diff --git a/Controllers/HL7Controller.cs b/Controllers/HL7Controller.cs
index 99c1941..f01a0c1 100644
--- a/Controllers/HL7Controller.cs
+++ b/Controllers/HL7Controller.cs
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ namespace SimpleLIS.Controllers;
 [Route("api/hl7")]
 public class HL7Controller : ControllerBase
 {
-    private readonly MessageService _messageService;
-    private readonly PatientService _patientService;
+    private readonly MessageService msgService;
+    private readonly PatientService ptService;
     private readonly IMapper _mapper;
 
     public HL7Controller(
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ public class HL7Controller : ControllerBase
         PatientService patientService, 
         IMapper mapper)
     {
-        _messageService = messageService;
-        _patientService = patientService;
+        msgService = messageService;
+        ptService = patientService;
         _mapper = mapper;
     }
 
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> ProcessHL7Message([FromBody] JsonElement payloa
 {
     try
     {
-        // Create Patient
         var patient = new Patient
         {
             HL7PatientId = payload.GetProperty("hl7PatientId").GetString(),
@@ -41,20 +40,17 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> ProcessHL7Message([FromBody] JsonElement payloa
             Messages = new List<Message>()
         };
 
-        // Check for existing patient
-        var existingPatient = await _patientService.GetPatientByNameAndDOB(
+        var existingPatient = await ptService.GetPatientByNameAndDOB(
             patient.FirstName!, 
             patient.LastName!, 
             patient.DateOfBirth
         );
 
-        patient = existingPatient ?? await _patientService.CreatePatientAsync(patient);
-
-        // Create Message
+        patient = existingPatient ?? await ptService.CreatePatientAsync(patient);
         var message = new Message
         {
-            ControlId = payload.GetProperty("controlId").GetString(),
-            MessageType = payload.GetProperty("messageType").GetString(),
+            ControlId = payload.GetProperty("controlId").GetString() ?? string.Empty,
+            MessageType = payload.GetProperty("messageType").GetString()?? string.Empty,
             SendingApp = payload.GetProperty("sendingApp").GetString(),
             SendingFacility = payload.GetProperty("sendingFacility").GetString(),
             ReceivingApp = payload.GetProperty("receivingApp").GetString(),
@@ -66,14 +62,13 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> ProcessHL7Message([FromBody] JsonElement payloa
             Observations = new List<Observation>()
         };
 
-        // Create Observations
         var observationsArray = payload.GetProperty("observations");
         foreach (var obsElement in observationsArray.EnumerateArray())
         {
             var observation = new Observation
             {
-                ObservationCode = obsElement.GetProperty("ObservationCode").GetString(),
-                ObservationValue = obsElement.GetProperty("ObservationValue").GetString(),
+                ObservationCode = obsElement.GetProperty("ObservationCode").GetString()?? string.Empty,
+                ObservationValue = obsElement.GetProperty("ObservationValue").GetString()?? string.Empty,
                 Units = obsElement.GetProperty("Units").GetString(),
                 AbnormalFlag = obsElement.GetProperty("AbnormalFlag").GetString(),
                 ResultStatus = obsElement.GetProperty("ResultStatus").GetString() ?? "F",
@@ -82,7 +77,7 @@ public async Task<IActionResult> ProcessHL7Message([FromBody] JsonElement payloa
             message.Observations.Add(observation);
         }
 
-        var createdMessage = await _messageService.CreateMessageAsync(message);
+        var createdMessage = await msgService.CreateMessageAsync(message);
         
         return Ok(new { 
             message = _mapper.Map<MessageDTO>(createdMessage),
diff --git a/hl7.db-shm b/hl7.db-shm
index 597eee2..499e34d 100644
Binary files a/hl7.db-shm and b/hl7.db-shm differ
diff --git a/hl7.db-wal b/hl7.db-wal
index dbd2e34..231643f 100644
Binary files a/hl7.db-wal and b/hl7.db-wal differ