A crucial step in the patient care process.
Matching time of day with medical test availability is an important part of patient care and test result turnaround time. U.S. Messenger is ready to take expert care of your laboratory specimens, biological samples, pharmaceuticals, radiology films, records, inter-office mails, and other important medical supplies. Our dedicated medical route structure, complete with all the special handling needed to properly transport a variety of test samples, is ready to augment your patient care process.
With years of planning and scheduling experience routing sensitive material, U.S. Messenger is your safest choice for medical deliveries.
We offer two service lines for your medical specimens and supplies:
Dedicated routing
Reliable, scheduled routes ensure your deliveries are on time, every time. We work with you to determine which days and times to schedule and how much capacity is needed.
STAT on-demand
When you have samples that don’t conform to your regularly scheduled pickups, contact our STAT department for secure delivery ASAP.
National Expedited Services
We have transported over
4.3 million
COVID tests across the Chicagoland area.
It’s great to have U.S. Messenger in our toolbox when STAT requests come across our desk. We used you yesterday and were very impressed with the service and customer service follow up. In my book, you guys are the top courier company
John G., Heath Care Industry
Industry-leading experienced and certified drivers
U.S. Messenger has fully trained and certified drivers to safely and correctly deliver your essential medical items. We keep our driving staff’s Blood Pathogen and other training subjects up to date annually by employing full-time Driver Development Managers who are trained and certified instructors for nationally-recognized organizations.
All medical specimens and samples are transported in coolers with the proper temperature controls requested by the shipper or required by the laboratory. Our drivers use smartphones powered by CAT to keep track of each of your shipments — putting our dispatch team in every driver’s seat.
Bag & Tag System
Bag & Tag is considered the safest and most effective inventory control method in the industry because it limits multiple human contacts with specimens and provides a permanent adhesive, sealed by your client at the time of packaging, which can only be opened by the laboratory. This program has been created in conjunction with several laboratories, clinics, hospitals, and physicians.
How does it work?
- Bags are sealed by staff at the pickup location. Once sealed, the bags can only be opened by the recipient laboratory.
- Our couriers scan the bar code at the time of pick up, providing a permanent record of the transaction.
- Specimens are inventoried and confirmed by the recipient laboratory upon arrival.
From your clients to you, just as planned.
Frequently asked questions
Is U.S. Messenger's medical specimen delivery HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Our medical courier operations follow HIPAA privacy and security requirements. Couriers handling specimens and medical records are trained on chain-of-custody protocols, confidentiality obligations, and proper handling procedures for protected health information.
What types of medical specimens do you transport?
We transport blood and urine samples, tissue specimens, cultures, pathology slides, and other clinical specimens between hospitals, clinics, reference labs, and physician offices. We also handle medical records, imaging, and pharmaceutical samples.
How do you maintain specimen integrity during transport?
Specimens are transported in appropriate containment (coolers, biohazard bags, or rigid containers depending on sample type) with documented temperature requirements. Our couriers follow the receiving facility's chain-of-custody forms and can provide proof-of-delivery documentation.
What is your service area for medical specimen pick-up?
We serve healthcare facilities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, including hospitals, outpatient labs, physician offices, and specialty clinics across Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Will counties and beyond.
Can you handle STAT or emergency specimen pickups?
Yes. We offer priority and STAT service levels for time-sensitive specimens. Contact dispatch directly for urgent same-day or next-available courier assignments.
Do you work with hospital systems, reference labs, and independent clinics?
We serve a range of healthcare clients — from large health systems to single-physician practices — and can set up scheduled routes or on-demand service depending on volume and needs.
How do I establish a recurring medical courier route?
Contact us to discuss your facility's pick-up schedule, volume, and destination requirements. We'll set up a dedicated route with consistent couriers, documentation standards, and account billing.