University of Vermont Microbiology Laboratory Identifies Inefficiencies When Performing Pooled Testing for COVID-19

Jan 8, 2021 | Instruments & Equipment, International Laboratory News, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

The key to success with pooled testing, says the lab’s director, is having the right personnel and equipment, and an LIS that supports the added steps Experts believe pooled testing for COVID-19 could reduce the number of standard tests for SARS-CoV-2 by conserving testing resources and cutting lab spending on tests and testing supplies. However, some clinical laboratories have found pooled testing causes inefficiencies due to the lab’s lack of staff, limitations of existing equipment, and...

Healthcare Companies and Health Systems Continue to Grow Through Mergers and Acquisitions Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

Jan 6, 2021 | International Laboratory News, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Management & Operations

Consolidation of hospitals and health systems means consolidated medical laboratory services as well, and that impacts laboratory revenue and staff Though COVID-19 shifted many healthcare systems’ priorities in 2020—including quite dramatically altering the priorities of the nation’s clinical laboratories—the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic does not appear to have slowed the pace of healthcare mergers and acquisitions. Many such deals are kept secret until closed by Dec. 31. They are then then announced...

Critical Shortages of Supplies and Qualified Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is Taking a Toll on the Nation’s Clinical Laboratories says CAP

Jan 4, 2021 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

As demand for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus testing increases, leaders of the College of American Pathologists meet online to brainstorm possible solutions to the crisis In September, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) began its series of “virtual media briefings” given by leading pathologists and physicians at the forefront of COVID-19 testing which are designed to “offer insights and straight talk” on the crisis confronting today’s clinical laboratories. During the third virtual meeting on...

Workplaces Must Screen Employees for COVID-19, Say Authorities in the US and Ontario, and This Trend Could Mean Big Business for Clinical Laboratories

Dec 21, 2020 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, International Laboratory News, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

As mandatory screenings for private industry workers increases, some states launch free COVID-19 testing for state employees, while engaging medical laboratories to provide such testing Amid the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, welcoming employees back to work is not as simple as opening the company’s doors. Businesses based in some areas of the US and Canada are being required by state and provincial governments to conduct employee COVID-19 screenings. For clinical laboratories, the increase in mandatory...

McKinsey and Company Says the COVID-19 Pandemic is Accelerating Six Critical Trends in Healthcare, at Least One Which Would Benefit Anatomic Pathologists

Nov 9, 2020 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Instruments & Equipment, International Laboratory News, International Laboratory News, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Laboratory Testing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily, Precision Medicine

Clinical laboratory and pathology groups that support ambulatory and virtual care, and urgent care and retail clinics may experience growth Global management consulting company McKinsey and Company’s report, “The Great Acceleration In Healthcare: Six Trends to Heed,” identifies six trends in healthcare that are accelerating due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical laboratory managers and pathology practice administrators should consider how these trends may affect their business and...

Clinical Laboratories Need Creative Staffing Strategies to Keep and Attract Hard-to-Find Medical Technologists, as Demand for COVID-19 Testing Increases

Nov 2, 2020 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily

Critical shortages in medical laboratory workers and supplies are yet to be offset by new applicants and improved supply chains. But there is cause for hope. Medical laboratory scientists (aka, medical technologists) can be hard to find and retain under normal circumstances. During the current coronavirus pandemic, that’s becoming even more challenging. As demand for COVID-19 tests increases, clinical laboratories need more technologists and lab scientists with certifications, skills, and...