of private labs emerged with the establishment of OHIP. The U.S. corporation replacing HICL — known as CML — has been in Ontario for about 40 years, and is the largest one serving the province.

According to its Website, CML has 82 outlets in Ontario. Mr. Ferguson said that, among other local locations, it serves Fifth Avenue Medical Clinic and the family practice at Shelburne's Mel Lloyd Centre, and Hanover, Caledon and Newmarket. He said it picks up the samples and has a regional lab in Mississauga.

At Headwaters Health Care Centre, CEO Cholly Boland said the transition to CML would make no difference to the public. The hospital lab would continue to operate but would not process blood samples and the like from outside.

The change "allows the hospital to focus on continuing to deliver quality service to hospital patients," he said.

"We are committed to working closely with our staff, unions, patients and physicians to ensure a smooth transition to the Provincial model for community laboratory services. We are confident that the providers of community laboratory services will continue to provide excellent, high quality and accessible services."

If HICL was providing "a quality service" for the past 12 years, with facilities at the Shoppers Drug Mart on lower Broadway and the medical centre on Elizabeth Street, why the change?

Mr. Boland said it was a question of funding. "It has not been properly funded." He said the service has been costing the hospital about $200,000 a year.

It could not be determined in what way CML would be able to reduce costs for either the hospital or the province.

With the reduction of hospital lab usage will come a reduced need for lab technicians. Mr. Boland and communications director Ann Cain could not say how many people there would be affected. But they did acknowledge there would likely be layoffs.

At Dufferin Oaks in Shelburne, administrator Brenda Urbanski wasn't aware of the presence of CML. "We use Hospitals in Common," she said. She declined to comment on how the transition would affect the Oaks or Mel Lloyd Centre after November.

Shelburne hospital, the HHCC campus there, is a long-term care facility. Along with the transition to CML for lab services for the public outside hospitals, there'll be a change "in the level of care" provided in Shelburne.

Ms. Cain said there would be no change to the level of nursing care, but non-nursing services such as assisting patients with their daily routine would be given by support staff rather than by the nurses.

This is likely to result in some layoffs at Shelburne, but Ms. Cain could not say how many.

"We are working with the union and personnel," she said.

Mr. Ferguson said it would be hoped that layoffs would be covered through attrition. Ms. Cain said job openings would be posted.

At the local LHIN, CEO Mimi Lowi-Young was not available for comment as she was in board meetings all week.