Laboratory Management
Laboratory management in today’s clinical lab industry is changing rapidly and facing entirely new challenges. One problem is the lack of upcoming younger lab managers, as the retirements of baby boomer pathologists, medical technologists and lab scientists are in the near future. These individuals make up the largest proportion of supervisors, managers, and lab administrators working in labs today.
As they retire, every clinical lab and pathology group needs to have the next generation of leaders ready to step up and assume responsibilities. But, across the lab industry, there are limited opportunities for every lab’s brightest up-and-comers to get the regular management development opportunities that are common among Fortune 500 companies. The Dark Intelligence Group has called for the establishment of a mentoring program to help overcome this problem.
At the same time, downward pressure on reimbursements and mounting competition have created an environment that requires much more effort for a medical lab to grow and thrive.
Legislation, including the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, have placed significant demands on medical laboratories and healthcare providers to improve internal efficiency even while offering more services for less money. This pressure to “do more with less” is further compounded by the need to deliver increasingly personalized client service to retain and win clients.
With the era of fee-for-service medicine coming to a close, every clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology organization needs a strategy for getting paid, as new reimbursement models that support patient-centric care will make up a larger portion of lab revenues.
The challenge for every clinical laboratory manager is to understand how to evolve from a business model that is accession-centric or volume-centric to one that is patient-centric.
Many clinical laboratories today are developing data repositories to logically link all transactional and other information about a patient. These repositories allow physicians to see all relevant information, identify trends, and provide better care as a result, enabling labs to provide greater value to their customers, patients and payers, thus creating more value and becoming more patient-centric.
Where to Proceed Cautiously with AI in the Clinical Lab
Not since the smartphone debuted has a technology created as much hype as artificial intelligence (AI). Clearly mobile phones proved to be a cornerstone of business, and AI may eventually find similar footing. But as the AI revolution unfolds, …
AI Reshapes Job Market: New Priorities for Clinical Labs
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future consideration in the job market. Instead, it is actively reshaping how professionals find work, how roles are defined, and which skills employers value most. According to recent LinkedIn resear…
Strategies to Succeed with Laboratory Outreach Programs
In recent years Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics went on buying sprees, acquiring laboratory outreach businesses from major health systems. They argue that they can run these operations more efficiently, while the sellers get much-needed cash infusions. (See …
One Lab’s Solution to Its Histotechnologist Shortage
Histology workforce shortages remain one of the major challenges within the clinical laboratory industry, and, unfortunately, as the demand for histotechnologists increases, the number of qualified personnel has been decreasing. A report releas…
Insights on Innovative Tech and Running a Clinical Lab in 2026
CEO SUMMARY: William Morice II, MD, PhD, the CEO at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, discusses technology that intrigues him and the important steps clinical laboratory leaders can take to better steer revenue opportunities as they head into the new year. Morice also comments on …
How One Lab Eliminated Paper through Front-End IT
CEO SUMMARY: Paper-based test ordering processes and employees overwhelmed with too many software applications were creating bottlenecks and stress at Sonora Quest Laboratories. CIO Sonny Varadan undertook an effort to eliminate paper requisitions and streamline work apps,…
How Stanford Tackles the Lab Labor Shortage
CEO SUMMARY: Clinical labs nationwide face worsening staffing shortages across all roles. Stanford Health Care’s Jennifer Fralick outlines strategies to retain talent and improve efficiency, such as career ladders and top-of-skills staffing. By aligning tasks with skill …
CAP Regains VA Lab Accreditation Contract
CEO SUMMARY: In a blow to The Joint Commission, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a new clinical laboratory accreditation contract to the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The decision highlights the competition between the two accrediting organizatio…
After Regaining Outreach, Lab Grows it by $10M
CEO SUMMARY: In this case study, Kootenai Health in Idaho explains how taking back lab outreach services from a commercial lab company can improve physician satisfaction, enhance patient care, and increase revenue. Although the transition was bumpy, within two years of bri…
National Lab Company Briefs
Quest, Labcorp Push Alzheimer’s Test Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp are now offering Fujirebio’s Lumipulse test, the first Food and Drug Administration-cleared blood-based assay for con…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXIII, No. 1 – January 19, 2026
The Dark Report looks at the FDA’s move to reclassify Oncology companion diagnostics as Class II medical devices and considers how labs can benefit. Also, observers are concerned about the effect of PAMA cuts on rural clinical laboratories.
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