Oct 25, 2013 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Clinical laboratory organizations that seek to set themselves “apart from the herd” are seeking internally recognized quality accreditation, such as ISO 15189
Even as only a small number of clinical laboratories, in the United States have taken the steps to earn accreditation to ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories, it is a different story in other nations, particularly where no statutory requirement for medical laboratory licensure or accreditation exists.
North of the border, the Canadian Province of Ontario has based medical laboratory accreditation on ISO 15189. Over the past decade, more than 130 laboratory organizations in the province have earned accreditation to ISO 15189. Other provinces in Canada have taken steps to develop their own ISO 15189 accreditation programs. (more…)
Sep 30, 2013 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
Implementation of the proposed Medicare rules is likely to lead to the financial failure of many smaller medical laboratories, thus disrupting medical care in many communities across the United States
Three newly proposed Medicare regulations announced last month are major threats to the clinical laboratory testing industry. In fact, one medical laboratory industry executive asserts that implementation of the proposed Medicare rules could result to such an extent that only two large testing companies may be left if the proposed Medicare regulations become final.
Proposed in July, these Medicare rules, “would change the practice of pathology in this country and severely affect patient care—especially for patients with cancer,” wrote Marc D. Grodman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRLI), of Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Grodman’s opinions were published in an op-ed article in The Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C.
The Hill is published daily when the U.S. Congress is in session. It is an influential publication and is widely read by elected officials, their staffs, lobbyists, and government officials. (more…)
Sep 9, 2013 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Laboratory Corporation of America gets 26 MuirLab Patient Service Centers (PSCs) in Northern California
Another hospital system is exiting the clinical laboratory outreach business. John Muir Health in Walnut Creek, California, agreed on Tuesday to sell its MuirLab business to Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: LH) in Burlington, North Carolina.
In the deal, LabCorp will take over and operate 26 MuirLab Patient Service Centers (PSCs) in parts of Northern California, including Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano counties. In addition, LabCorp is purchasing the client list of office-based physicians and hospitals serve by MuirLab. LabCorp will also be the preferred provider of reference lab services for John Muir Health and its affiliates.
John Muir Health will retain its two hospital-based labs in Walnut Creek and Concord. Terms were not announced and the sale is due to close in November.
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Sep 6, 2013 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Clinical laboratories have an opportunity to provide medical laboratory test services to employer-sponsored wellness programs
Venture capitalists are beginning to pour dollars into mobile apps designed to support corporate health and wellness. For savvy pathologists and clinical laboratory managers, this represents an opportunity to serve a cash-paying market for medical laboratory testing.
Another aspect of this trend which may be worth studying by pathologists and clinical laboratory administrators is the use of “gamification” by these mobile app developers. Gamification uses technologies and programming to more deeply engage the user, just as a video game does.
Corporate wellness platform Keas of San Francisco, California, recently announced an $8-million investment round, according to a story at mobihealthnews.com. Ignition Partners and Atlas Ventures provided the capital. With this latest round of funding, investors have $25.5 million invested in Keas. (more…)
May 22, 2013 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Smaller community laboratories serve many of the nation’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and ongoing medical lab fee cuts are having major negative consequences
DATELINE: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA—Last week, the National Independent Laboratory Association (NILA), in conjunction with the Association of American Bioanalysts (AAB), conducted its annual conference here. It was a useful snapshot on the state of health for independent community lab companies, particularly given the different reimbursement environment for clinical laboratory testing.
NILA’s members are primarily community clinical laboratories. They generate revenue anywhere from $1 million per year to around $100 million per year. It is believed that there are between 150 and 200 of these types of lab companies across the United States. Further, within the towns and cities they serve, these are often the only medical laboratory organizations that fill important testing niches that were abandoned years ago by the national public lab companies. (more…)
