1.What kind of services does ARCpoint Labs offer and how does it benefit our local business community?
ARCpoint Labs of Worcester is a full-service third-party administrator of drug & alcohol, occupational health, and wellness testing services. We offer comprehensive workplace screening solutions to businesses in safety sensitive industries including transportation, manufacturing, and construction, and are industry leaders in managing programs and providing compliance support for companies that fall under the purview of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Services offered in this focus area include – DOT and non-DOT drug and alcohol testing and program management, random testing management, DOT and pre-employment physicals, respirator fit tests and medical evaluation, lead and heavy metal testing, background screening, driver qualification files (DQF) management and policy review. Being local, we can also provide 24×7 on-site drug and alcohol testing when needed in post-accident and reasonable suspicion situations. In addition, we offer DOT and non-DOT Reasonable Suspicion training and compliance support. We are local with a national reach. Working with companies located in the Worcester area – we can manage their programs and use testing sites within our network across Massachusetts.
For local pharmaceutical/medical device/bio-tech companies, we offer credentialing testing services such as TB tests and various types of titer tests required for their yearly medical credentialing requirements. If needed, we go on-site at the company for testing – making it easy and efficient for them.
We also have direct-to-consumer services. We help the community take control of their health by offering private pay diagnostic and wellness testing services. Our offering includes thousands of standard diagnostic tests along with an array of wellness tests like food sensitivity, micronutrient tests, gluten, and celiac sensitivity tests just to name a few. Our pricing is transparent, and the patient knows exactly what they are paying upfront. Our testing does not require a doctor’s visit, making it very easy for those who would like to be well-informed and take control of their health. The results are accompanied by a report from our medical team explaining the test results. Price transparency means that the patient will not receive any surprise bills a few months down the road as often happens with health insurance.
2. Since the legalization of Marijuana, how does ARCpoint educate companies so they can comply with the requirements in this challenging environment?
Massachusetts allows the purchase and use of recreational cannabis/marijuana by people over age 21.
Massachusetts is a “mandatory” state, which means any private employer wishing to conduct drug and/or alcohol testing of non-regulated employees within this state must do so according to the Constitution, statutes, regulations, and court decisions that apply (the rules). The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has made it clear that private employers in this state can require drug and/or alcohol tests if in balance with safety as a priority. Absent a clear safety issue testing is limited to cases where there is reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use or possible impairment. A policy should give employees advanced notice of the rules governing their behavior while employed by the company. Being able to show a written policy exists and that the employee acknowledged receiving a copy of it could be used to shift the balance in the employer’s favor if its program is ever challenged. The policy must cover at a minimum: 1) Who and when (the reason) a company can test such as pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident situations. 2) What drugs can the company test in each situation? For example, companies may choose to test for marijuana in reasonable suspicion and post-accident situations, but not in pre-employment. 3) What action will the company take based on the results? The company must train the supervisor regarding the reasonable suspicion process (identification and response) for compliance, fairness, and effectiveness.
For companies that have employees regulated by the Federal Department of Transportation, such as commercial drivers (CDL), they must have separate policies for their DOT-regulated programs. These policies and procedures should be based on the DOT rules and regulations. Commercial drivers, and operators required to be part of the DOT Drug and Alcohol testing program will be disqualified from operating a CMV if they test positive for marijuana and must be evaluated by a DOT-Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), follow all education and/or treatment recommendations, and comply with return-to-duty and follow-up testing requirements. Although recreational and medicinal marijuana use is allowed in the state of Massachusetts, the DOT drug and alcohol regulations follow federal law under which marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug and is therefore prohibited.
We at ARCpoint have extensive experience in helping local companies with their policies, test selection, testing, and supervisor and staff training. ARCpoint Labs offers regular webinars and newsletters so employers can get the most up-to-date information.
3. What issue is causing concerns regarding marijuana testing and how does ARCpoint help in selecting the right test for cannabis detection.
This is an important topic that we at ARCpoint work with companies to ensure that they can consistently select the right test based on their workplace needs. Certain chemicals within the cannabis plant, namely metabolites of delta-9 THC, can be detected in the body for days, weeks, or months, depending on many factors such as the person, the potency of the cannabis consumed, the dose consumed, and the collection method. At ARCpoint, we select the method and test that aligns with your reason for detection – that gives you the best answer(s) for your question(s). We use saliva, urine, sweat patch and hair to detect cannabis.
Saliva – Cannabis is detectable up to 24 hours. So, this is a good medium for reasonable suspicion for non-DOT companies. Saliva has an advantage over urine in that it can detect the parent THC compound and its first pass metabolite, hydroxy THC, which is also psychoactive and impairing. Not all devices are created equal, however.
Urine – Can detect cannabis between 1-30 days. Used for DOT pre-employment, post-accident, return-to-duty, follow-up, and random selection process.
Sweat – Can detect metabolites of D9 THC for up to 1-2 weeks, or possibly even longer.
Hair – Hair testing offers the broadest detection window and can detect THC up to 90 days after use. Many of our judicial customers use this medium for child custody and abuse cases.
At ARCpoint, we can design 4 panel urine test for non-DOT companies for pre-employment that does not measure THC, and have standard urine, saliva and hair test for random post-accident or reasonable suspicion. This allows them to have a fair policy and not penalize anyone for recreational use of marijuana, and address violation of the drug and alcohol policy at work.
4. You opened an ARCpoint Lab in Southborough several years ago; what motivated you to expand into Worcester?
I opened my first location in Southborough in 2016. In the first couple of years, we got to know the local business and their unique requirements. We were local and the businesses were able to pick up the phone and talk to us or we went on-site to understand their requirements. This was very different from the large national Third-Party Administrators that they were used to, which provided minimal support and were known for poor service. Our excellent local service helped us to grow fast. When we were planning to expand, we recognized that the Worcester area had many businesses that we could help. We were already working with many DOT and non-DOT companies in Worcester from our Southborough location. During that time, we learned that there was an unmet need and very few physical locations that the local companies could use for occupational health services. Besides, no one provided 24/7 onsite testing services if needed by a DOT company for post-accident in the area.
Another driver for opening a lab in Worcester is proximity to the local court as we offer hair drug testing and DNA testing for probate and family court.
Access to a good workforce pool was another driver for choosing a location in Worcester. Almost all our employees at both locations are residents of Worcester and graduates from local schools. They bring a positive attitude, drive to learn, and take a lot of pride in their work.
Our second lab is on Grove Street with easy access to major highways and plenty of free parking. The Chamber meetings and forums provided a great opportunity to position our services to a broad range of local businesses. Worcester is a thriving, with an engaging community, great talent & hard-working workforce; we are grateful to be part of this community.
5. And finally, ARCpoint has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. What advice would you give to someone who is on the fence about joining a chamber?
We joined the Worcester Chamber a year before we opened our doors in Worcester believing that WRCC would be critical in getting to know the local businesses. For us, four things stood out. The chamber’s leadership team and staff members genuinely help foster connections, especially for small businesses. This helped in building connections and strengthening business relationships.
Second, the chamber has several networking opportunities including social hours, award ceremonies, and conferences to showcase your business offerings and network with other businesses in. Many of these events are free or have a modest fee. The events are well organized and attended by the chamber leadership team & board members to facilitate engagement between the members.
The third reason is access and availability of resources. The chamber’s team has broad experience ranging from government policymaking to industry-specific requirements. They can guide you to experts who can help with your business needs. An example is workforce development needs, where the Chamber can make introductions with MassHire Career Center. The chamber roundtable discussions are focused and address key industry issues while sharing best practices led by industry experts. Connect For Success groups provide a great forum to expand your network and build valuable relationships which are key to business success.
Finally, the chamber constantly hosts fun events in collaboration with other chambers and local businesses. These informal gatherings help in expanding your business network. The WRCC is one of the most recognized and active chambers in this region, if you are on the fence, my advice is to take a leap and try it out!
