Jul 23, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Across the country, many hospital laboratory outreach programs continue to grow and prosper, despite a sour economy and higher rates of unemployment. That’s true in Chicago’s northern suburb of Evanston, Illinois, where the laboratory outreach program of Evanston Hospital enjoys solid rates of growth in specimen volume and revenue.
This week, Dark Daily visited Evanston Hospital and spent time with Thomas A.Victor, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and his laboratory team. Evanston Hospital is the anchor facility for Northshore University Healthsystem, which includes Glenbrook Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, and Skokie Hospital. These four hospitals total 1,043 beds. Northshore is affiliated with the University of Chicago School of Medicine.
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Jul 13, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Ex-Senate Majority Leader Predicts Democrats Will Aggressively Push Reform
In recent weeks, laboratory professionals got a ringside seat to hear a true Washington insider discuss key issues in healthcare reform. Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, told lab industry executives and pathologists that Congress faces three significant hurdles as it attempts to reform the healthcare system. The first—and perhaps most significant—hurdle involves costs, he said. Daschle is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at Alston and Bird, a law firm in Washington, D.C.
“Cost is a huge political factor,” stated Daschle during a recent audio conference conducted by the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) on June 24. “Of all of the factors, cost is driving this debate as much if not more than any [other single factor]. We are looking at an investment cost of about $1 trillion to put this new infrastructure in place and that is an issue of great concern.” Daschle explained that the other two hurdles are quality of care and access to healthcare.
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Jul 8, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Clinical labs continue see higher-than-normal flu activity in what is typically the off-season
New cases of A/novel H1N1 continue to show up in the United States and worldwide. It means that influenza activity at clinical laboratories is higher than normal for this time of year. These continuing influenza cases affirm why public health officials expect a busy flu season this fall and winter.
In fact, data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that overall influenza activity decreased in the United States in recent weeks compared to late April and early May. At the same time, the novel A/H1N1 flu has spawned a second flu season this year, extending into the summer months of 2009.
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Jun 23, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Acquisition adds more companion diagnostics to LabCorp’s molecular test menu
Here’s another validation of the prediction that companion diagnostics will be a cornerstone of personalized medicine. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: LH) of Burlington, North Carolina, said Tuesday (June 23) it would acquire Monogram Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGRM) of South San Francisco, California. In an all cash deal totaling $106.7 million, LabCorp will pay $4.55 per share.
“Monogram Biosciences, Inc., has an excellent clinical reputation, a market leading infectious disease test, a market leading companion diagnostic, an exciting technology platform for oncology, and offers LabCorp a substantial growth opportunity,” said David P. King, LabCorp’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
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Jun 19, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Utica Hospital holds accreditation in ISO 9001 and 14001, may pursue 15189
When the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved DNV Healthcare, Inc. , of Cincinnati, Ohio, to accredit hospitals in the United States last fall, it changed the accreditation landscape significantly. A division of Det Norske Veritas of Oslo, Norway, DNV Healthcare is the first new hospital accreditation competitor for The Joint Commission http://www.jointcommission.org in 40 years. The Joint Commission is the longtime leader in hospital accreditation in the United States.
Among the first hospitals to use this new Medicare accreditation program was St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica, New York. One compelling reason why St. Elizabeth used DNV to pursue Medicare accreditation was that it already held ISO 9001 accreditation and the DNV accreditation process enables hospitals to earn accreditation under both programs. Based in its successful experience with DNV and with ISO 9001, St. Elizabeth’s administrators and clinical laboratory managers expect to pursue ISO 15189:Medical Laboratories accreditation within the next two years.
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