Mar 9, 2016 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations
High rates of variability from one drop to another raise questions about the reliability of point of care testing equipment and companies that collect lab specimens only with finger sticks
Since last fall, one news report after another has come out with bad news for Theranos Inc., the high-profile medical laboratory company. The reports have ranged from dissatisfaction among Theranos’ partners, such as Walgreens and Capital BlueCross, to failed inspection reports from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In response, the embattled lab company in Palo Alto, Calif., has maintained that it is doing everything it can to correct any deficiencies in its clinical laboratory testing methods and to ensure its partners that its processes are scientifically sound and its methods valid. (more…)
Mar 2, 2016 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations
Robert L. Michel, Editor-in-Chief of The Dark Report, was recognized with the W.A.D. Anderson award for his contributions to the profession of pathology and laboratory medicine
DATELINE—Miami Beach, Florida: What better time to be here on Florida’s trendy South Beach than February, when winter’s chilly winds blow across much of the United States. That’s one reason why a record crowd of pathologists assembled at the Fountainebleau Hotel to attend the 40th annual “Review and Recent Practical Advances in Pathology” that took place here on February 15-19.
The conference addressed such hot topics in anatomic pathology as new predictive markers and prognostic markers in surgical pathology and recent developments in the field of cytology. This meeting is produced by the Pathology Department at the University of Miami’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. It is a Monday-through-Friday event, designed to allow attendees ample lecture time with some opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the weather and the beaches. (more…)
Feb 8, 2016 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
New service allows patients statewide to access urgent care via telephones and other devices as Cleveland Clinic positions itself to be a 24/7 provider of choice
Urgent care by telephone is the latest patient-centric and customer-friendly medical service to be offered by the Cleveland Clinic. It is also the first 24-hour online statewide healthcare service of its kind in Ohio, a milestone that has implications for pathologists and clinical laboratory executives because lab testing is often required in support of patients wanting access to urgent care, particularly after hours.
Express Care Online (formerly MyCare Online) is the Cleveland Clinic’s new telemedicine service. It enables patients to see a medical professional for urgent matters via computer or smartphone 24 hours a day/seven days a week, according to a Cleveland Clinic statement. (more…)
Dec 4, 2015 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Yet financial pressures on insurers continue to increase premiums and potentially squeeze reimbursement rates for clinical laboratories and pathology groups
Walmart shoppers expect to find low prices on the retailer’s shelves, but the discounter’s full-time employees may be surprised to learn their company healthcare plan is also a low-cost leader. This is a significant finding and is significant for pathologists and clinical lab managers because the Walmart health benefit plan includes an expanded provider network, at a premium that is about half of the subsidized rate for a comparable health plan at Healthcare.gov.
A Washington Examiner analysis comparing Walmart’s employee health insurance program with Obamacare—more formerly referred to as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or simply the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—found that “Walmart’s plan is more affordable and provides significantly better access to high-quality medical care than Obamacare.”
The report also noted that Walmart’s participation in a national healthcare network means employees typically choose from a list of participating providers and high-profile hospitals that dwarfs the number of options on Obamacare exchanges. (more…)
Oct 30, 2015 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists are part of multi-disciplinary efforts to curb healthcare-associated infections
One interesting fact about a national list of hospitals that rank highest in infection prevention is that they are mostly smaller and non-teaching hospitals. This was one finding from a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports.
The survey tracked MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and other common bacteria that are the source of most healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). These are also known as nosocomial infections when referring specifically to hospital-acquired infections. (more…)
