Jun 22, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Lab-savvy lawyers tackle overlooked issues involving non-compete covenants, protection of client lists, and effective partnership agreements
Unbeknownst to many owners of clinical laboratories and pathology groups, several developments have created new risks for the most important business assets of these organizations. Experts involved in legal and financial consulting for laboratories advise their clients to take definitive steps to prevent direct loss or any significant erosion in the value of these valuable business assets.
Too often, laboratory owners and the pathologist-partners of group practices find the value of their business needlessly reduced because they failed to take simple—but necessary—actions to fully protect their assets. That is not surprising, because many of a laboratory’s highest-value assets are represented by contracts with employees and partners, agreements on trade secrets, non-compete covenants with executives and sales representatives, and even something as basic as employee handbooks.
(more…)
Apr 20, 2010 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Pathologists find new Part A contract model creates added value for hospitals
Now pathologists have a new approach to reverse the trend for hospitals and health systems to pay even less for Part A pathology professional services. Innovative pathologists are crafting what they call a “performance-based Part A Support” agreement that adds new value for the hospital, along with additional compensation for the pathologists.
For pathologists, this is a major breakthrough in stabilizing and increasing hospital compensation for these important services. After all, for most of the past decade, many hospitals arbitrarily cut reimbursement for Part A pathology professional services—even as these hospitals held pathologists to ever-higher standards, including improved patient outcomes and more resources devoted to patient safety in the hospital’s clinical laboratory.
(more…)
Nov 10, 2009 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Your lab’s oldest Baby Boomer managers are turning 62 and thinking about retirement!
There’s a ticking clock in your lab: the fast-approaching retirement of your best section managers, department heads, senior administrators, and pathologists! Yet there is still time for your lab or pathology group to address important succession planning opportunities.
“Every day, about 8,760 Baby Boomers turn 62 and become eligible for their social security benefits,” observed Jeff Smith, Vice-President of Leadership Development at Slone Partners.
(more…)
Sep 14, 2009 | Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
As health insurers build patient-friendly web sites, they now want all the lab test data
For laboratories wanting to contract with managed care plans, it will soon be “all about the data.” In upcoming contract renewal talks, expect health insurers to have a keen interest in working specifically with those clinical laboratories and pathology groups which can interface and electronically provide lab test data.
Dark Daily is first to identify this important development. It creates an opportunity for local laboratories to contribute added value to payers in their region. There is a specific reason for this increased interest. Health insurers are building information-rich Web sites for their insured beneficiaries. It is now important for them to have laboratory test data that they can use to populate the digital health record of their beneficiaries.
(more…)
