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.
LAB BRIEFS
DUBAI TO TEST DNA OF ITS 3 MILLION CITIZENS RECENTLY, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS in Dubai announced a plan to conduct genetic testing on all three million residents. Experts say this is an unprecedented decision by any national govern…
Sale of Tox Lab Company Attracted Multiple Buyers
CEO SUMMARY: In the midst of expanding their toxicology testing services nationally, DrugScan and DSI Medical Services (collectively Toxicology Holdings Inc.) hired a brokerage firm last year to pursue a sale of the two toxicology companies. Multiple potential buyers responded with intere…
Newsmaker Interview: Healthcare’s Transformation Now Bringing Changes to Lab Industry
“Today, patients want to get diagnosis and treatment faster with fewer visits to the doctor’s office. They want speedier and more comprehensive delivery of clinical services, be it laboratory tests, imaging, or other procedures.” …
GE Healthcare Sells Omnyx to Inspirata
CEO SUMMARY: Now that the FDA has cleared a digital pathology for use in primary diagnosis, interest in DP is building. Inspirata purchased Omnyx and its assets because the Omnyx Dynamyx digital pathology software has strong features that could be integrated into Inspirata’s digital pat…
To Grow Nationally, NY Lab Buys Tox Labs
CEO SUMMARY: It is unusual when a regional health system’s clinical lab company acquires a commercial lab company outside its geographic home. But that’s what happened in December when Rochester Regional Health System’s subsidiary, ACM Global Laboratories, acquired a toxicology test…
After Court Decision, India Faces Shortage of Lab Professionals
THERE IS ALREADY A SHORTAGE of competent professionals available to sign off on medical laboratory reports in India. Now a recent Supreme Court decision may exacerbate this problem. On Jan. 11, the Hindu Business Line, a newspaper, reported that medical labs across India could face a significant sho…
Former HDL CEO Mallory Sues Richmond Law Firm
CEO SUMMARY: It’s a case of the client turning on the law firm. The former CEO of Health Diagnostic Laboratory is suing the law firm that advised her and her lab company on major legal matters. LeClairRyan of Richmond, Va., previously settled certain allegations with HDL’s bankruptcy …
Alberta Health to Build New Lab to Serve Edmonton, Province
FOLLOWING YEARS OF CONTROVERSY associated with different plans to build a large new laboratory facility to serve Edmonton and the surrounding region, Alberta Health Services (AHS) will finance and build the new lab with its own resources. Last month, the Alberta government announced…
Beckman Coulter Sues Quidel for Right to Sell BNP Assay
THERE IS AN INTERESTING COURT FIGHT UNFOLDING between Beckman Coulter Corporation and Quidel over the rights to sell a B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assay. The lawsuit is a consequence of Abbott Laboratories’ acquisition of Alere, Inc….
Value of Miraca Falls By 92% from 2011 to 2017
CEO SUMMARY: Miraca Life Sciences amended its merger agreement with Avista Capital Partners after the lab lost value in the two months since the agreement was signed in September. Factors precipitating the revision were a significant decline in reimbursement rates, stiff competition from …
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 6 – April 21, 2025
Now that a federal judge has vacated the FDA’s LDT rule, The Dark Report analyzes the judgement and notes the various steps the FDA could take in response. Also, lab testing at pharmacies is proving to be less successful than was once anticipated.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
Lab leaders rely on THE DARK REPORT for actionable intelligence on important developments in the business of laboratory testing. Maximize the money you make-and the money you keep! Best of all, it is released every three weeks!
Sign up for TDR Insider
Join the Dark Intelligence Group FREE and get TDR Insider FREE!
Never miss a single update on the issues that matter to you and your business.