ON-RAMP

When industry types see Beth Howard push through a big exec’s door, they know she’s out for blood. Not of the deal-making variety, however. Howard is a nurse and certified phlebotomist who’s taken her syringe on the road, visiting movie sets, offices and living rooms, wherever a blood test is needed. The idea for her 6-month-old company, TLC--The Lab Connection, came to her when she was trying to become pregnant and had to have blood tests twice a week. “It was 9 o’clock at night during one of those15-mile treks to my doctor’s office and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could come to my house and do this?’ ” Now, she fields calls from actors who don’t have time to leave the set, from lawyers who are about to go to court and from small companies whose bosses can’t spare their workers for the usual three-hour doctor visit. She also hears from accountants, business people and college students. About 50% of her work is for fertility testing, 40% HIV testing, and 10% miscellaneous blood work. “After Magic Johnson’s announcement, calls from young, single, socially active people who wanted HIV testing increased considerably,” she says. It’s $100 a shot, but what price a house call?