News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
Sign In

Mayo Medical Laboratories Gathers Pathologists and Other Experts to Share Lessons Learned and Successes in Improving How Physicians Utilize Lab Tests

Utilization management of clinical laboratory testing is a big trend in laboratory medicine at the moment as innovative labs strive to add more value

DATELINE: DENVER, COLORADO—Interest in improving the utilization of clinical laboratory tests is at an all-time high among medical laboratories throughout the United States. Last week a national gathering of pathologists and laboratory professionals gathered in the Mile High City to share success stories and identify the best approaches to helping physicians better utilize lab tests.

This one-day conference on laboratory test utilization was organized by Mayo Medical Laboratories and the Mayo Clinic as part of its 27th Annual Conference on Laboratory Outreach. The keynote speaker was Michael G. Rock, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Mayo Clinic Hospitals/Mayo Foundation and an at-large member of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and its Executive Committee.

Analysis of Key Trends in Healthcare

In recent years, Rock has been involved at the highest levels of healthcare strategy development, both at the Mayo Clinic and with several national hospital associations, including the American Hospital Association. He provided attendees at this conference with a razor-sharp analysis of key trends in healthcare. Rock then identified and explained the essential steps that innovative hospitals and health systems are taking to reshape their organization in order to provide the range of clinical services needed to support integrated healthcare and personalized medicine. (more…)

Important Trends Point to Cloudy Future for Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups in the United States

Financial and clinical fortunes may soon shift for many medical laboratory organizations

By every measure, the clinical laboratory industry is entering a high-stakes period during the next 24 months. Powerful trends are reducing lab budgets and payers are cutting the prices paid for medical laboratory testing. The question on everyone’s mind is “will it get better or worse in the months ahead?”

This question will be asked plenty of times to speakers at the nation’s largest gathering of clinical lab executives and pathology business leaders. On April 30-May1, the upcoming 18th Annual Executive War College on Laboratory and Pathology Management will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana. A record crowd has already registered to attend. (more…)

Nation’s List of Top Ten Largest Healthcare Systems Include Some Surprises

Rankings based on annual revenue and the Veterans’ Administration tops the list

When Dark Daily recently published a list of the Top Ten Largest Medical Groups in the United States, not only was it a popular topic, but many readers asked us to present a similar list for healthcare systems. Dark Daily is glad to oblige and presents below a list of the Top Ten Largest Healthcare Systems in the United States, ranked on annual revenue.

This ranking of the Top Ten Biggest Healthcare Systems includes government healthcare systems, not-for-profit healthcare systems, and for-profit healthcare systems. As you will see, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs holds down the number one position, with annual revenue of $40.7 billion. Coming in second on this ranking is HCA, Inc., with annual revenue of $28.4 billion. Of the ten largest healthcare systems, three are owned by Catholic organizations and three are for-profit hospital corporations.

(more…)

MountainStar–PAML Lab Joint Venture Doubles in Size in 24 Months

Hospital/commercial lab JV finds success in competitive Salt Lake City market

DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Since its formation less than two years ago, MountainStar Clinical Laboratories, LLC, has more than doubled in size. This unique laboratory outreach joint venture is a partnership between MountainStar Healthcare and Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML).

To learn more about this fast-growing joint venture, last week, Dark Daily traveled to Salt Lake City to visit MountainStar Clinical Laboratories, LLC . First, some background about this partnership.

(more…)

Boston’s Caritas Christi Health Sells its Lab Outreach Business, Forms Alliance with Quest Diagnostics

It’s the second acquisition of a hospital lab outreach program in past six days

Several days ago, a two-part deal was announced between Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) and Caritas Christi Health Care of Boston, Massachusetts. Caritas sold its clinical laboratory outreach business to Quest Diagnostics and both parties formed a “strategic alliance” going forward that centers upon laboratory testing and informatics integration. Caritas will continue to own and manage the laboratories in its six hospitals.

This is the second sale of a hospital laboratory outreach business in the past two weeks. On August 12, Sonic Healthcare (SYD:SHL) acquired Piedmont Medical Laboratories (PML) of Winchester, Virginia. PML was owned by Valley Health, an eight-hospital health system. (See Dark Daily, ‘Sonic Healthcare’s Latest Lab Buying Spree Nets Two U.S. Labs for $20 Million”, August 13, 2009.)
(more…)

;