30th edition of the conference returns to New Orleans this week, bringing together diagnostic lab executives and innovators
Medical laboratory leaders and executives, along with diagnostic innovators from across the country, are convening in New Orleans this week for the 30th annual Executive War College on Diagnostics, Clinical Laboratory, and Pathology Management.
Given the political, regulatory, and financial upheaval occurring in the US, this year’s Executive War College gathering offers a timely opportunity for lab leaders to discuss important strategies and network with sellers.
Featuring 85 sessions across two days, attendees will delve into key topics such as revenue growth strategies, regulatory updates, AI integration, workforce development, and evolving payer dynamics.
With clinical laboratories playing an increasingly pivotal role in value-based care and patient outcomes, the 2025 conference agenda reflects a growing need for labs to operate not just as diagnostic services but as critical business units driving healthcare innovation.
Robert Michel (above), founder of the Executive War College and outgoing editor-in-chief of Dark Daily, will lead a closing session on Wednesday looking at common themes that emerged during the Executive War College. “It’s important that lab leaders take note of what they learned—whether it was during a session, networking reception, or chance meeting with a peer—before heading back to their organizations,” he said. (Photo copyright: LabX.)
Event Will Illustrate Paths Forward for Lab Industry
Robert Michel, founder of the Executive War College and outgoing editor-in-chief of Dark Daily, previously noted that smart laboratory leaders are viewing financial, staffing, and operational pressures as opportunities to move ahead.
“This path forward is informed by two longstanding precepts recognized by innovative managers,” Michel said. “One precept is ‘Change creates new winners and losers.’ The other precept is ‘Change creates opportunity.’ Savvy lab leaders recognize the powerful truths in each precept.”
The general sessions kick off Tuesday morning with a keynote address from Michel titled, “Healthcare at a Tipping Point: Why Lab Opportunities and Challenges in Coming Years Will Be Different than Those of the Past 30 Years.” The keynote will synthesize nationwide trends, setting the stage for two days of in-depth discussion.
Other general sessions on Tuesday will explore the continued move towards precision medicine, how to take innovative steps to improve lab operations, and ways to elevate the value of laboratory services.
Agenda Features More than One Dozen AI-Themed Sessions
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be another hot topic this year, particularly as labs grapple with how to harness a technology that just in the past year seems to have proliferated exponentially.
This year’s Executive War College will devote more than a dozen sessions to AI discussions, as experts from both the technology and pathology sectors dissect AI’s current capabilities, legal aspects, and financial implications.
Another major focus for 2025 is the regulatory environment. Several sessions will provide updates on the latest CLIA inspection deficiencies, where regulators stand on current concerns, and the future of laboratory developed test oversight given a federal court’s recent decision to vacate the Food and Drug Administration’s final rule on LDTs.
Wide Swath of Laboratory Influencers Expected
Nearly 1,000 attendees, speakers, and vendor representatives are expected at the Executive War College, including C-level executives, pathologists, lab directors, and business development leaders.
Watch Dark Daily this week for further updates from New Orleans, including coverage of the opening day’s general sessions and a wrap-up of what lab leaders learned during the event.
—Scott Wallask