We have a new blog series that features each of our lab partners so that you can get to know them better! Next up is ZRT Laboratory. We had a great conversation with CJ Heine, Regional Acount Representative to learn more about ZRT, how they started it, and the technology behind their tests.
Introducing ZRT Laboratory!
Hey CJ! Great to chat with you. What's your title / role at ZRT?
Same! I am a Regional Account Representative.
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When was your laboratory founded and how did it get started?
ZRT was founded in 1998. Dr. David Zava, our Founder who is a biochemist by trade and a teacher at heart, is animated when he talks about his work, so I wish he was sharing this directly with you! He didn’t start out trying to build a company — as a researcher, he wanted to provide health care practitioners and patients with a deeper understanding of the role hormones play in wellness. The more he studied, the more test results he reviewed, and the more patient stories he heard, the more he knew he needed to channel his knowledge into something that enables people to be actively involved in their own health.
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So many of us get into this industry from a personal standpoint, I love that about the functional medicine space! What is the focus at ZRT?
Hormone & Wellness testing
Who do you serve? What kind of practitioners?
We serve many different types of practitioners. Some examples are MD's, ND's, NP's, DC's, RD's and LAc's to name a few.
What technology do you use at ZRT for your tests?
We use various assays including EIA, LCMS, and GCMS.
Sounds technical! 🤓 What are the main conditions practitioners are using your labs to diagnose and treat?
Most practitioners using ZRT tests are treating Hormone imbalances, Menopause, Andropause, Stress, Breast Cancer risk, and Neurological issues.
What is your favorite part about being in this industry?
My favorite part is working for someone like Dr. Zava. He is continually searching to understand more fully how the world around us impacts our wellbeing, and how our lifestyle choices, environment and genetics impact the delicate balance of our hormones. It is very cool to work for someone so passionate who is always pushing the needle forward! It is great because his hands-on approach trickles down throughout the company. He cares deeply about all of his employees well-being, so we have amazing support for staff and our health on a personal level.
That is great - I can say the same about Rupa & our Founder, Tara Viswanathan! What is your future vision for functional medicine lab work?
We see more practitioners switching to at home laboratory testing with the COVID pandemic.
What are you working on right now as a lab? What do practitioners have to look forward to?
Currently we are focusing on assisting Providers during this shift to more tele-medicine type practices. We want to make sure patients still have access to our testing at home so they can continue with their treatment plans.
We're doing the same at Rupa. It has been exciting to see the world shift to remote working and services that used to be in person being done at home or virtually!
Anything else interesting noteworthy you’d like to share about ZRT?
We have Clinicians on staff Monday through Friday to help Providers with questions they have. They love to help with interpretation, suggestions, and treatment advice. I always hear that practitioners love this service and that it's quite helpful, so it is something I proud to share about ZRT!
The most commonly ordered tests at ZRT are:
1. Our Comprehensive Female/Male profiles
These are very popular and an excellent choice for screening patients. These will test Steroid Hormones & Cortisol in Saliva and Thyroid markers in dried Bloodspot.
2. Our Neurotransmitter profile
This is also quite popular for patients experiencing anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue. This profile is tested in Dried Urine.
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