CEO SUMMARY: Seeking ways to automate every aspect of work flow, the clinical laboratory at St. Francis Health System in Tulsa, Oklahoma, implemented a unique automated laboratory inventory management system that utilizes RFID. In the first four months, the system helped the hospital cut the value of inventory on hand by $296,000. Another direct cost savings was a 75% reduction in
Tag: automated laboratory
RFID Lab Inventory System Saves $465K in First Year
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXII NO. 8 - June 1, 2015 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Seeking ways to automate every aspect of work flow, the clinical laboratory at St. Francis Health System in Tulsa, Oklahoma, implemented a unique automated laboratory inventory management system that utilizes RFID. In the first four months, the system helped the hospital cut the value of inventory on hand by $296,000. Another direct cost savings was a 75% reduction in staff time required for inventory control. Payback from this investment was swift and lab administration says it is saving more than $169,000 each year because of this system.
Putting Centrifuges Into Courier Cars For Mobile Processing
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XVIII No. 2 - February 7, 2011 issue
CEO SUMMARY: To improve the quality of lab services it provides to more than 300 skilled nursing facilities (SNF) while reducing costs, MuirLab of Concord, California, has created a “mobile specimen processing” solution. It operates a fleet of courier cars with centrifuges and refrigerated storage. Now specimens transported by these cars arrive at the core
Solstas Lab Partners, DNA Direct, Pathology, Inc., Slone Partners, PAML
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XVIII No. 2 - February 7, 2011 issue
SPECTRUM-CARILION NOW WILL BE CALLED SOLSTAS LAB PARTNERS
IT IS THE NEXT STEP IN THE INTEGRATION of Spectrum Laboratory Network and Carilion Laboratories. Effective February 1, 2011, their combined businesses will use the name Solstas Lab Partners.
Both Spectrum Lab Network, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Carilion, based in Roanoke, Virginia, were acquired by Welsh, Carson,
Pursuing More Benefits From Next Generation Lab Automation
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XVIII No. 1 - January 18, 2011 issue
CEO Summary: Once it was decided to replace an aging, five-year-old laboratory automation system at the laboratory of Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, the administration at the hospital issued a challenge. It asked the laboratory team to deliver an immediate 10% cost savings upon implementation of its next-generation laboratory automation solution. Because of a
New Clinical Lab Trends To Shape Events in 2010
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XVII No. 1 - January 4, 2010 issue
CEO SUMMARY: In presenting this list of macro trends for clinical laboratories, several themes are in play. They range from a continued emphasis on improving lab operations to the need to acquire and deploy sophisticated information technology. During the next few years, the long-predicted retirement of Baby Boomers will kick in. That will aggravate the
Illinois Pathologists Dodge Medicaid CP Payment Cut
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XV No. 13 - September 29, 2008 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Pathologists in Illinois acted swiftly to this month’s announcement that the Illinois Medicaid program would cease to directly pay pathologists directly for clinical pathology professional services. The new policy was to take effect on October 1, 2008. As this issue of THE DARK REPORT goes to press, there is breaking news that educational
Lab Automation Viewed As Essential Solution
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XV No. 5 - April 14, 2008 issue
CEO SUMMARY: A merger of three hospitals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, forced PinnacleHealth’s lab director to find new ways to increase efficiency. A lab automation project helped improve turnaround time and staff productivity and cut costs. The cost savings is about 50 cents per test, which means the lab automation project is saving more than $1
Middleware Produces Data In Real Time for Lab Managers
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XIII No. 13 - September 25, 2006 issue
CEO SUMMARY: With sustained pressure on laboratories to cut costs, reduce errors, and raise quality, lab managers need faster access to detailed information about lab work processes. One solution is to use middleware to collect data in real time from the LIS and other sources, then analyze it to identify problems and opportunities for improvement.
More Labs Opt to Use and Lab Automation
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XIII No. 8 - June 12, 2006 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Many of the nation’s more innovative laboratory organizations are paying closer attention to laboratory productivity and operational performance. To achieve improved operations, these labs are putting three tools to greater use. They are using targeted automation solutions and giving middleware a greater role in the effort to squeeze ever more productivity from every