Hospitals in Three States Offer Patients Free Medical Laboratory Tests Following Arrest of Surgical Technician for Allegedly Stealing Fentanyl from Operating Room

A 1999 case involving California phlebotomist charged with reusing needles resulted in similar widespread testing of thousands of patients Because of possible exposure to HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C from a healthcare worker, thousands of patients treated in multiple hospitals in different states are being offered free clinical laboratory testing. This situation is attracting national media attention and is a reminder to pathologists and medical laboratory professionals of the increased...

UCSF Study Puts Spotlight on the High Prices of Medical Laboratory Tests Charged by California Hospitals

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco revealed that the cost for a simple cholesterol test ranged from as little as $10 to as much as $10,169! Clinical laboratories owned by hospitals and health systems should take note of a public study of hospital laboratory test prices that was conducted by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). It was published this summer and showed a remarkable range of prices for medical laboratory tests charged by...

Prior to IPO Pathology Company Aurora Diagnostics Gets New $335 Million Credit Line

Anatomic pathology firm hopes proposed sale of stock will bring in up to $150 million Anatomic pathology company Aurora Diagnostics, Inc., of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, just announced a new credit facility that will give it access to as much as $335 million should all conditions be met. Aurora Diagnostics hopes to raise $150 million from an initial public offering (IPO) of its stock, for which it filed registration documents in April. Aurora Diagnostics was founded in June 2006, by former...

Lab Acquisition Activity Stays Busy as Stanford and Carilion Negotiate with Buyers

With demand driving prices to record levels for clinical laboratory companies and anatomic pathology practices, merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the lab industry continues to grow across the United States. Just two weeks ago, Sonic Healthcare, Ltd. announced that it was purchasing Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii, LLP for an estimated $121 million dollars. That sale is expected to be completed by the end of third quarter this year. (See Dark Daily, June 30, 2008) Still unannounced...

Quest Diagnostics to Buy AmeriPath for $2 Billion

Here’s the latest shake-up to the laboratory testing marketplace. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated announced this morning that it will acquire AmeriPath, Inc. in a transaction valued at $2 billion. Both parties expect the deal to close before June 30, 2007. AmeriPath’s annual revenues are in excess of $800 million. Quest will pay $1.23 billion in cash and assume about $770 million of debt when the transaction closes. With its purchase of AmeriPath, Quest Diagnostics picks up three diverse...
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