AEL East began over 40 years ago as
a privately owned laboratory located in Morristown, Tennessee
called Anatomic Pathology Services & Clinical Laboratory
Services. At the onset, the primary focus of the
laboratory was anatomic pathology with a lesser focus on clinical
testing. Some years later the name was changed to
Physicians Medical Laboratory and a fresh focus on expanding the
clinical testing menu was launched. Physicians Medical
Laboratory now offered the East Tennessee market something it had
not seen before - a full range of clinical and anatomic testing
with personalized service from a local laboratory. Because of
its proximity to its customers, the laboratory was able to offer
unmatched quality of testing and turn-around-time of results.
All of this worked to forge strong relationships between the
laboratory and its customers. Physicians and other providers
became accustomed to being able to contact a pathologist or
technician quickly to discuss patient cases and make appropriate
decisions regarding treatment options. During the same
period, Physicians Medical Laboratory positioned itself as an
attractive option for third party payers and pursued in-network
contracts with all insurances with covered lives in East
Tennessee.
In 2005, American Esoteric
Laboratories sought to expand its service area into East
Tennessee. As the two companies compared testing capabilities
and mutual strengths, a natural fit was very apparent. Both
companies shared a common philosophical goal of superior laboratory
testing with a focus on patient care. In 2006,
Physicians Medical Laboratory was added to the AEL family of
laboratories serving physicians and patients in a 6 state
area. In addition to its existing capabilities, AEL offered
increased access to electronic connectivity for customers as well
as an esoteric test menu and access to other partner
laboratories.
In 2007, AEL was acquired by Sonic Healthcare. Sonic
Healthcare, based in Australia, is one of the world's largest
medical diagnostic companies providing laboratory and radiology
services to medical practitioners, hospitals, community health
services and their collective patients. As a division of
Sonic Healthcare USA, AEL is one of 8 partner regional laboratories
across the country which operates on the same core values focused
on a commitment to excellence in healthcare.