Dec 2, 2009 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Consolidation continues in the lab testing sector that serves physicians’ offices
Last week it was disclosed that the health system which owns Centrex Clinical Laboratories, Inc. is selling its laboratory testing business to Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: LH ). Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare stated that it expected the transaction would be finalized by the end of the year.
Several times in recent years, Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare shopped Centrex Clinical Labs to interested buyers. For that reason, news of the sale to LabCorp did not surprise informed observers.
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Nov 16, 2009 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Provides doctors with fast access to care pathways and diagnostic rules
Most pathologists and laboratory professionals in the United States are unaware of a unique clinical resource called the “Map of Medicine”. This was started in the United Kingdom and utilizes evidence-based medicine (EBM) guidelines in the care pathways it makes available to clinicians who visit the web site.
Map of Medicine shows how the Internet is already changing the way some physicians access knowledge and use it to advance their clinical practice. The Map of Medicine also illustrates a way that evidence-based medicine guidelines can quickly become available to clinicians. Given the pre-eminent role that laboratory testing plays in diagnosis, pathologists and clinical laboratory managers will want to learn more about why physicians find it useful to access the Map of Medicine as they work with patients.
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Oct 28, 2009 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Deal with Providence Health gives PAML access to 78 CHI hospitals in 20 states
Yesterday it was announced that Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML) of Spokane, Washington, has a new equity partner. In a joint release, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and Providence Health & Services acknowledged a “definitive agreement in which CHI will assume a 25% equity position” in PAML.
This is a significant development in the laboratory testing industry. It provides PAML with easier access to the capital it needs to sustain ongoing growth. The new agreement also positions PAML as a preferred partner to develop laboratory outreach joint ventures with hospitals owned by CHI, which is the second largest catholic-owned health system in the United States.
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Oct 23, 2009 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News
Management Tool Contributes to More Collected Revenue, Higher Sales Prices
Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is hitting the radar screen at the nation’s best-managed clinical laboratories. That’s because shrinking reimbursement makes it imperative for clinical labs and pathology groups to collect every dollar legally due for the lab testing services they provide. RCM is a proven management tool for reducing unpaid claims and unlocking more productivity in the coding/billing/collections process.
“Revenue Cycle Management for laboratories encompasses all the administrative and management functions that contribute to the capture, and collection of revenue associated with lab testing services,” observed Lale White, CEO of Xifin, Inc. of San Diego, California. White has been an acknowledged national expert in laboratory coding, billing, and collections for more than two decades.
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Oct 12, 2009 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
More medical tourists may also contribute to further globalization of lab testing
Medical tourism continues to be a force with the potential to exert significant influence on healthcare in the United States. For that reason, experts have weighed in recently on how efforts to reform healthcare may either inhibit or encourage growth in the number of Americans opting to become medical tourists.
Just as medical tourism has the potential to be transformative to certain aspects of healthcare here in this country, Dark Daily believes that medical tourism may also encourage greater globalization of pathology services and clinical laboratory testing. For both reasons, pathologists and clinical laboratory managers will find recent commentary to be enlightening. (more…)
