In 2013, Healthcare Experienced Largest Drop in Job Growth Since 1990 and Hospitals Are Shedding Jobs; These Trends Are Likely to Mean Less Resources for Hospital Laboratories

Market indicators support predictions of tougher financial times ahead for hospital-based clinical laboratories and pathology groups  New statistics for 2013 on employment in the healthcare and hospital sectors show the lowest rates of growth since 1990. This is a signal to pathologists and clinical laboratory executives that much belt-tightening is taking place by all types of providers. For 2013, the healthcare sector added just 271,000 jobs. This was 2% less than the annual average since...

PeaceHealth and University of Washington School of Medicine Form Strategic Alliance, Further Integrating Academic and Community Care Settings

There’s more consolidation in the hospital marketplace as institutions look to build scale and offer a fuller menu of healthcare services Across the United States, multi-hospital health systems and stand-alone academic medical centers are looking for the right collaborations, alliances, and consolidation opportunities. This is happening because hospitals of all sizes and types recognize the need to be part of a comprehensive, integrated provider network in their region. This is a trend that...

Expect More Multiplex Clinical Laboratory Testing as Systems Biology Moves Closer to Clinical Practice

In the Pacific Northwest, PeaceHealth has become the first community health system to join the P4 Medicine Institute (P4Mi) in an important collaboration to demonstrate practical clinical applications of systems biology in patient care. P4Mi is itself a spin-off of the Institute for Systems Biology that was founded by Leroy Hood, M.D., Ph.D., and several colleagues.

Confidentiality Issues with Personal Health Records

Personal Health Records (PHRs, also referred to as Electronic Medical Records or EMRs) are on the rise across the United States. As noted in earlier Dark Daily e-briefings, doctor’s offices and hospitals are not the only players implementing PHR solutions. Even major employers (see Corporations Take Electronic Health Records into their Own Hands) are taking active steps to provide their employees with PHRs. As use of PHRs becomes widespread and it becomes familiar to patients, it is only...
;