Dr. Tiffany Nguyen-Ngo is the co-owner of ARC Point Labs of Oklahoma City, a full-service diagnostic testing facility.
“We offer a multitude of programs,” she explained. “We work with the courts and lawyers. We do fingerprinting and background checks for both courts and small businesses. We do drug screenings, court-ordered or for people who are trying to get clean on their own and need a record. Because we are private pay, we can partner with labs across the US. We do serum eye drops the same day. We have proactive wellness and mental health resources that I would love for people to learn more about.”
In 2023, she was offered a chance to acquire the lab to increase revenue and programming, and it has been thriving ever since. ARC Point just opened a second location this year. But what makes Nguyen-Ngo an outstanding local business owner is the creativity and time she has devoted to caring for her employees.
“There is a lot of burnout in the health care field, and it greatly affects quality patient care. I’m trying to find ways to meet that need,” she said.
“At ARC Point, I have developed a flexible, rewarding phlebotomy program. I partnered with NHA, a national online curriculum provider, so that students can earn national certification. They learn online and can then come in here to get hands-on experience. Once certified, they can work here. I developed a model in graduate school to support work-life balance for health care professionals. I don’t do non-competes; they can work anywhere else they want. I work to schedule them and provide whatever flexibility they need.”
“If you have to call in because you have a sick child, that’s fine because I have enough people in my PRN pool to cover. It has worked so well! I have known many of my senior employees for 15 or 20 years. If anyone wants to go full-time, I can move them to that because of our flexibility. I have a lot of moms, single dads and students working here. Not everyone can pull a 40-hour week, but I can work with them.”
How did Nguyen-Ngo get to where she is now? She explained it has been a circuitous route.
“Growing up, I wanted to be a vet, and then a nurse, and then a doctor, and then the president,” she laughed. “I have a very curious mind. I am a forever learner. I attended UCO to become a forensic investigator. I majored in criminal justice and minored in biology. I hoped that I would eventually get to med school, but it just did not work out for me.”
She has worked as a clinical research coordinator and business manager and has overseen operations and philanthropy at various health clinics and businesses. At each step along the way, she acquired new skills and began to long to own a business of her own.
Nguyen-Ngo is deeply involved in giving back to her community and her employees. She serves on the board of the Youth Medical Mentorship, which provides resources to students interested in entering health care careers, and is also a board member for the Asian District Cultural Association.
It is not surprising that when asked what her next goal is, Nguyen-Ngo brings up advocacy for access to rape kits. She said, “Knowing that some patients might not be comfortable going to a hospital setting, we are currently getting certified so that a mobile phlebotomy team could go to a person in need, or a person could come to our lab instead of the hospital.”
As she continues to care for the people in her community and for her employees in boundary-breaking ways, Nguyen-Ngo hopes the word about ARC Point Lab resources will continue to spread.
