Since 1995, Reliable Business Intelligence for Clinical Laboratories, Pathology Groups and Laboratory Diagnostics

June 2004

“June 28, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”

Late Breaking Lab News / By Robert Michel

There’s early evidence that health benefit costs for 2005 may only increase by a single digit percentage. Hewitt Associates is gathering data from 160 large companies for its annual healthcare cost survey. It reports that an average increase of 13.7% appears likely, compared to a 17.5% increase in 2004. But when employers factor in the …

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Digene, Kaiser Northern California, ARUP Labs, Bio-Reference Labs, Specialty Labs

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

DIGENE ENJOYS GROWTH OF 39% IN RECENT MONTHS FUELED BY RECOGNITION that HPV plays a key role in causing cervical cancer, demand for Digene Corporation’s hc2 High-Risk HPV DNA test is increasing at impressive rates. For fiscal third quarter 2004, Digene reported revenue growth of 39% over the same quarter last year. Its revenues climbed …

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Sysmex Anticipates Major Shifts In Laboratory Testing Market

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

“Innovating from our core technologies will lead Sysmex into very different areas of laboratory testing.” —John Kershaw CEO SUMMARY: Sysmex America, Inc. surprised many this year when it hired its own sales and service team and begin distributing its products directly to laboratories in the United States. In this exclusive interview, COO John Kershaw explains …

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Lawyers Attack Charity Hospitals: Labs Beware!

Commentary and Opinion by R. Lewis Dark / By R. Lewis Dark

HOSPITAL-BASED LABORATORIES FACE A NEW THREAT—from an unexpected source! On June 17, 2004, a group of lawyers filed federal class action suits against 11 health systems or hospitals in eight states. These lawyers claim the hospitals named are in violation of their charitable or not-for-profit charters because they overcharge uninsured patients and use extreme collection …

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Esoterix & UnitedHealth Sign National Test Pact

Clinical Laboratory / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Just when it is assumed that the two blood brothers have a lock on national lab testing contracts with the nation’s biggest payers, Esoterix inks an agreement with UnitedHealth Group. This now positions Esoterix to offer its higher-end reference and esoteric testing to hospitals and physicians providing care to more than 22 million …

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UnitedHealth’s Decision Reveals Lab Market Shift

Clinical Laboratory / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: News that UnitedHealth Group, Inc. added Esoterix, Inc. to its national laboratory services contract is a big story. UnitedHealth’s decision to expand the laboratory panel demonstrates that factors other than lowest price played an important role. The move to supplement its two national labs with a third laboratory option indicates that UnitedHealth’s existing …

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National AP Firms Target Gastroenterology Groups

Pathology Trends / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: It’s a trend as yet invisible to the radar screens of most pathology groups. A new crop of specialty AP companies is targeting gastroenterology. In the past 36 months, several have posted phenomenal growth in both specimen volume and revenue. The heightened competition for GI biopsies mirrors that seen last decade for urology …

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Molecular Diagnostics’ “Gap in Expectations”

Molecular Diagnostics / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: This year’s Executive War College provided strong evidence that the twin trends of molecular diagnostics and Lean management methods are taking root within the laboratory industry. Each is a trend in its infancy. Molecular diagnostics will require considerable time before it exerts substantial impact on labs across the country. In contrast, Lean management …

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Congress Holds Hearing On Hospital Lab Fiasco

Clinical Laboratory / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Problems at the laboratory of Maryland General Hospital came under scrutiny at a recent Congressional hearing. There was plenty of criticism and embarrassment for several entities which should have detected the problems and reacted to the situation more effectively. Serious questions were asked about how and why so many safeguards failed to detect …

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Pathologist Activities Evolve In VA’s “Paperless” Hospitals

Laboratory Information Systems / By Robert Michel

“When a hospital or laboratory goes ‘paperless’, it’s no longer ‘business as usual’ for pathologists.” —Bruce Dunn, M.D. CEO SUMMARY: One outcome of the Veteran Administration’s (VA) ongoing effort to create a totally-integrated information system was to give the laboratory increased capabilities to enhance diagnostic testing services. It’s also changing the way pathologists practice laboratory …

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